THE MONEY SHOT.
At times as a photographer out with friends or colleagues. (Well… I have been known to do the following at times.) If I am out and about with friends and so on and I’m taking photos. After taking the shot I will review what I had taken on my camera.
We all do this as a form of instant gratification. But there will be that one time when that one photo really stands out. And it becomes the “best personal photo of the day.” When I have that moment. I am known to scream out a “catch phrase” such as. “The money shot.” Or maybe even “Pulitzer Prize” “Boom” and so on. It’s nothing more than a sense of humor to my friends and me.
On my Facebook page located at https://www.facebook.com/JPegImagePhotography I had recently posted the following comment about one of my “money shot” photos. The comment is below.
“Last weekend a new photography colleague of mines claimed that I used Adobe Photoshop software on this photo. Actually… I did not. The full story about this photo will be posted on my website.” The photo in question is this one below.
This is the actual story of how this photo came to be. A brief history on the photo above is the following. It was taken on the West side of Manhattan, New York City back in 2011. The exact date was July 4th, 2011. Forty-five minutes before the start of the Macy’s forth of July fireworks display.
It was during the time of sunset and as the sun was setting over the horizon, the sky was changing colors. The overall sky was just canvas of bright and beautiful colors. And I thought to myself. “Just take the shot, you may not see something like this again.”
So I did just that. I took the photo. Once I got home to review my photo of the fireworks, I looked at the photo that I had taken of the sunset sky and the street corner. And I had simply came to the conclusion that the photo above did not need any edits via any Adobe Photoshop software.
For me it was the perfect shot. The “money shot.” The phrase “money shot” basically means for example. Such as in broadcast journalism, money shots in journalism are shots that grab and hold viewers’ attention.
Or in printed publications, a money shot may be a photograph that in itself drives an important percentage of the sales of the publication. Photographs of celebrities in unusual situations that were not specifically intended to be photographed can sometimes be significant money shots, and the pursuit of such photographs has given rise to paparazzo journalism.
For the record, I did not make any money off this photo.
For me it was the perfect shot. No need to edit, color correct or adjust. What you see in the photo above, was exactly what I saw that evening back in 2011.
At times moments like the one above are rare, but for me. It makes the joy of photography all the more fun. And it can be that way for anyone too. It all depends on that moment in time when it happens.
Piece of advice if you’re reading this article. “Never expect or hunt for the perfect “money shot.” For the moment you find out you have it, is the best part of the discovery.”
JPEG IMAGE PHOTOGRAPHY 