Like boot camp, but with singing & dancing!
This past Saturday, the show choirs at Rock Bridge High School had their first annual “Camp Show Choir.” I guess you could call it show choir boot camp for 3rd to 6th graders. In four hours, the Rock Bridge students prepared about 80 kids to put on a performance of “Walking on Sunshine” for their parents. The camp was divided into sections. There was a stage presence class, to teach kids to exaggerate their movements on stage. Then there was a hair and make-up class. Yes, you look like a “clown” up close, but it looks more natural on stage. Finally, there was a choreography class on stage. Ok, there was a refreshment section, but whatever. The show choirs performed before the kids’ performance.
Lesson from this experience? I need more practice photographing under stage lights, and I should probably move away from slow shutter speeds. Also, I want a real flash.
Enjoy some of the sights.
Allison Frisch, Shelby Ringdahl, Jessica Iveson, and Taylor Holiman (l-r) lead choreography rehearsal during the first annual "Camp Show Choir" at Rock Bridge High School on December 12, 2009.
Members of Rock Bridge High School's City Lights Show Choir teach children about stage presence.
Jennifer Kilgore & the Society for Creative Anachronism
This was my group’s final project for Advanced Techniques. Jennifer Kilgore is a relative new member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. She talks about her involvement in the group.
Below are my photos. I’m quite pleased with how the photos turned out, and how they contributed to the project.
Fighters clash at fighting practice on December 3, 2009.
Practice sword at an SCA fighting practice on December 3, 2009.
Multiple flash assignment
Frankie Humphrey, center, leads Roberto Cabero, left, and Joyce Bradford, right, in a hip hop dance class at Studio B Dance Center in Columbia, MO, on November 17, 2009.
For the multiple flash assignment, Christina, Erin, and I went to Studio B Dance Center. We attended their hip-hop and flamenco classes. We used an SB-900 and SB-800 wirelessly connected to a D300. The above photo is my select for the assignment. Many thanks to Ashley and her instructors at Studio B Dance Center. Here are some more photos from the night. I wish I could have used the following photo for the assignment but alas, the second flash didn’t fire.
Kate Brownlee, Larisa Rudelson, and Valerie Hardesty (left to right) laugh before a round of flamenco dancing at Studio B Dance Center in Columbia, MO, on November 17, 2009.
Multimedia slideshow: Family Kocktail
For advanced techniques, we’re supposed to find a slideshow we like or think could be better. I thought about using this story for the EPJ multimedia critique a few weeks ago, but used the Post’s “Scene In” series instead.
I really enjoyed her story. Take a look.
Chouteau Grotto
I headed out Saturday morning to attempt the fill portion of the fill and balancing flash advanced assignment. I first went to Rock Bridge High School, but no one out and about. I then thought about following some tailgaters, but got frustrated with traffic before getting to the major tailgating areas. I turned off the road into Capen Park, and I’m glad I did. I found members of the Chouteau Grotto spelunking club. They were preparing for an up-coming dive by practicing on the rock face at Capen Park. I really enjoyed following them for about an hour and a half in the warm sunny weather. It was over 70 degrees, at 11 am, in November!
Over the summer, I had come here to take photos but had run afoul of strong shadows. The subjects’ faces disappeared in the shadows. I looked at this shoot as an opportunity to rectify my previous efforts. Inspired by Joe McNally’s recent visit, I used the flash wirelessly, instead of using a cable. I think I did much better this time, thanks to the flash. This first photo is my select for the advanced class. The others are part of my set.
Kirsten Alvey, Zhenyu Wang, BJ Sidell, Matthew Hodges, and Derek Carson (left to right) watch as Jay Dolph demonstrates safety procedures before rappelling a cliff at Capen Park on November 7, 2009. Members of the Chouteau Grotto were preparing for an up-coming trip to help conservation departments count bats and cave-dwelling salamanders in Pulaski County, Missouri.
Behind the Scenes: Joe McNally
We had a different form of advanced techniques class today. Joe McNally came and we watched as he worked with 3 ballerinas from Stephens College. It was pretty interesting watching him work. We got to see a master at work, and the dancers got free portraits. Not a bad deal. Here are a few photos from behind the scenes.
Kirstie McDermott in mid-air.
The setup. Strobe in the balcony, controlled by an on-camera flash.
Multimedia critique: Scene In
I’m back to the Washington Post for our second multimedia critique. I actually stumbled upon the “Scene In” section and fell in love with it halfway through the first video. Alexandra Garcia is the main force behind the series, which shows fashions in different parts of Washington D.C., and what the owners think their fashions say about them.
I found the navigation to be pretty self-explanatory with a plethora of options. The video window is on the left side of the screen, with the accompanying information and navigation to the right. The information explains the series, supplies contact information, and provides a map showing where episodes have taken place. The map is clickable, providing yet another navigation option. At the bottom of the right side, there is a list of the episodes, beginning with the most recent. A tab at the very bottom brings up a list of all the episodes. On the left and right sides of the videos are arrows that lead to the previous and next episodes, respectively. There is also a constant link to “get these looks,” which could be a form of interactivity. The viewer can find information to eventually participate in the project’s experience. Underneath the video window is a link to the comments section, which turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Read more…
City Lights Show Choir
With 7 days remaining until we were supposed to turn in our first take of the single flash assignment, I was starting to panic. It was a rainy ugly day, so I looked for an indoors event to shoot. I found a volleyball game at Rock Bridge High School and decided to wait until the start of the varsity game. In the meantime, I was walking around when I heard singing coming from down a hall. I headed down then and found the City Lights Show Choir about to start rehearsal. I debated between shooting the volleyball game and the choir practice at the same time, running from one to the other, but choir won out.
The previous post contained the two relevant photos for the assignment. This is the set.
During a rehearsal break, senior Caroline Sovick, left, watches as junior Hannah Overfelt dances.
Mike Pierson directs the City Lights Show Choir during rehearsal October 13, 2009.
Single Flash Assignment
During a rehearsal break for Rock Bridge High School's City Lights Show Choir, senior Jackie Montano, left, and junior Hannah Overfelt listen to director Mike Pierson on Tuesday, October 13, 2009. The group was preparing for an intense weekend of choreography instruction.
