Ranting Details

Triptych: Crazytown

 

 

(These are some images I did for Ryan Scott Oliver's "Crazytown."  They also are a very fitting representation of my feelings about travel days back to NYC.)

Hemming and Hawing

One of my main goals during this holiday getaway to Montana has been to create several photos for 35MM, the new project I'm working on with composer Ryan Scott Oliver.  As I've noted here on the blog, this piece is a collaboration where photos of mine inspire songs and, inversely, songs inspire photos.  What has proved valuable for me is how much this collaboration has required me to step out of my comfort zone and work in a way which is creatively free while treating each song as a mini-assignment.

Over the past month Ryan and I have been toying with the idea of what role the photography will play during a full production of the show (so far only a few songs have been performed in a concert setting), as we want to avoid simply projecting an image while singers perform in front of it. The relationship between music and photography doesn't have any set of rules in a theater setting, which means that we, along with a director, will be responsible for creating the rules ourselves.  So far the only concrete decision I've set in place for myself is that the photos I capture will not be visualizations of images Ryan has created through his lyrics.  Instead, I have been trying to capture the mood created by the orchestrations and translating the sound into an image which has a life of its own, while serving as a clear complement. 

For this particular song, "Hemming and Hawing," I wanted to create a type of melancholy relationship apocalypse (you know...one of those) where one partner's stability is wavering, and the innocence and purity of the relationship is something only the other partner can embrace. 

Figuring out a location required a bit of brainstorming, and we tested out a variety of stagings for the couple (Michael Lowney and Gillian Todd) before settling on this one.  More than anything, the photo proved to be an exciting technical challenge due to the fact that there was literally no existing light source for me to use when we shot this at a school playground at eleven at night.  I did one of the longest exposures I've ever used when shooting live subjects--five seconds--which allowed for the sky to turn yellow.  That length, coupled with a single strobe light and a silver reflector, resulted in the following image:

Here you can watch a video of Alex Brightman and Natalie Weiss performing the song, which will be included in the upcoming production of Rated RSO, happening at Joe's Pub on January 25th at 7:30 and 9:30.  Buy your tickets now, as it's sure to sell out soon!

Crazy Nutz

I've been in Montana for the past week, and was lucky enough to photograph the Garden City Ballet's performances of The Nutcracker.  This is a production with which I began my dance journey when I was seven years old, and one with which I have performed as a guest artist several times since I began working professionally.  This year I returned as a choreographer and photographer, and I have to say that trying to take notes for the dancers while photographing them was one of the more difficult challenges I've faced when standing in a theater.  It was a relief for my entire family once the show finally opened (my dad directed the production this year and my mom was busy helping out with anything and everything); I was able to wander around the wings and get a bit more creative with my shots.  In the spirit of Christmas, I thought it would be nice to share a few of them!  Happy Holidays, Ranters! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture of the Day: 12/22/09

(American Ballet Theatre's Stella Abrera performs The Nutcracker in Missoula.)

 

Picture of the Day: 12/20/09

(Spent the past week photographing Montana’s production of The Nutcracker, that holiday staple that elicits terror from any seasoned ballet dancer.  Fortunately I had my old American Ballet Theatre friends Sascha Radetsky and Stella Abrera, in town guesting as the Sugarplum Fairy and her Cavalier, to keep me company.)

Picture of the Day: 12/19/09

(Photographed the tech rehearsal for The Nutcracker in Montana and always find myself much more drawn to the down time rather than the performance moments.  Here, the young girl playing Clara takes a moment to massage her feet while the crew resets for another round of the battle scene.)

Sneak Peek: 35mm

It kills me that I wasn't in NY on Wednesday night to see the premieres of nine new songs from 35mm, a piece I'm working on with composer Ryan Scott Oliver.  I was fortunate enough to hear many of the songs in rehearsal, as they're based on--or have inspired--photographs of mine, but nothing quite compares to hearing Ryan's work in a theater with a full band.  Lucky for all of us, the performance was recorded and now I'm able to share a couple of songs with readers of the Rant!

First we have one of my favorites from the evening: "The Ballad of Sara Berry," performed by Lindsay Mendez with Jay A. Johnson, Natalie Weiss, and Alex Brightman.  This is based on a photo I took over my Halloween vacation to L.A., but it looks as though I'll be reshooting a new image for the song in the near future.  All I can tell you right now is it's sure to be demented...just like the story of the song. 

Next we have "Mama Let Me In," which Ryan wrote quickly one afternoon while at church.  It's a departure from his usual style, and its a capella arrangement offers a stark contrast to the beat heavy "Berry."  This song is based on a picture of the Mother Mary behind bars that I took in Soho one day several years ago and it remains one of my favorite photos I've taken.  

We've got some big plans for this project and I can't wait to get back to the city and delve into them.  Before a full mounting of the show, many of the songs will be presented at Joe's Pub on January 25th!  Be sure to buy your tickets now!   

Picture of the Day: 12/16/09

(Took this picture yesterday after I returned to Montana to find that my mother has created an art installation featuring spray painted Nutcrackers.  Excited to have some down time, but before the true rest period can begin, I will be rehearsing dancers for The Nutcracker, for which I choreographed Snow and Arabian.  Best part of the week is that I get to spend a little time with old friends Stella Abrera and Sascha Radetsky, who will be guesting with the local school! Expect lots of photos!)

Picture of the Day: 12/15/09

(A shot for Ryan Scott Oliver's song "On Monday.")

Picture of the Day: 12/14/09

(I went to church to hear my boyfriend sing yesterday.)