San Rafael Porchfest

I was lying prone on the sidewalk, squinting up through the viewfinder at the singer belting out a tune. She was into it, and so was I. I was just along for the ride, trying to hold the camera steady against my body that wanted to rock to the tune. Rolling around on the ground without a care in the world, barely conscious of the other people nearby enjoying the music. And all because of a playing-card-sized piece of plastic hanging around my neck.

I had volunteered to be a photographer at the San Rafael Porchfest, an annual event where 70 bands take over two dozen porches in the historic Gerstle Park neighborhood for an afternoon of music and dancing in the streets. While I am an occasional street photographer, event photography is pretty far outside of my comfort zone. I often joke that, outside of my street work and some family candids, I don’t really like shooting things with eyes. Portraits, weddings, wildlife: Not my usual jam.

Even street photography makes me uncomfortable. I am a self-conscious and therefore surreptitious street photographer. Shooting from the hip, using a longer lens, shooting wide while pretending to aim at a distant landmark. Because I assume (correctly or not) that no one really wants their picture taken by some random old guy with a camera.

But event photography is different. People expect you to take their picture. Sometimes they even ask you to. And as a result, my self-consciousness faded away, freeing me to get closer to my subject. To point my camera with abandon, reacting to the moment. To concentrate on what is in front of the lens, rather than distracting myself with the self-doubt behind it. Which is where I found myself at Porchfest, happily snapping away with a plastic card hanging from my neck, proclaiming me to be an “All Access Photographer.” That was all it took to free me from myself. To get me to interact, rather than avoid eye contact.

I embraced the moment, snaking my way through the crowd as I looked for better vantage points to capture what I saw. I pointed my lens without fear or doubt, sending a smile of thanks as I snapped someone’s picture or briefly blocked their view. Without that little piece of plastic, I would have hung back on the edges, blending into the background. Unnoticed and unobtrusive. Creating forgettable images that recorded the moment but revealed little else.

There is a lot to be said for forcing yourself outside of your comfort zone. To stretch yourself and try something different. Take a risk. Embrace the fear and see what comes of it. You might be surprised by what you find out about yourself. And maybe that will lead you in a new direction, or influence a path you are already on.

San Rafael Porchfest, Sept. 15, 2024. You can learn about the bands appearing at the festival, and see more of my images, and those captured by other volunteer event photographers, on the Porchfest website.