
Mick Jagger 1987 ©Deborah Feingold
Mick was an hour and a half late and I was nearing cardiac arrest while I waited for my shoot with one of the most iconic rock stars ever.
To distract myself, I fussed and fidgeted with the lighting until I was ordered to stop. From there I moved on to the catering table where I sampled all of the neatly arranged delicacies until, once again, I was ordered to stop. I could feel my sweat beginning to make it’s way through my shirt. When Mick finally arrived I was nauseated, soaked and slightly disoriented.
The pictures were being done to promote his first solo album, She’s the Boss. The art direction was simple: no props, no set, two shirts and a pair of those infamous skinny jeans. It was all about Mick.
We started shooting immediately. The music was turned up and Mick turned it on. My nerves disappeared and I was feeling fantastic about how smoothly it was all going, which of course is when it all fell apart. Suddenly, I heard a crackle followed by a loud pop as the key light exploded behind me. I freaked inwardly knowing how interruptions can quickly change the rhythm of a shoot.
I explained to Mick that it would take a few minutes to replace the light and asked him to stay on set. As I directed my assistants behind me, I never once took my eyes off of Mick, and it was out of the corner of my eye that I saw my shot.
If I had I let myself be distracted by the lighting snafu, I would have lost my connection to the shoot. Staying in the moment helps you keep your eye on the prize.
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