The day has come! We have a major announcement regarding EmpoweredME. However, before we get to that, check out this behind the scenes compilation of all of our behind the scenes videos from EmpoweredME sessions!
Ok… now… the announcement you have ALL been waiting for…
Our long awaited, much anticipated (boy do I sound like Don King, huh?) coffee table book is NOW ON SALE!!!!!!!
Yes, it is finished! 74 pages, full color and all the trimmings! This unique and extravagant piece of artwork features dancers from Philly, Boston, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and beyond! There is an introduction by me about the project as well as a touching note from one of the dancers, Kira, who is a cancer survivor herself!
You can purchase it in soft, hard cover and hard cover with image wrap. These are shipped directly from the publisher – I do not have inventory.
To get yours, just follow the link below!
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2746607
Oh, and we have a BOMBSHELL announcement being made within the next two weeks!!! STAY TUNED!!!
Wow! What a wonderful response we continue to get on this series! So amazing to be able to create art and affect people deeply and emotionally with it. I mean, that is what we strive to do as artists, create meaningful work. For me, I love to create beautiful, elegant art but also love to create content that stirs the emotions, moves you, leaves you feeling something. Empowered ME did that. Lucky is he who can achieve this! It is in this spirit that I have an announcement to make…
I am excited to inform you that we are moving into the next phase with this project! We will be transitioning out of shooting new work and delving into exhibits of what we have created! The end of November will mark the end of new shoots for Empowered ME. When I took this project on, I knew I wanted to do it for a definitive period of time, so I could get these ideas out of my head and onto dancers. I did not want to take on a new long term project which happens easily to me because of how excited and passionate I am about what I do. Artistically speaking, I want to ensure I am putting out content that I am proud and excited about and to make sure the work is original. I fear that if we continue, this will falter. So, to make sure we leave a lasting impression, we are going to stop “while on top.” We do have a few more shoots lined up for November and tons of unreleased images to present, so you will continue to see new images for a few months yet, I think!
As I said, its a new phase. We are now working to exhibit these prints. Our first showing will be in January of 2012 as part of Koresh’s Artistic Showcase in Center City Philadelphia. In addition, we are looking at other venues to exhibit the work, including cancer treatment centers. This is an exciting part of the process for me! This will bring a reality or tangibility of these images to people, which is just wonderful! Digital images can certainly move you, but seeing a print in front of your face offers you a connection, a realness, that you don’t get online. Hopefully, these brave families will see these images and feel a sense of hope or strength. Hopefully it will give them some sort of positive feeling.
I hope you all will stay with us on this journey and continue to support our efforts and images. We will still have updates and events, so fear not!
So, we have had a couple more shoots for this project since my last blog entry and we have a few more signed on. This project is taking on a whole new life – moreso than what I thought it would or even planned. However, being an artist and liking things to happen organically, I am not standing in the way of this momentum.
Over the new few weeks and months, we will be sharing more exciting news as things firm up including some big names in dance who will be participating as well as info on showings! Ah, but we must wait for that news.
BUT… I do have SOME exciting news to share with you NOW! Just in time for Christmas, we are releasing images in print form!! These special prints are 8×8 Square Metallic prints. These prints will sell for only $15, plus shipping/handling! We have listed some samples below so you can see what they will look like. Each will have a small border and will bear the Empowered ME text on them. EVERY image you see listed on our galleries can be ordered in print. Larger sizes are available (10×10, etc). You can even get them as gallery wrapped canvas!!!
We also have a brand new behind the scenes video featuring, Kira, who is depicted in that last photo and who also is a dancer with cancer! This video gives you some insight as to how and why she got involved with this project and some footage of us in action… well, here in action!
Here is the video:
Lastly, but certainly not least, we have our very first sponsor for this project! Tutu.Com will be sponsoring us through some leos and tutus for the project! We get our first one today for a childhood cancer shoot this weekend!!!
Please check out their Facebook page below!!
Hey all! Well, it’s been just under two weeks since we did our first shoot for Empowered ME! In a short period of time, we have received an overwhelming response to the project and the images. Dancers have since started to seek me out, asking to be a part of it. Such a humbling experience!! Some fun numbers below
* Our first posted image below, received 55 likes and 43 comments.
* My blog (as of the time I am typing this) for the week has almost 1,200 hits.
* We have done 6 shoots with a total of 10 dancers.
* Most of the shoots have taken place in my studio but one happened at Battery Park in NYC.
* Dancers have been in town from PA, NYC, NJ and SLC, Utah!
* Today’s dancer, Kira, has cancer.
Our first shoot was with Jane Koorts of Ballet Fleming. She was a lot of fun and really set the tone for the series.
Next was Jennifer Gordon a ballet teacher and student in South Jersey. Jen used to dance with Atlantic City Ballet. She is a married mom and takes class at Camden County Community College. Her teacher is my good friend, Erin Royston, who also happens to be one of my models for the shoot after Jens! Jen also teaches at a local studio.
The last shoot for the week was with Mindy, Jeanie, Erin and Laura. Mindy and I have been friends for a year or so now. She came in for shots and we just hit it off. She teaches locally, performs and does choreo. Jeanie and I have been friends for 3 or 4 years now. She was a dance major at Uarts and one of my first guinea pigs there. We have remained friends and have worked together several times since. Erin and I have been friends for about 2 or 3 years. She came to me for some shots and we have been close ever since. She is a dear friend to me. Last but not least is Laura. This was the first time I ever met her face to face. We knew each other from Twitter and Facebook. Laura, originally from Bucks County, is a NYC based freelance dancer and also writer for Dance Informa magazine.
Over the weekend, I traveled to NY for work and hooked up with my friends Jere & Mary for a shoot in Battery Park. Jere dances for Rioult Dance Company and also works at the Joyce. Mary is a busy worker bee and has been delving into yoga pretty hard core!
Wednesday, I had the pleasure to work with Sara Rodriguez. Sara is a young dancer originally from NJ who is currently in the ballet program at the University of Utah with hopes of joining Ballet West’s training program.
My final shoot thus far was with Kira. Kira is a friend of Jane, our first model. Kira also has cancer. She approached me on Facebook shortly after I posted the first images of Jane. Aside from the reality of her situation and the project, she was just a delight to work with! She was a lot of fun and took direction well!
I am really happy I got the chance to work with these amazing artists and equally happy the bonds that were created as a result of this project. Exciting, huh?!! Currently, have a couple more scheduled and plenty of ideas and still looking for more dancers. Soon, you will also be reading some guest blogs from some of those involved in the project (other then me). Of course we will continue to bring you behind the scenes footage from the shoots. Below are some pics of me and the dancers from the project so far. At the very end is a special little treat!!
Enjoy!
Me & Jane
Me, Mindy, Jeanie, Erin & Laura
Mary, Me & Jere – Battery Park
Me & Kira
Newest behind the scenes video with Sara Rodriguez from University of Utah, Ballet Department:
I met Jane when I first started to work with Ballet Fleming. She is one of their dancers and is involved with their affiliate school, Philadelphia Ballet School.
As is the case with most co-workers, you become closer and get to know each more over time. Jane and I really hit it off. I would hang around the office while she was doing admin stuff and we’d just shoot the bull. Jane was very helpful in my planning my trip to London as she lived there for years. This was just another topic that we’d get excited to chat about.
In June, we had our dance for dreams gala. With the gala, there was a silent auction table. Jane was the winner of the custom made Black Swan tutu from Tutu.com. With this, she also got a free photo shoot. I had shot Jane in class, rehearsal and on stage but never any studio work, so I was really excited to work with her. She was also the second Ballet Fleming dancer to win a shoot with me which was nice.
We finally set a date to shoot and both were very excited. It had been a long time since she had done a shoot so she was excited for that as well. As we were leading up to the shoot, I approached her about participating in my Empowered ME project, which she was excited about. I was excited to get her in the studio to help me get out of a funk. I needed to get in the studio and be me. I needed to create amazing content. I needed to be inspired.
The shoot was amazing as I expected it would be. We chatted, we danced. Ok, well she danced. I LOVE the connection I have with my dancers. I love just chatting as we work. During the course of the shoot, we did about 4 wardrobes or so plus the cancer series. We also took a mini break and I filled her in on my London trip.
I had so much fun with Jane. We created some amazing images. We talked. We laughed. We even did some cool new self portraits of me. What I did not anticipate was how impactful and powerful the Empowered ME images we created would be. They really set the tone for the project.
Ok folks, so I am giving away a print of the image below. But… before I do that and discuss the details of the contest, let me first give some history of this image and its creation…
Story:
I had become friends with Jeff & Lia Cirio from Boston Ballet through Facebook. I actually wound up talking with their mother, Mimi, more then them. At that time, I was just finishing a photo series, Spirit of the Fallen, which paid tribute to the fallen officers of the Philadelphia Police Department. I had the idea of taking that same concept but on the road. So we eventually set up the shoot for me to come up to Boston and work with several of the dancers from Boston Ballet for the spin off project.
The shoots took place September 10-12. I recall watching some of the 9/11 tributes while in the lobby of the BB studios. So, during this weekend, I was to be working with Jeff & Lia Cirio, James Whiteside, Whitney Jensen, Kathleen Breen-Combes, all from Boston Ballet and Dylan G-Bowley who at the time was with Trey McIntyre.
Friday night, I did shoots with Jeff, James and Dylan for Barre Boys and Lia, just because. This is where I captured the infamous picture of James, below.
Saturday, I was set to work with all of the dancers, except Kathleen, for my winged series. She had other obligations for that day so we would work together on Sunday. We got some great shots. Here is a link to some behind the scenes footage. There are 4 videos posted on my Youtube account. Also below is a shot of me and the dancers.
Video:
Me, Jeff & Lia Cirio, Whitney Jensen and James Whiteside. Photo Credit: Dylan G-Bowley
So now, finishing the story and getting to the contest… I had a really great shoot with Kathleen. We did the Angels shoot on the rooftop of Boston Ballet, which made me nervous as hell. I do NOT do heights. We also shot on the street, just some fun artsy stuff but we first shot in one of the studios using just available light. With that setting, in a large open studio with all windows, her talent and grace plus a white skirt, we were bound to create amazing images and we did!
Here is a shot of her and I on the rooftop at the end of the shoot. I look barrel chested cause I was sucking in the gut lol. Wow, looking at it, I realize how OBVIOUS it is that I am sucking it in. Dear god.
THE CONTEST…
The contest is easy. Simply subscribe to my blog by entering your email address when you go to http://brianmengini.wordpress.com/. You will see the option on the right side up towards the top. That is it. Just subscribe to my blog and you are automatically entered to win!
One winner will be chosen at random, to win an 11×14 black and white print of that image featuring Boston Ballet principal dancer, Kathleen Breen Combes. You MUST subscribe via email by NEXT FRIDAY, September 23rd to be eligible!!!
****YOU MUST CONFIRM SUBSCRIPTION IN ORDER TO QUALIFY!!!!****
Every girl likes to dress up and feel pretty, right? Well, here is a chance for your little princess and 7 of her girlfriends to do just that!!!
That’s right!! We are giving away a FREE photo shoot for your little princess and her 7 closest girl friends AND… we are giving them each a tutu from Tutu.Com that they will get to keep once the shoot is over! As if that was not enough… ALL 8 PRINCESSES will be featured on not only my Facebook page and blog, but they will ALL be featured on Tutu.Com’s Facebook page, which has over 15,500 followers!
Tutu.com is a world renowned creator of tutus. Their work has been in countless magazines including Vogue. They are suppliers of major ballet companies all over!!!
Check out their FB page!!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TutuCom/54783047781
Ok, so it is a contest, so you must DO something to win it and obviously, there are rules as always. I hate rules, don’t you? I think that is why I am an artist. Ah, but I digress. Or is it regress. No, no. I am sure, it’s digress. So, again, I digress. Sorry, this all may be alot to DIGEST. HA! I made a funny!!! Alright. make with the rules and shtuff, right? Right. Grand so.
Simply comment on this blog with WHY your princess should get this auspicious act of charity and good fortune. What would it mean to you? What would it mean to her? Please, save the Jane Austen & Mr Darcy fluff for your book of the month club. I have ALL of the dvd’s. I like the one with Colin Firth the best. Ok, rambling again. MY daughter would love this. Actually, I may actually enter this contest under the moniker, Mr Darcy. But seriously, tell me why you want this for your princess.
Rules. Yes, here are those blasted rules.
1) The girls must be under 10. NO ADULTS!
2) Parents must be present and willing to sign a model release for each girl at the photo shoot.
3) The shoot will take place at my studio in Phoenixville
4) You MUST take the girls back home with. For the love of god, dont leave them with me.
5) You MUST tell ALL of your friends how fun creative and handsome I am.
5 1/2) and funny too!!!
CONTEST ENDS AT 7PM WEDNESDAY NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok so… git them cinderella stories churnin and godspeed to ya!
Believe it or not, I met Lisa through Craigslist. No, it wasn’t a personals ad. I was looking for some dance models to shoot for content for my book. I did not want to go through the main companies. I wanted to find a diamond in the rough. Boy did I find just that and more. It wasn’t that quick though. Lisa was one of two girls who responded. She forwarded me some pics she had but nothing ever came about from it.
About a year later (2008), Lisa reached back out to me on Facebook. She was asking if I still needed models. At that time, I was happy with my content and had no particular projects going on. But I recalled an experience I had on Model Mayhem where I was to be doing a TFP with a local model and by the time we got our schedules working, she was looking to charge me and no longer doing TFP. I remember feeling quite put off by this, especially since we had already been talking about doing it. Recalling that disappointment, I told Lisa that we would work together! Little did either of us foresee the friendship that would soon be forged.
Lisa and I chatted on Facebook at least once a day, every day, for I think months. She worked at a cyber school. We chatted about dance, ballet, technique, etc. It was almost routine – we would talk before and after lunch, as the internet there crashed due to usage. We did manage to set up a date to shoot.
The day of the shoot was the first day we actually met but since we talked so much and so often, it felt like old friends when she arrived. I guess for all intents, by that time, we were. We had chatted for a few months before we actually met. The shoot was very fun and very laid back. We joked. We laughed. We drank beer and ate pizza. We took amazing pictures and we took fun ones. She took pics of me. We took some partnering shots. This was the first of quite a few times we would shoot in my studio.
Lisa and I met when I was on the verge of a career explosion. I do credit her for part of it. Her lines are beautiful. Her grace and poise are pristine. Her legs and feet are strong yet elegant. Perfect form and great arches. Again, our meeting and subsequent shoot were at the doorstep of what would be a whirlwind ride for me in my craft, which has not stopped.
Shortly after our first shoot, I had Lisa back in studio a couple more times. One of them were for Tutu.Com run by my dear friend, Claudia. We were shooting along with Erin Royston, who is also now engaged. The very last shot of the night was one that was conceived by Lisa. It was a very simple shot, but was so effective and impactful, it wound up being in Pointe Magazine as an ad for Tutu.Com.
I don’t recall when, but Lisa left the charter school and we were both busy with work, so we werent talking as often. We would check in with each other to see what was what. I think it was that next year (2009) that Lisa got engaged to her HS sweetheart, Dave. I knew or at least hoped, that I would be the photographer for this event.
The following year was a big year for Lisa. Aside from planning her wedding, she auditioned for and got a dancing job with a professional company here in Philly! OMG!!! I was soooo thrilled for her. I got to see her dance onstage which was just such a treat for me! She also decided to go back to school for graduate studies in dance so she could teach on a collegiate level. I was excited for her and also helped her on her application thesis.
So, wrapping this longwinded ramble up… It is because of all of this, that this wedding was a very, very special day for me. It was an honor to be a part of this special day for a very special friend.
I am down here in Savannah, Georgia, to offer sessions to the many wonderful dancers who are participating in the DTI (Dance Troupe Inc) Nationals at the Savannah Civic Center. Currently, they are offering workshops and rehearsals with the competition being at the end of the week.
I was approached a while ago by Cindy Hollingsworth about offering sessions down here. I “met” Cindy through Allie Parsons dance teacher, Pam Wurdeman. Cindy mentioned to Pam that she wanted to use some of my images of Allie for her ads in Dance Studio Life magazine. So, from time to time, Cindy will use my images in her ads. She then approached me about setting up shop down here and doing sessions. I was excited and immediately agreed to it! Cindy has now been a long time supporter of my work and I like to help those who help me.
It is ridiculously hot down here. I broke my first sweat by 8:30 while walking to the venue. I am enjoying my time here though. I had my first session this am with Katie & Kevin Watson, a young brother and sister. Katie is more interested in contemporary dance with Kevin being into hip hop. We shot for about 30 minutes and got some great shots. I am very happy with them! Below are some teasers! 2 and a half days here shooting!!
Each client offers a unique experience. One I enjoy is where we can talk about different experiences, choreography and other artists. These kind of conversations allow you to connect as artists in a wonderful way. You allow yourselves to be taken to a completely different place and that is why we create is it not? These unique experiences are truly what make my job so amazing. Its such a thrill to be part of their lives and learn about them.
Holly and I have been friends on Facebook for a while and finally met when I started working with Ballet Fleming. She’s a graduate of the University of the Arts and also danced with Ballet Austin. I have shot her on stage and did a mini Tutu.Com shoot. I had donated a photo shoot to Ballet Fleming for their silent auction for Tapas. Holly was the lucky winner! That was also fun for me. Well, we finally were able to get a date set and she came in from NJ for the shoot. We had a lot of fun. We talked dance – choreo, her travels and experience, some of mine and of course, we created some fun images! It is really awesome to get to know people better, you are able to connect on a deeper level and you get to learn! This summer, she will be doing a summer residency in Montana with Ballet Montana so she wanted to get the shoot in before she left. I am glad we did!
