The Convention

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I have to admit, while making the 90-minute drive to the International Juggling Festival I was feeling a little cynical about the assignment. My initial hopes of making a decent image were somewhat diminished after reading that the event was more of a convention than it was a festival; and like most conventions, it was to take place in a convention center. My mental images of warm, glowing, afternoon light were replaced by dark dungeons with flickering fluorescents and cluttered backgrounds.

Aside from one large window in the hallway, my prediction was not far off. Surprisingly though, I did not emerge from the place with the overwhelming sense of disappointment that generally follows any event which takes place in a convention center. Staring at what seemed to be certain failure forced me to tap into a more creative version of myself. Looking back at the entire shoot, I can see that I was taking more risks, being more patient, and getting much closer to the subjects than I normally would. It’s a side of me that I would like to reach toward more often, not just when I’m stuck in a bind.

The subject matter didn’t hurt either. The event was called the “International” Juggling Festival, but I didn’t actually expect there to be anything international about this convention in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I could not have been more wrong. It seemed like California had the highest turnout of any state, and I met people who had traveled from Japan, Ireland, France, Germany and Ukraine. Many of them were performers with very impressive-sounding circus acts, although the only one I had actually heard of was Cirque Du Soleil. The strangest thing about the scene was the complete lack of an audience. There were literally hundreds jugglers spread out across the building, each putting on his own act without ever taking note of the person next to him. It was truly bizarre, but so much fun to witness.

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