Cinderella
I've been studying the NYC Dance Project, a project by Ken Browar and Deborah Ory that encapsulates contemporary dancers in the world's most prominent ballet companies. Their photographs are such beautiful fine art images that capture both the stillness of a single instant and the vitality of movement.
Of course, I immediately wanted to create similar photos full of movement, flow, energy, and grace. With some dresses I thrifted and my dancing muse Andrea, we shot these dreamy images in the studio.
I remember three years ago, I announced to people (other than myself!) that what I really wanted to do was shoot dancers in gorgeous dresses. Fast forward a few years later, seeing these images come to life make my heart sing. Thanks, Andrea, for being such a graceful princess in your pointe shoes glass slippers. Shooting you is always a dream.
At a museum full of ancient art and sculptures, being able to replicate that artistic expression and the beauty of the human body outside its walls was a vision come true.
The air was cool and breezy, a refreshing break from the historical San Francisco June gloom. With a bag full of leotards and fabrics, we were ready to play.
It all about the lines, facial expression, light, and fashion coming together to create a mood. And that’s not science, but art.
We rented out Little Boxes Theater in San Francisco, and made mermaid dreams come true in a water tank!
This photoshoot with Anica was so much fun. It was my first time shooting dance in New York, and I wanted to avoid the Central Park stereotype just to see what I could come up with.
I had the change to test with Dee of Stetts Model Management last month before I left New York
Inspired by Herb Ritts, I went to Coney Island with model and dancer Anica, and played around with chiffon, the sand, and the water.
There's something about incorporating motion into photographs that adds just a bit more excitement and interest into a still. I envisioned something simple and classic for one last dance shoot with Andrea.
I wanted to create fine art images, complete with dramatic lighting and textured backdrops.
I'm learning to love shadows and darkness in my photos. There's so much depth in contrast, something largely different from clean spotless white background stock photos. No human subject should be photographed like a dull product.
I wanted to create photos full of movement, flow, energy, and grace. With some dresses I thrifted and my dancing muse Andrea, we shot these dreamy images in the studio.
I'm sure you've seen the work of Alexander Yakovlev. He captures dancers in motion, floating amongst a whirlwind of flour. And the results are jawdroppingly beautiful. Who wouldn't want to attempt to replicate that?
I got the chance to participate in Cal Poly's Spring Dance Concert again this year. Here are some snippets of the experience from my little camera's point-of-view.
I got the chance to hang out with my super energetic and goofy and talented great-grandlittle, Sophia, in the photo studio the other day.
There's something so feminine and powerful about the way they move their bodies, and the way a dress reciprocates their every step, every leap, every twirl.
Catching glimmering moments of golden light during my favorite time of day as my favorite dancers pranced around the hills dressed to the nines...the shoot was nothing short of magical.
During a last minute work trip to New York last week, I squeezed in a studio session with my friend Anica. What a treat getting to book space in a city where photography still exists.