[#11 in a series of my favourite images, from my first 15 years as a professional photographer.]

Once in a while, an image comes along that doesn't fit my usual ideals, but still works, and suits the show. This one - of Irish company Pan Pan's production The Rehearsal, Playing The Dane at the New Zealand International Arts Festival - was a matter of being ready for the unexpected.

Judith Roddy, playing Ophelia in a version of Hamlet, came tearing towards me across the stage (I was sitting in the front row) - and just before she ran into me, veered off again to my right. I hadn't known it was going to happen, hadn't seen her coming, just turned towards her with the camera in my hand and took three images as quickly as I could, panning the camera with her as she ran.

In the first she's completely out of focus, and by the third she's already gone (apart from her shoulder); but, in the second photo, there's speed, emotion, action, a dead body...it's chaotic - but so was the show.

And sometimes, that's just right - once in a while, an imperfect image is exactly what's needed to capture the energy of a production. It's not carefully composed, perfectly framed, ideally sharp - but, it's how it felt.

Next week, another year - 2013!