Photos about live music aren’t just about live music. In April 2017 I was in Austin for a birthday trip, seeing many of my favorite bands and musicians. This night at C-Boy’s, the band was getting ready to take the stage. Most of the musicians were hovering nearby, waiting for show time. I took a few snapshots but, when the band’s front man noticed and looked at me — that was when I took a photograph.

There are a lot of little things that pull this photo together, I think. The leading line of the ventilator on the ceiling pulling our eye to the band. The red light to the ventilator’s left balanced by the light over the piano on the right. Similarly, the blown-out highlight of the daylight coming from the door and the shadow that bisects the glare. The contrast of the yellow tie on the black shirt. The disco ball reflecting nearby lights to look like a cross. And of course, that bright amber sparkly, spangly curtain. Finally, those barstools don’t even really get noticed, but at the edge of our eye, we can see they’re different. It’s a few lucky accidents that fell into place to make this cell phone photo overachieve.

April 9, 2017. Motorola Moto X Pure Edition cell phone, 3.8mm focal length (35mm equivalent: 28mm), f/2, 1/15, ISO 800.