event ∙ Jason Verners: Solo 2015

In photography by webmeister Bud

And now, some moments from Jason Verners’ show, Solo . . . starting with some pre-show pacing.

20150317 - Jason Verners-Solo 2015-0001Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8
73 mm · 1/125 s · f/2.8 · ISO 6400

A full house at Camosun College’s Gibson Auditorium in the Young Building.

20150317 - Jason Verners-Solo 2015-0002Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM
18 mm · 1/125 s · f/2.8 · ISO 6400

I can’t count how many times I saw this reaction during the show, and how great it was to see. Pure glee mixed thoroughly with utter disbelief.

20150317 - Jason Verners-Solo 2015-0003Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8
120 mm · 1/180 s · f/2.8 · ISO 6400

Jason is a true performer, completely at home on stage and before his audience.

20150317 - Jason Verners-Solo 2015-0004Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM
18 mm · 1/125 s · f/2.8 · ISO 6400

Focus.

20150317 - Jason Verners-Solo 2015-0005Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8
135 mm · 1/180 s · f/2.8 · ISO 6400

This gent was my favourite guest of the night. Almost every trick involved someone from the audience, and this one, well . . . he looked unflappable.

Jason spent many minutes trying to convince him that what he felt in his hands was NOT indeed the deck of cards Jason had given him earlier in the number.

Jason tried many squished faces of concentration to vanish away the contents of the man’s palms, but to no avail. He’d say things like, “Try harder.” and offer sympathetic shakes of his head to indicate “no” whenever Jason asked if his latest attempt had worked.

When he was finally allowed to open his hands, his sustained look of smug triumph was immediately replaced by the exact, honest reaction you see below when it dawned on him that, somehow, his deck of cards had been switched out with a clear acrylic rectangle of no significance.

He clapped the loudest for the rest of the show.

20150317 - Jason Verners-Solo 2015-0006Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8
120 mm · 1/125 s · f/2.8 · ISO 6400

Jason’s first solo show was an undeniable success. A sellout in the days leading up to the show, it was full of humour, wonder, and the best kind of magic: genuine magic.

I was honoured he asked me to shoot the show.

20150317 - Jason Verners-Solo 2015-0007Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM
18 mm · 1/350 s · f/1.8 · ISO 6400

Also? He made a real mess during the performance. Kid’s gotta learn to clean up his room.

20150317 - Jason Verners-Solo 2015-0008Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM
18 mm · 1/180 s · f/2 · ISO 6400

=)