Memorial Day - A day for remembering
On May 29th, 2010, I photographed Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum and Love & Theft at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California. I am photographing concerts for a series of articles. Many of my photo galleries can be found in my Music Category. However, you can find a photo gallery link to the Tim McGraw concert at the end of this post. There are about 30 photos.
For those of you who know the Taylor Swift song "Tim McGraw," I recommend that you read this post while humming the tune.
When you think Tim McGraw...
Do you think about this guy?
I saw this man moments after photographing the first three Lady A songs. (Often, press photographers are only granted access to the first three songs of each band's set.)
Now this guy can't really help it if he looks like Tim McGraw. I mean, he couldn't help that he had similar facial hair, and it wasn't his fault that people wanted to have their photo taken with him. Who is he to refuse beautiful women and little kids? Besides, when the images were a little out of focus, he really does look a lot like McGraw.
Am I saying he was not Tim McGraw? No. And I am not saying his fans were duped. I guess Tim McGraw could have been drinking beer during Lady A's set. Perhaps this was Tim McGraw "the real bad boy" preparing for his opening song, "Real Good Man?" Who knows? I also cannot explain why some people were taking pictures instead of watching Lady A, who happens to be a really good band. Maybe it had to do with expectations.
Sometimes, we see what we want to see. People confuse me for someone else all the time. In fact, at the Tim McGraw concert, people confused me for a photographer, so I understand how it happens, especially with all the excitement and energy.
And people wanted to see Tim McGraw.
So, if people were this crazy about someone who walked around Shoreline looking like Tim McGraw minutes before he went on stage, you can imagine how the fans reacted when someone looking like Tim McGraw walked on stage. To see that reaction, please go here. Or hit play.
Tim McGraw at Shoreline - Images by bryan farley
For those of you who have been humming along, you know how the Taylor Swift's song goes.
"When you think Tim McGraw
Do you think of me?"
In her question, there is a longing. People want to be remembered, long after we have left someone's life. Sometimes, we will settle for being remembered as a person we are not. Other times, we want someone to remember us exactly as we were, even if we have changed. And while there are some people who probably want to be remembered as Tim McGraw, I imagine there are times when Tim McGraw looks out at the audience and wonders if there is someone who can remember him before people started cheering when they saw him.
Just a note: Usually, a photo journalist would probably edit the above gallery more, but the gallery is part of an educational project for the Journalism Education Association. This gallery will provide educators and students an opportunity to learn about editing and other decision making about using imagery for story telling.
*People are always telling you what to do, but what's right for them may not be right for you.
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