Pensacola Opera: Backstage at The Merry Widow
The stage is a different world behind the curtain...
Something I haven't publicized enough over the last year is that I have spent this past season as the in-house photographer ("photographer in residence" as my ever-so-patient wife wearily conceded this evening) for Pensacola Opera.
I've never been an opera devotee. I certainly appreciate the talent and training behind the voices and incredible detail and craftsmanship in the costumes and sets, but it's never been a performance genre I followed closely. However, since my wife began working at Pensacola Opera last year, and I became absorbed in by association to assist with media coverage, I have enjoyed getting to know the art and the people behind it immensely.
About a week ago, the Opera wrapped up its spring performance run of The Merry Widow. For those who don't know (myself counted among that number until I actually saw the show), TMW is a welcome respite from the typical opera tropes of mad scenes, death scenes and arias that hang into infinity. The story is hilarious and, thank God in heaven, it's sung in English. The Merry Widow was a joy to watch and to photograph.
I took an extra day during tech week and logged some shots backstage and in the wings. The energy and focus behind the scenes was amazing.
The Merry Widow
Artistic Director: Kyle Marrero
Maestro: Jerome Shannon
Director: Dean Anthony
Lighting Design: Charles Houghton
Costume Design: Glenn Breed, Wardrobe Witchery
Performed at the Saenger Theatre, Pensacola, FL.
Natural Light Portraits: Lana in the Forest
"Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean."
- John Muir
I went back to my roots last weekend with a very simple shoot with a new collaborator, Lana.
I love shooting in natural light, and I am very pleased with the way these photos came out, with a variety of styles and moods. Lana did a great job of capturing the raw expressiveness I had hoped to capture with this project.
Creative Portraiture: Covered in Paint
The product of a good idea, a great model and a great creative team.
Sometimes, you have an idea that you want to bring to life. A very specific image that you must see and capture through the viewfinder of your camera.
The first image in this series was exactly such an idea. Annie and I put it together with our friend Christina and were incredibly happy with the results. All subsequent images were just gravy.
Bushido - A Short Documentary by TLP Media
A rare appearance in front of the camera.
"Steven!"
"Yes?"
"I need to shoot a short documentary to teach my AV class how to shoot good material on their iPhones. Can I shoot you practicing and talking about your journey in karate?"
"Ummmm... sure!"
My long-time buddy, Travis Patterson, is a fellow photographer, as well as being a teacher, videographer, designer and all-around media specialist (see his work at TLP Media, Cosplay by TLP Media, etc). We've been hanging out since I was in my undergrad and he was in his masters at UWF, and this project felt like a throwback to the good old days when we would get together on a weekend and just be creative and do a project together.
I don't often get in front of the camera. I post occasional images and thoughts related to my training, but I try not to share too much of the actual training itself. Inherent in traditional karate are tenets of humility and introspection, and I didn't want to veer into self-aggrandizement by talking too much or displaying too much training on camera. Vainly, I was also self conscious to be in front of the camera after a week of being sick, not training and getting a little soft around the edges.
With all that said, I can always trust Travis as a storyteller and image composer, so I decided to go for it.
Believe it or not, this super pretty footage (that is to say that the footage is pretty, the actor is fairly mediocre) was shot on an iPhone 6s, lit with $10 lights and stabilized with a cheap tripod and a selfie stick. You see, kids? It's easy to make a movie!
Travis's Portfolio: http://travislpatterson.wix.com/
