Alston

Alston is a beautiful young dancer from Savannah, Georgia. I was friends with her and her mom on Facebook for a while. I took notice when I saw she was attending the Rock School for Dance Education. Her mom mentioned that Alston was interested in getting her pics done by me.

We worked it out that she came in to see me just as she was leaving Rock for the summer. She will be attending SAB for the summer! Alston was such a joy to work with! She was very disciplined and so sweet. We did a nice mix of settings between the backdrop and wall area. I was so so happy when I was editing her pics. I am thankful that she came in. Thankful that she chose me for her images!

Here are some of the images from our session!

Baring my soul ~ In book form

For years now, I have wanted to do a book. I want a collection of my work on people’s coffee tables, etc. But til now, and even now, I have not been sold on what this book will look like. What will be the theme. Will it be a mere compilation ~ a greatest hits of sorts? I have been back and forth on this and still am torn. So, to help me through my own process, I have decided to blog about my dilemma.

I have often found that by talking through things, talking through a process or roadblock, you get it out on the table and can possibly see it more clearly. Perhaps by opening up, you can see past roadblocks or think more openly about it. So… here we go!

One thing I am most certain of is that I do NOT want a greatest hits type book. You can go online to see that. I don’t have to spend time assembling it in book form, just go to Facebook. But for a while, I felt it may need a journalistic side – tell a story. However, this morning, I am thinking that perhaps I can accomplish this through my images. Duh…

One more thing I am quite certain of is that this “book” needs to be more than just beautiful images. I don’t want a collection of just pretty pictures, etc. This book needs to really hit people in their gut. I want them to feel it in their guts. I want them to leave decisively moved. We are not talking tears here. We are talking being in a different place then when they first picked it up. I want the person who is looking at it to feel this book at their core. They need to be struck.

But, before you are struck, I must be and I must be in that same way I want you to be. This is why it can not be just another pretty picture. Trust me, a lot of my “every day” images move me. I am at times, brought to tears with images I have been a part of. This book needs to be more. For this reason, I need to step out of my “every day.”

I feel for this book, I must travel abroad to tap into uncharted territories. I need to escape my normal element to really be able to dig deep into my soul and create this work that I want to showcase. There needs to be a sense of vulnerability and newness to really challenge myself.

Up til this morning, I was heading in one direction with the book and theme, but I came across an album of images that really moved me and caused me to rethink this.

You see, this uncertainty, this indecisiveness, is why I have not done a book yet and also a reason why it has taken me 4 years to revamp my site. So perhaps, this rant will help me through my own process. Or maybe this is just a load of crap and I am just running my mouth.

Thanks for reading!!

Pas De Deux in the South End

Just two weeks off my last trip to Boston, I was commissioned to head back up and shoot promo shots of Lia Cirio and James Whiteside for Eglevsky Ballet’s Nutcracker!

After some serious trickery in working through challenging schedules (mostly the dancers’), I booked my flights, kissed the wife and kids bye and was “shipping up to Boston!”

Boston has quickly stolen my heart and I have fallen in love with this amazing city!! The dancers were amazingly friendly, hospitable and accommodating! Though it was the first time I had ever met Lia & Jeff in person, there was a certain feeling of familiarity, that of which you would share with a close friend or someone you have known for years.

This trip was no different in the warmth as I was greeted with a “welcome back” when I sent Lia a text to let her know of my arrival. Shortly after, I bumped into Kathleen on the rooftop who was also all smiles!

The shoot itself went great! We were able to grab some great images in short order. After which, I had some time on my hands to roam the south end some. I also met up with a friend from Facebook, Heidi, who is an appreciator of dance (and my work!). It was nice putting a face with whom I chatted with online!

Apart from schlepping my gear all over Boston, it was an enjoyable trip! I even made some new contacts!

Boston, till we meet again…