Coming Through

[Brian Moore]

My younger daughter Meg was performing in Los Angeles a few weeks ago and I was invited to take some shots during the show. I shot every dance with my Canon 7D, but I also had with me the Mamiya 7, loaded with Tri-X 400 at the time. It was pretty dark, but I was tempted to rattle off a shot or two with the Mamiya to see how they'd turn out.

This is a cropped image. From my vantage point, with the fixed focal length lens, the original image showed the edge of the stage at the front as well as a black area off to the left where the curtain ended.

I can't remember my exposure settings exactly; I think this was about 1/15th and wide open (f4). If I recall correctly I think I used the topoftheseatinfrontofmepod to steady the camera.

I developed this roll in instant coffee.

"Coming Through" was the name of this dance.


Coming Through by brian-moore, on Flickr

 

[Paul Lange]

That is a great photograph Brian, I really like it. Love the still chair in the middle of the blurred figures, a nice contrast.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Saw this on Facebook, and think it's brilliant. A great sense of humour in it, and what on earth is that rocking chair doing there, and those bits of paper on the floor? Nice grain too.

 

[Pete Askew]

Quite wonderful Brian and I love the way that the areas with less movement indicate the choreography underlying the scene. I'm guessing that the central / front figure is 'coming through' as it were. Superb stuff.

Having seen your recent work with the Mamiya and following my, so far, negative (!) experience with the Fuji, I shall be taking my recently serviced 7II to Prague with me in a couple of weeks (last time the shutter jammed on the first shot!). I', looking forward to it. Out of interest, do you have the strap mounted on the top lugs or the side lugs?

 

[Brian Moore]

That is a great photograph Brian, I really like it. Love the still chair in the middle of the blurred figures, a nice contrast.

Thanks a lot, Paul. (Grain like boulders, too!)

- - - Updated - - -

Saw this on Facebook, and think it's brilliant. A great sense of humour in it, and what on earth is that rocking chair doing there, and those bits of paper on the floor? Nice grain too.

Thanks again, Rob. The chair and the bits of paper (supposed to be foties and letters I think) are there as props to propel the story the dance is telling. It's all interpretive, of course, but to me the dance seemed to be about a young woman who has lost someone dear and who also succumbs. There is a scene in the dance in which she is seated in the chair and looking through letter and foties. See below the images from the 7d.


IMG_2967 by brian-moore, on Flickr


IMG_2982 by brian-moore, on Flickr

 

[Vic Shaw]

Love it Brian, that chair makes the shot for me.

 

[Brian Moore]

Quite wonderful Brian and I love the way that the areas with less movement indicate the choreography underlying the scene. I'm guessing that the central / front figure is 'coming through' as it were. Superb stuff.

Having seen your recent work with the Mamiya and following my, so far, negative (!) experience with the Fuji, I shall be taking my recently serviced 7II to Prague with me in a couple of weeks (last time the shutter jammed on the first shot!). I', looking forward to it. Out of interest, do you have the strap mounted on the top lugs or the side lugs?

Thank you very much, Pete. In the BW image the main dancer "coming through" is on the far left. You can barely see it in the blur, but her costume is different.

The strap on the Mamiya 7 I'm using is mounted on the side lugs, Pete. I find it hangs nicely off the shoulder that way. (But then, things hang nicely generally off my shoulder due to an exceptionally high collar bone--the result of a nasty bicycle crash some years ago--that serves as a pretty effective hook for hanging things.)

Thanks again, Pete.

 

[Pete Askew]

I too find the side lugs to be best and wish other cameras had a similar system. I'm clearly not as dedicated as you though as I have yet to have any body modifications done to facilitate improved handling of a camera!

 

[Brian Moore]

Love it Brian, that chair makes the shot for me.

Thanks, Vic. Much appreciated.

 

[Pete Askew]

I missed the colour ones! Good though they are, I miss the dynamic impact of the blurred B&Ws.

 

[Brian Moore]

I missed the colour ones! Good though they are, I miss the dynamic impact of the blurred B&Ws.

Thanks, Pete. I'm trying to go through the images and select good ones for the choreographer. Much as you or I and perhaps a few others may prefer the blur, for dance I get the impression that ideally you'd want the action frozen yet clear. Maybe with just a wee bit of blur in hand or foot, costume or hair, to suggest movement more than show it. Anyway, thank you Pete.