dance photography

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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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.

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.

Interview With Dance Photographer Rachel Neville

May 29, 2013 by 4dancers

This week we feature another dance photographer–Rachel Neville. We reached out to her to learn more about her path into dance photography and are pleased to be able to share some of her beautiful images here with you today…

How did you wind up doing dance photography?

A knee injury brought me home from Europe where I was dancing in Germany in 1995, I think it was. I had quit high school to go train at Rosella Hightower’s in Canne so my first job was to go back and finish. The grade 13 art course turned out to be a photography course and I was hooked. I went to college for photography, graduated and started working right away. My first jobs were mostly in the wedding, portrait and commercial industry, I spent many years shooting dancers on the side for fun or doing what we call in Canada ‘recital photo’s’ (pictures at the end of the year of the kids in their costumes). It wasn’t really till we came to NYC 7 years ago that I started doing what I call my ‘real’ work or passion.

What do you enjoy the most about working with dancers?

Where to start? I love lines, shapes and textures. What more perfect a subject then but dancers? I love feelings and emotions and energy… again – dancers. Most of all, when we are shooting for a story line or a concept or some creative idea, I love it when it all comes together, the lighting, styling, background, dancer/s, when everything comes together and you get that ahhhhh moment. Its a bit like having a great performance, the high.. Dancers who have worked with me know that I get excited and do a little happy dance when that occurs. And dancers who have worked with me previously always are looking for that moment too, when we shoot.. I’m generally not satisfied until it happens, and they know that until it does we don’t ‘have it’.

What do you think is the biggest challenge when it comes to capturing dance with the camera?

Umm, I suppose you might expect an answer like ‘capturing the moment’ or ‘getting the dancer to look right in 2D what is normal in 3D’. I’ve not felt that to be a challenge for several years, but I think like anything else, once you master a challenge you move onto the next one. Right now I’m all about getting dancers in front of me to get outside their heads and give me something more, their energy, their personality, their character.. and having that come across. We all spend so much time looking at and detailing the body, our instrument, but when all is said and done if there isn’t a feeling or impetus behind a movement or shot, then I get a little bored.

Can you describe a typical “shoot” with a dancer or company?

Sure, it starts with a conversation or consultation, where I find out what a clients goals/needs/’why they called me’ answers are. Then we look to creating a look/feel/storyboard for achieving the maximum for the budget a client has to work with. On a typical shoot, we will arrive usually 30-60 minutes in advance so that dancers can warm up, get ready and feel comfortable with the space and me (this is important, if you are going to give your all with a photographer having some type of rapport with them in advance a little bit is helpful to be able to let go and give), and I or my assistant will start setting up our gear. We usually start with some basic movements or poses that we had thought out in advance for the dancer to get into the groove and for me to learn their body and facility. I shoot tethered to a computer so if I need to have the dancer see how they are looking in the 2D we can analyze and fix on the spot together. Once the ball gets rolling we move to other poses, costumes, improve a little bit, making sure we have several really good shots to pick from (I like to have the client’s choice be difficult in having just a few too many to choose from), all the time looking for those really special images. Sometimes it’s the client who has ideas to ‘play’ with, often times it’s me who suggests something a little different. The best shoots are really collaborations between everyone involved, whether that is just me and a dancer, or a director, dancer, and myself coming up with ideas and things to try. The more time you have to play, the better!

What has been your favorite experience in terms of working in the field thus far?

This is a hard question, I try to have every shoot be excellent. I think shoots where creatively we’ve done something I haven’t done before are my favorite. For example, going down to Arizona to shoot dancers in the Antelope Canyons will always be top of my list. I would love to go back there one day with more dancers from a company and do a calendar for them.

BIO: Rachel was born in Toronto, Canada where she trained to become a dancer before moving to Europe at 18 years of age. After a knee injury, she moved back to Toronto where she completed a degree in photography at Humber college in 2000. Working in weddings and commercial photography, her passion for dance had her move to NYC in 2006 with her photographer husband David Giesbrecht. Her work has been seen in many different posters, postcards and media outlets including Dance Magazine, Pointe Magazine, the New Yorker and others. She currently shares a studio in Williamsburg and lives in Queens with her husband and 2 young daughters.

Learn more about Rachel and see additional dance photography she has done on her website.

Dance Photographer Scott Belding

April 5, 2013 by Ashley David

Dance photography is a complex, fascinating art. Today we take a closer look at the journey of one dance photographer in particular, Scott Belding…

1. How did you wind up doing dance photography?

I was producing cultural programs at a 12,500 seat amphitheater and I started photographing my shows to document the events. The intent was to have images to go with grant requests and to create marketing pieces. I was producing symphony, jazz, dance, family programs and children’s programs. During this I discovered that dance was the most interesting to me. I was really taken by the dancer’s athleticism, power, grace and commitment. I started to sit with the artistic directors and choreographers during rehearsals and I got them to teach me about what the pivotal moments were in movement phrases. So I learned about dance photography from the dance artists. I have never had a Photography or lighting lesson. I just experimented until I liked something.

2. What types of dance do you photograph?

I started out shooting what I was producing. Our philosophy was to produce the broadest possible cross section of performances to meet the needs of the whole community. I produced ballet, contemporary, modern and all types of traditional and folk dances so I was fortunate to develop my skills with a very wide range of styles. I worked at the amphitheater for 14 years and then went on to run a professional contemporary company, Moving Arts Dance, and a large Dance Center over the next 10 years. I also established my dance photography business along with Moving Arts Dance and the Dance Center.

3. Do you photograph differently depending on the dance style? Why or why not?

There are distinct differences with different styles of dance. What really dictates the style of shooting would be the choreography more than anything else. Style here really refers more to lighting and background. For example, there are ballets that are light and there are ballets that are dark, somber and moody. Obviously they are going to be treated differently with lighting and backdrops to support the choreographer’s intent. There are so many variations that I encounter…I shoot students in dance centers that are in tap, contemporary and ballet companies…I shoot all types of professionals…I shoot in studios and I shoot in all kinds of exotic locations. There are also many variations of light based on the time of day or night. For example, I am on a 16– day photo tour that goes from Baja, Mexico to Portland, Oregon. I will shoot professional tribal belly dancers, cabaret belly dancers, Odisi Temple dancers, modern dancers, contemporary dancers and advanced student ballet dancers. I will shoot in rivers, on rocks, at the beach and in studios during the day and at night. Additionally, the use of the images determines a lot of how something is shot. Some shots are for art and then some are for magazines, books and marketing. In this trip I am shooting “64 Dakinis” for a book project that is recreating the statues from an ancient Temple in India. The style of the shots and the editing will be done to give it an ancient feel.

4. What is the most challenging aspect of doing this type of photography?

With out question the greatest challenge is authenticity. It is everything to me! I spend a lot of time collaborating with artists that I shoot with to mutually understand the intent of the shoot. I explain that every shot is just like performance and that they have to be fully committed to their characters. I never say “pose” it is the complete opposite—always a movement phrase. From the fiercest leaps and partnering to the softest and slowest moments, there is always energy flowing! It is through this moment of complete engagement that magic happens and when you can capture a single moment that says so much to stop a viewer in their tracks.

5. What do you enjoy about photographing dancers?

I enjoy everything about working with dancers! Like many artists, dancers can be full of self doubt and are rarely satisfied so for me it is often an opportunity to create images with them that really reflect their beauty, power and grace. I see it so often that it is a spring board to greater work for them. I really enjoy the process of helping dancers develop their visual images. How people respond to them is often times the direct result of images they have seen of the artist so creating work that sheds light on all their “fabulousness” is a great joy for me! I wake up daily feeling blessed that I am able to work with so many amazing and gifted dancers. Any work I can do to focus attention on their hard work and give them the recognition they deserve is work I do joyfully!

BIO: Scott Belding is a dance photographer currently living in Baja California. Scott travels regularly all over the West Coast shooting all types of dance. His work has been published all over the World. He has been shooting Dance for over 20 years and continues to produce Dance pieces and performances as well. Listed below are excerpts from his philosophy on Authenticity in dance Photography:

ScottHOTRODHEADSHOT — Dance Photographer Scott Belding

Authentic moments, those that come from our deeper emotional experiences, are captivating for those who observe them. More than amazing physical feats and more than the most stunning dance technique, authentic movements touch the basic core where humans connect non-verbally. This is the magic of dance. This, too, is the magic of great dance photography. There are three things that make a dance photograph great: authenticity, detail, and connection.

There is a common thread in all of the photographic moments that stop a viewer in their tracks and make them take notice. That is authenticity. Those authentic moments are when a dancer completely gives themselves to the character and the movement. Being in character is what must be brought into the photography studio to make great images happen. Often when dancers come to be photographed they think in terms of the pose. There is no posing but rather the complete opposite takes place.

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