christopher duggan

Photos Of STANDARD TIME By Mark Stuart Dance Theatre

November 30, 2013 by 4dancers

by Christopher Duggan

I met Mark Stuart of Mark Stuart Dance Theatre a couple years ago when I shot his work at the Dancers Responding to AIDS’ Dance From the Heart performances. It just so happens he came to Jacob’s Pillow that Summer 2011 and we’ve been friends ever since.

This year, Mark Stuart asked me to photograph his dance show STANDARD TIME at the Fulton Theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. My wife Nel did the video documentation of the performance – be on the lookout for the dance video on her Facebook page.

Mark Stuart is hoping to bring STANDARD TIME to Broadway. I photographed his showing last spring, and Nel and I are excited about capturing this show from the beginning and watching it grow.

Contributor Christopher Duggan is a wedding and dance photographer in New York City, the Berkshires and beyond. 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 photographs dancers in the studio and in performance, for promotional materials, portraits and press, and he often collaborates with his wife, Nel Shelby, and her Manhattan-based dance film and video editing company Nel Shelby Productions (nelshelby.com). Together, they have documented dance at performances from New York City to Vail International Dance Festival.

Christopher Duggan Photography also covers the finest wedding venues in the Metropolitan and Tri-State areas, in Massachusetts and the Berkshires, and frequently travels to destination weddings.

His photographs appear in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Knot, Destination I Do, Photo District News, Boston Globe, Financial Times, Dance Magazine, and Munaluchi Bridal, among other esteemed publications and popular dance and wedding blogs. One of his images of Bruce Springsteen was added to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and his dance photography has been exhibited at The National Museum of Dance and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.

His Natural Light Studio (http://www.christopherduggan.com/portfolio/natural-light-studio-jacobs-pillow-photography/) at Jacob’s Pillow is his most ambitious photography project to date – check out his blog to see more portraits of dance artists in his pop-up photo studio on the Pillow grounds.

Finis: Brian Brooks And Run Don’t Run

October 31, 2013 by 4dancers

by Christopher Duggan

I’ve known Brian Brooks for a few years now, and we’ve become closer and closer friends through filming with Nel Shelby Productions for Wendy Whelan’s Restless Creature, photographing his work at The Joyce, Dance From the Heart by Dancers Responding to AIDS and his company’s performances at Jacob’s Pillow…

It’s always exciting to see what he has in store for his dancers, and I was looking forward to photographing his dress rehearsal for the premiere of Run Don’t Run for weeks.

Brian Brooks Moving Company performed Run Don’t Run at BAM Fisher in Brooklyn. It’s a great new theater and the dance’s set design was an exciting feature to photograph. Philip Trevino designed the set. He’s a good fiend of ours. We’ve worked with him MANY times.

Another good friend Jo-anne Lee has danced with the Brian Brooks Moving Company for 11 years. This was her last performance with the company, so it was really special to photograph her in Run Don’t Run.

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Christopher Duggan Photography also covers the finest wedding venues in the Metropolitan and Tri-State areas, in Massachusetts and the Berkshires, and frequently travels to destination weddings.

Natural Light Studio – Year 2

September 30, 2013 by 4dancers

by Christopher Duggan

My Natural Light Studio at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival is a personal project that I started last year. There is a deck right behind the Ted Shawn Theatre where dance photographer John Lindquist made many, many photos.

I set up a simple but effective natural light soft box and backdrop and started inviting artists to the studio throughout the summer of 2012. (See some of my favorite photos from 2012 here.)I can’t believe I waited six years as festival photographer before starting to do something like this. It’s so much fun. My Natural Light Studio is a space for creative exploration, and it’s as much about what the dancers bring to the photo session as it is about what I bring to it.

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I really don’t come with any specific vision ahead of time. Some dancers come in costume, other dancers come in pedestrian clothes, and we make a portrait. I love the simplicity of it.

Most of all, I love that through this studio photography I’ve captured another 60 or so artists who are part of the Pillow’s remarkable history. Jacob’s Pillow is dedicated to preserving the memory of the incredible artists, performances, talks, exhibits and classes it has hosted throughout its history, and I’m honored to be a part of documenting the life of the festival. Finding a creative way to capture these artists is a joy.

Christopher Duggan, Photo by Julia Newman

Christopher Duggan Photography also covers the finest wedding venues in the Metropolitan and Tri-State areas, in Massachusetts and the Berkshires, and frequently travels to destination weddings.

Wendy Whelan – A National Treasure

September 3, 2013 by 4dancers

by Christopher Duggan

There’s just something about Wendy.

I never really had such all-access permission to follow such a star here on campus at Jacob’s Pillow. Wendy let me in her dressing room and while warming up in the Bakalar Studio, allowed me to photograph her performance from backstage…and always with a smile. She’s easy to work with and really trusted me. I was grateful for the whole experience.

Ella Baff introduced her before every performance as a National Treasure, and that’s the perfect description. There’s a reason she’s a superstar. She is just captivating.

My wife Nel was featured in a PillowTalk titled “The Art of Promotion,” focused on using film to promote dance. Wendy made a cameo appearance at the talk, and you can see the affinity they have for one another. They have tremendous respect for each other and it has been a wonderful collaboration.

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It was a fun week for me, and I wanted to make these images as a gift for Wendy – to commemorate such a momentous and important engagement for her.

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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.

Favorite Photos From Inside/Out At Jacob’s Pillow

July 31, 2013 by 4dancers

by Christopher Duggan

You all know by now that Inside/Out – the outdoor festival stage at Jacob’s Pillow – is my absolute favorite place to photograph dancers. The Pillow’s outdoor stage is magical. The trees, the mountains, the sky. Everything is perfect – as long as the weather cooperates!

20130627_IO_Peridance_Christopher.Duggan_050 — Peridance

The festival has already reached the halfway point, so I wanted to share some of my favorites from Inside/Out so far. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves…

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20130628_IO_JeremyMcQueen_Christopher.Duggan_030 — Jeremy McQueen

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