94 replies to this topic

[leibling]

Yes- I think so. I wish that the photographer would add some of his more recent work- he also has color shots, including very stunning performance shots of Stravinsky Violin Conserto.

[Jack Reed]

I don't like dance photography much, because for me the through-line is very important in dance, and still photography eliminates this entirely when it shows us a bit of the world as though frozen in a lightning-flash, as it usually does; in other words it uses dance as material for something else, some striking images.  Sometimes I find these are more or less rewarding in themselves, but they're not pictures of dance anymore, not for me.  

For example, there are a lot of very handsome images on Marc Haegeman's generous website, but I don't see much dance in many of them (sure, maybe it's me), even in some of the ones in the "Color and Motion" gallery there, where it looks like he's made some longer exposures, so that the dancers' images are blurry because they were moving.  This can also be another kind of strangely striking and beautiful image, but dance doesn't look like that to me either.

There was a time though when I saw photographs by Paul Kolnik which did show dancing to me:  They were performance photographs, not posed, and they looked, superficially, like his timing was just a little "off," like he had made the exposure when a dancer was just coming into or just going out of a pose, and sometimes there was just the slightest blur due to motion, and I felt I was seeing dancing when I was looking at a still image!  When I met him, I blurted out what I thought of his miraculous pictures, including my description of their looking like his timing was a tiny bit "off," and I don't think I ever saw any more like that.  (There aren't any up on his  website, either.)  I've thought ever since that he took my remarks the wrong way and got real careful about his timing!  *! *! *! *!  (That's the sound of me banging my head against the wall.)

But of course there are moments when dancers are motionless in the same characteristic ways they move.  I didn't post in the discussion of the recent Costas book, mainly because of my aversion to this subject (but also because of the frequently garish colors and somewhat repetitious poses remarked on  there by some others), but I do remember from perusing a library copy of the book a small photo Costas had taken of Patricia McBride, in Who Cares?.  She's standing on one point, with one arm straight up and her index finger pointing forward, and her eyebrows are raised.  Having seen (and loved to have seen) her dancing, this still image evoked for me the sparkling quality her dancing often had in a way no one else's had.  Sometimes you see miracles, not just on stage, but even on paper.

[mississippiqueen]

bart, on Nov 2 2005, 11:01 AM, said:

Our fellow member, amitava, is an exceptional dance photographer.  On another thread today, he commented on the kind of skill needed to do this work.
  --------------------------


Who are the dance photographer's you most admire?  And what makes them special?

I can't believe no-one has mentioned Christopher Jean-Richard, he shoots for Tulsa Ballet and has some of the best performance shots I've ever seen. Google tells me he probably was a dancer himself, and it really shows.

[Helene]

If these are Jean Richard's photo's on the Tulsa Ballet website, I'm having a hard time finding an attribution (although the design company is.)

Thank you for the heads up, mississippiqueen.  We don't have many posters who tell us about Tulsa Ballet.

Please feel free to introduce yourself on our   Welcome Forum by clicking the "New Topic" button in the upper right corner of the forum.

[drb]

http://www.tulsaball...let/gallery.htm
When you go to this gallery you'll find over 300 photos of Chris Wheeldon's Midsummer Night's Dream, attributed to Jean Richard.  Wow! What a goldmine, thanks Mississippi Queen.

[Andre Yew]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Howard Schatz yet:

http://www.howardsch...=24&grouping=20

--Andre

[SanderO]

Shatz's images seem to use the human form and ballet as a graphic tool and not to convey what dance is about.  Maybe I am missing something of his intent.  The images are powerful but more about themselves then about dance.

Jack Reed makes an intersting point about still photographs of dance movement... it really can't conver the idea of movement because it tenchincally requires time and a still photograph is but a tiny slice of time.

But when successully done, you "sense" the movement.. the complete line and may receive the special bonus of being able to get a really close look at "perfection" which in a live performance sometimes seems to whirl by so fast that you can't appreciate it completely.

I completely agree that posed photographs are about themselves and use a dancer as a graphic "tool"... they can be stunning photographs, but not about dance and movement.  I find some of the images of actually dancing  can be very powerful... and can bring me back to a moment in time and then the whole experince.

[4mrdncr]

I have many programs (mid 1960's - present) and "coffee table books" on dancers, companies etc. with lovely wonderful photos but cannot name them specifically at the moment.  My favorite is from the cover of a Bolshoi program circa Tokyo tour 1968? of Maya Plisetskaya in the "Dying Swan" (or was it "Swan Lake"?) and an inside pic of her in "Carmen".

In the U.S., I always loved Martha Swope.

During the late '80's and 90's I also liked the "staff? photographer" for Boston Ballet--last name Brandt(?) who did all the pics for their newsletter "Sightlines" and in many of the ads posted around the city.  The R&J ones were probably the best I've ever seen for that ballet.  

Of course now I do like Rosalie O'Connor, Gene Schiavone, Paul Kolnick, Marty Sohl, some of Roy Round, and how come no one has mentioned Nancy Ellison?  

Personally, my favorite pics are ALWAYS either in performance or when a dancer does NOT know the camera is present.  And I agree, B&W of course is best for contrast ratio and detail without distraction, but for something like "La Bayadere" "Corsair" or other ballets with fantastic colorful costumes, or moody lighting fx, color does enhance the image as long as it's not garishly saturated.

And speaking of color photos, does anyone remember those kitschy but sometimes great pics David Hamilton took?  I think we all remember those VERY worn slippers.  Personally, I liked his lighting--though the scrimmed/soft-focus did get tiresome eventually.

If I ever find out the photographers' names in my programs I'll post them.

BTW: As someone who has filmed several dance productions, yes, it helps to be a former dancer and be able to both anticipate the movement and momentum, and understand the effort/thought underneath to catch that emotional link as well.  I won't tell you how many times I had to instruct not-so-interested/knowledgeable cameramen that in ballet (unlike most TV/film) it is the full-shot that works best, and only rarely, a close-up--and only when there's great acting and stage makeup isn't overdone.

Thanks for all links.  I too have searched for more pics then I currently have.

[carbro]

4mrdncr, on Oct 11 2006, 03:35 PM, said:

I won't tell you how many times I had to instruct not-so-interested/knowledgeable cameramen that in ballet (unlike most TV/film) it is the full-shot that works best, and only rarely, a close-up--and only when there's great acting and stage makeup isn't overdone.

    

Quote

And speaking of color photos, does anyone remember those kitschy but sometimes great pics David Hamilton took?  I think we all remember those VERY worn slippers.  Personally, I liked his lighting--though the scrimmed/soft-focus did get tiresome eventually.

One of those, featuring Suzanne Farrell (so gauzy you had to look closely to be sure)  (maybe Farrell Fan didn't need to), became an ad for L'Air du Temps.



Editing to add: I found this Hamilton image of Farrell.  Not the one I remember (which was in a studio, Suzanne in white ballet dress), but gives an idea.  Scroll to the parasol girl, which you can click to enlarge.

[ViolinConcerto]

SanderO, on Oct 4 2006, 10:14 AM, said:

Shatz's images seem to use the human form and ballet as a graphic tool and not to convey what dance is about.  Maybe I am missing something of his intent.  The images are powerful but more about themselves then about dance.

ALL of Shatz's photographs are about WOMEN, and his interest in them, whether his subject is dancers, twins or whatever little "theme" he is pursuing.  His photos are lecherous.

[carbro]

Quote

ALL of Shatz's photographs are about WOMEN,. . .

Really?  http://www.howardsch...=41&grouping=36

Seriously, though, I agree with SanderO's point that there's no dance value in Schatz's so-called dance photographs.  The bodies are at once objectified and most often glorified and eroticized.  I can see how some may think the works are exploitative, but I do not -- for the most part.

[CarolinaM]

The best dance photographer in Spain is Jesús Vallinas, he became a dancer when he already was in Fine Arts and keept the 2 professions, dance and photography. And when he stopped his career as dancer he concentrated in photography.

You can visit his online magazine fotoescena taking your time to see all the issues, ten by now. You can find great photos of all the best dancers from Spain and abroad.

He also has his own web site Jesús Vallinas

Hope you like  

[leonid]

CarolinaM, on Nov 22 2006, 03:56 PM, said:

The best dance photographer in Spain is Jesús Vallinas, he was a dancer who loved taking photos and when he finished his career he concentrated in photography.

You can visit his online magazine fotoescena taking your time to see all the issues, ten by now. You can find great photos to all the best dancers from Spain and abroad.

Forget the photographs of dancers at fotoescena, look at the  fabulous and penetrating photograph of Monica Mason.

Ps Not the first photograph that makes her look older than she does in life, but the  second

[SanderO]

I am not familiar with many ballet photographers, but I have seen the work of Gene Schiavone who works for ABT and has a website:

http://www.geneschiavone.com/

I find his work captures in a still frame much of the movement of ballet... his black and white images seem particluarly strong.. such as the one on the first page of the site of Diana Vishneva and Vladimir Malakhov.

[leonid]

SanderO, on Nov 26 2006, 09:24 AM, said:

I am not familiar with many ballet photographers, but I have seen the work of Gene Schiavone who works for ABT and has a website:

http://www.geneschiavone.com/

I find his work captures in a still frame much of the movement of ballet... his black and white images seem particluarly strong.. such as the one on the first page of the site of Diana Vishneva and Vladimir Malakhov.

Thanks, I enjoyed looking at this gallery.