Shooting outside drives me crazy; I’m never as happy with my shots after outdoor concerts as I’d like to be. The light’s wrong, the angle’s wrong, people get up and walk through the shots I feel like I frame decently. Or I don’t want to get up and walk around, even though other photographers are — if the audience is mostly seated, I don’t want to get up and crawl around in front of them. It seems rude, especially when I’m just shooting for myself.

I was happiest with this shot from last night, snapped off hand as I was on my way to the bathroom. Sometimes it’s the most off-hand stuff that you end up loving the best.

The Gardens are the perfect place to see Bowerbirds, too — something about their lush arrangements and thick harmonies is best heard outside on a sticky-hot night, with the sun sinking behind the trees. I wish they’d play the summer concert series every year, to be honest. It may be my favorite place to see them, and I have seen them many places.