What a treat it was to be able to work with Dardinelle Troen with her vision of creating visuals for the Mark Spencer Hotel. She conceived the bold art pieces as illusionary extensions of the hotel environment.
Here are the three photographs I created, each giving me some of the most challenging technical considerations I have ever faced. And I loved every minute of making these! These snapshots don’t do justice as opposed to seeing them in person.
I love when I get to be inside the walls of Oregon Ballet Theatre’s building and watch the heat and fury that arises from the dancers as they practice. It takes enormous focus and energy to perfect those twists and turns and leaps, and to be able to witness trial after trial until they reach their aspirations is a wondrous sight.
I was there to make dancer portraits, and even though they came right from brutal practice to sit before my camera, they each faced the lens with authentic passion in their eyes.
I love shooting for the Oregon Ballet Theatre, and this last shoot was exceptionally fun!
Here are two renditions of the poster they created for this performance.
Photographing Thomas Lauderdale of Pink Martini was a highlight of my career. He was alert, game for anything, and even taught me a lesson or two.
Making my way down the long dark hallway, I hear voices coming from everywhere. Booming voices, little chattering voices, a squeal of delight here and there, and just a tad of controlled angst from one isolated voice as curtain time nears.
I am backstage, at a rehearsal just before opening night of “Dream”, Oregon Ballet Theatre’s first performance of the new season. And I am in awe.
The elaborate costumes! The whirls of practice leaps! The whispers! The feet pawing at a box of stability ensuring rosin! The wide-eyed excitement from tiny dancer Cupid and lightning bugs and butterflies!
I don’t know much about dance except that I love to see it, and do it. Music flowing through a body, silence too: we don’t realize dance’s impact until we find ourselves shaking a leg at someone’s wedding or letting ourselves surrender to a drum in a village in Africa, or watching a professional dancer onstage move in ways we only wish we could.
Oh, how it can alter our mood, outlook on life and frame of reference to what is happiness. If only we would do it more often ourselves. But for now, our eyes can drink in the wonders of how our bodies are capable of expressing rhythm through the mastery of accomplished dancers.
Being backstage gives us a glimpse into the immense amount of work that goes into a performance. What strikes me the most is seeing the people who are sweeping the floors: they are true dancers themselves, back and forth and back and forth, they sway as the live orchestra warms up.
And the woman who is on duty calling the lights and curtains and stage entries…can she be more alert? Her gaze is steady and strong, coordinating so many moving parts and people and props and pulleys, yet she possesses a calm fortitude under immense pressure that is inspiring.
I wonder if being around the dancers influences a support staff’s dance. Perhaps we all should carry such grace into our daily lives.
I see a dancer, she must be new to the company, and she has the look of terror in her eyes. But I watch her search the eyes of a principal dancer as she observes their every move. Her eyes soften and fear is replaced by confidence as she sees this seasoned dancer wink at her. And with that, she enters the stage, dances with her heart, and exits with elation.
Inspiring, energetic, passionate, and feverish.
This is Oregon Ballet Theatre.
The new poster is out for A Midsummer’s Night Dream!
I loved working on this. The principal dancers (Alison Roper, Brett Bauer) were amazing to work with, and it was an absolute delight to photograph the cupid and butterfly.
The new brochure is out for Oregon Ballet Theatre! All of these images were shot in the studio (minus the Nutcracker images) where we worked up a sweat on a hot summer’s day.
Gard Communications did the design work and I am truly stunned at the job they did. And, oh how those dancers can leap. Over and over and over again.
It was an honor to be able to work on this great assignment and watch with amazement how the dancers moved and personified facial expressions on command.
Seasonal Brochure
Holy Moly….Oregon Ballet Theatre has just commissioned a print to be sold in their upcoming auction. This image is from the photo shoot with Lucas Threefoot, soloist, and is printed at 16″ X 24″.
Many thanks to Pushdot Studio for donation of printing. Framing by Luke’s Frame Shop.
A ballet dancer. A feisty ballet dancer. A wildly fun, high jumpin’ maniacal leaping MAN!
Lucas Threefoot could hardly be contained in the studio, and my lens was not wide enough to keep him in the frame.
Wow.
See the Fall issue of 1859 Magazine for the complete interview. Here are a few images from the shoot.
We completed a new Oregon Ballet Theatre ad for our “I Dance” series. This time it’s a boy!
I was asked by one of the Oregon Ballet Theatre dancers to follow him and tell the story about his life. This is an on-going series of images. Here are a few.
