by Christopher Duggan
Some of you may not know that I have another job–or at least another version of my photographer life. I split my time between photographing dance and weddings. Just this past week I had two engagement shoots with happy couples before preparing for a visit to Chicago to make pictures with The Joffrey Ballet.
To some, my two passions sound like a strange combination of pursuits, but I’ve found a lot of connections between my work in dance and at weddings. Each dance performance (especially world premieres) and every wedding I photograph is a once in a lifetime event. It takes intense focus and a keen awareness to find just the right moments to create the perfect image.
And I’m lucky that my two passions combine in another very meaningful way – I get to photograph dancing at my weddings, too! There’s all this energy at a wedding, and when people finally get on the dance floor, it’s this huge outpouring of joy and excitement. It’s so much fun to watch close families and friends let loose.
Not only that, but the special dances – first dances, father-daughter dances – mean even more to me now that I have a daughter of my own.
Contributor Christopher Duggan is the founder and principal photographer of Christopher Duggan Photography, a New York City-based wedding and dance photography studio. Duggan has been the Festival Photographer for Jacob’s Pillow Dance since 2006. In this capacity, and as a respected New York-based dance photographer, he has worked with renowned choreographers and performers of international acclaim as well as upstarts in the city’s diverse performance scene.
He has created studio shots of Gallim Dance, Skybetter + Associates and Zvidance, among others, and in 2011 alone, he has photographed WestFest at Cunningham Studios, Dance From the Heart for Dancers Responding to Aids, The Gotham Dance Festival at The Joyce Theater, and assisted Nel Shelby Productions in filming Vail International Dance Festival.
Duggan often teams up with his talented wife and Pillow videographer Nel Shelby (http://nelshelby.com). A New York City-based husband and wife dance documentation team, they are equipped to document performances, create and edit marketing videos and choreography reels, and much more.
Christopher Duggan Photography also covers Manhattan’s finest wedding venues, the Metropolitan and Tri-State areas, and frequently travels to destination weddings. The company’s mission is straightforward and heartfelt – create timeless, memorable images of brides, grooms, their families and friends, and capture special moments of shared love, laughter and joy.
His photographs appear in The New York Times, Destination I Do, Photo District News, Boston Globe, Financial Times, Dance Magazine, Munaluchi Bridal, and Bride & Bloom, among other esteemed publications and popular wedding blogs. One of his images of Bruce Springsteen was added to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s celebrated photography collection in 2010. His company has been selected for inclusion in “The Listings” in New York Weddings magazine.
