94 replies to this topic

[Hans]

Paolo Galli, Rosalie O'Connor, and Marc Haegeman.

[32tendu]

Rosalie! Yes, she's doing some fine work.

[ViolinConcerto]

I, too was inspired by Swope.... I like what Paul K. does, very much.  Some of his non-ballet photos are very interesting.

I also love many images by Costas, who is an interesting person -- was a mathematics teacher for many years.

When I started to read this forum, I was trying to remember the name of a Russian photographer who made a wonderful image of Balanchine.  Back in the late 80's early 90's I found some blank greeting cards with this photo pasted on the front.  I bought only two of them and (fool that I was) gave them to my 2 favorite NYCB dancers.

So-----thanks to Google, here is his name and a portion of his bio for all of you from eBay (where else??).  He sometimes still sells images on B'way, outside, near Lincoln Center!

"Vladimir Bliokh, world renowned premier Ballet & Dance photographer, was the official photographer of the Bolshoi & the Kirov Ballet for NOVOSTI Press Agency (APN) in Moscow, Russia where he worked from 1960 till 1976 before he left to the United States. He lives and works in New York City for the past 28 years.Vladimir began photography at the age of 10. As a teenager in the 50's, he also was a student at the Bolshoi Academy of Ballet."

[sandik]

I'd like to add my voice for Maurice Seymour.  His studio photographs are a stunning example of that genre and his era.  

With the advent of high speed film and the increasing acceptance of photographers in rehearsals and some performances, dance photography has really moved towards the live action shot, and there are wonderful practitioners of that working now, many of whom have been mentioned here.  But I find that I miss the deliberate quality of some of the older studio shots, as well as the highly nuanced lighting/shading that often comes with that form.  

I never saw Danilova dance, but I learned a great deal about her as a performer by looking at Seymour's photos.

[Mme. Hermine]

I also voted for Maurice Seymour, that was a wonderful studio!
Anne Barzel once told me, though, that they were actually two brothers, Maurice and Seymour.

[bart]

I also like Marc Haegeman for richness of color, contrast of light and dark (especially those shots against a dark background)  and the way he conveys the three-dimensionality of the dancers' form.

His website is an education in Bolshoi/Kirov dancing and helps me follow the erudite comparisons of Russian dancers I love to read on Ballet Talk.  Here's a LINK:

For Ballet Lovers Only

[atm711]

Fred Fehl has always been my favorite.  When you see  his photographs---you are there seeing the performance.  I quote below some of his comments:

"To me ballet is the most fascinating and beautiful movement of the human body that can be captured by the camera.  I photograph various aspects of the performing arts, but nothing is as gratifying to me as classical ballet.  And I always prefer photographing during performance, because a performer alone offers the flow of movement as well as the artists' highest emotional expression.  Of course, two things are all-important.  First, one must be an expert photographer and, second, one must have a keen sense and understanding of dance movement.  The most interesting experience for me is showing these action photographs to the artists and watching their amazement, surprise, enthusiasm--or, sometimes, disappointment when they see that they did something wrong, for the pictures show them as the audience saw them.  Choreographers who dance in their own ballets will infrequently  notice some step they wish they had not done and make corrections for the next performance."

[perky]

I love the work of Costas. One of my favorite ballet photos is a Costas image of a performance of Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto 2. While the corp is moving in the background Merrill Ashley is seen sailing  through space in a a grand jete. The expression of serene regal beauty on her face combined with the sense of movement of the corp is stunning.

Although Bert Stern is not a dance photographer per se, the photo of Allegra Kent and Eddie Villela in the Bukagu pose is wonderful. We have a poster size of it matted and framed in our bedroom. It's an erotic image but with a admirable subtlety to it.

And finally there is a photographer who's name excapes me at the moment!  :bash:    He took pictures of Balanchine and his dancer's in the 50's. All are studio settings with the dancers in costumes. The one's that literally give me the chills, in a good way , are of Tanny LeClercq posed in her La Valse costume. This photgrapher also took some amazing pictures of Maria Tallchief and Jerry Robbins in Prodigal Son. I find his work very atmospheric, moody and mysterious. Lord I wish I could remember his name!!

[koshka]

Quote

The most interesting experience for me is showing these action photographs to the artists and watching their amazement, surprise, enthusiasm--or, sometimes, disappointment

So true.  Easily the nicest photo moment for me in the past year was when one girl who really struggles with flexibility saw a picture of herself in saut de chat and said "Did you photoshop that?"

There are plenty of "eeeeuws" too, but then my subjects are teenagers, so...

[ViolinConcerto]

---I think the name that Perky was looking for might be George Platt Lyons, but not sure.  Also, Roger Wood in England photographed their first two tours (1951, 1952) there and published a little book on it.  That was very good.

For the Souvenir Book in 1972 or so, there were WONDERFUL photographs by Michael Avedon, who is now affiliated with the company as a make-up and hair artist.  The images he took, which include Patricia McBride, Helgi Tomasson, Gelsey Kirland, and Peter Martins, are stunning.  Many of those images were used to form the silhouettes on tee shirts/sweats now sold at the gift bar (I got one in 1975 and another in the 1980's when the images were single, with no "shadow effect").  
Personally, I did not care for Mitchell or Migdol.

[MakarovaFan]

Martha Swope and Marc Haegeman

[perky]

[quote name='ViolinConcerto' date='Nov 3 2005, 09:00 AM']
---I think the name that Perky was looking for might be George Platt Lyons, but not sure.



That's the one. Thanks!!

[sandik]

pmeja, on Nov 3 2005, 12:01 PM, said:

Anne Barzel once told me, though, that they were actually two brothers, Maurice and Seymour.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Really?!?  I had no idea -- how fascinating!

[Pamela Moberg]

Perky, couldnt it have been Walter E. Owen? At least I have a book with some absolutely wonderful photos by him.
And why has nobody mentioned Houston Rogers in England?
Serge Lido in France?
And then we had quite a marvellous photographer in Denmark, Mydtskov.

[ViolinConcerto]

Ms. Mydtskov is (was?) the mother of former NYCB dancer, Jeppe Mydtskov.  I THINK she was the official photograher for the Royal Danish Ballet.