Documenting Dancers Pt 1

I have been working on a photography project that is related to some studio work I undertook last quarter. I have always loved dance, and photographing dancers. Last quarter I photographed three different dancers, in various costumes and performing various traditional dances and gestures, along with fusion. This quarter I have been following the members of Karoun Dance Ensemble from the point of view of documentary, or non-posed, journalistic photography. Karoun specializes in Classical Persian and Central Asian dance.

I began with my friend Karen Spiel, a lovely and graceful dancer. I followed her, with my camera, one afternoon and evening, from her first preparations at home to the end of her actual performances at the venue. Here are some samples of that journey:

Pepper Interrupts Dance Rehearsal
Karen's cat tried to rub against her legs while she
was rehearsing for her dance performance.
He finally walked away in disgust, when she
continued to dance.

Karen Applying Makeup
I wonder how many women would be this relaxed with a photographer
hovering over their shoulder as they put on their makeup?
I love the effect of six Karens in this shot, taken in her bathroom,
as she applied her stage makeup, for the show.

Karen's Hands Braiding
Closeup of Karen's hands, as she braids long, blond, hand-made
extensions into her hair. These are key for the Tajik, a traditional
dance from the Badakhshani region of Afghanistan.

Karen Putting on Earrings & Getting A Bite To Eat
After finishing her long braids and makeup,
Karen adds her jewelry and takes a break in her
kitchen, to "have some nibbles" before rehearing
 in her living room, once more.

Admiring Karen's Costume
Elham, another member of Karoun Dance Ensemble,
admires the colorful appliqués on Karen's Tajik costume.

You're On In 5 Minutes!
Karen quickly helps Janelle Bel Isle, the third member of Karoun,
attach and braid her hair extensions, for the Tajik dance. 

Karen and Janelle, triumphant at the close of their
first dance performance of the evening. Zamani
Culture House, in Bothell, WA.
The place was packed to the rafters!

This is a sampling of this project. I have many more shots to edit and prepare so that I can share them here.

In addition, I am now documenting Karoun Dance Ensemble as a whole: behind the scenes, during rehearsal, backstage, and on stage. I will present the final project in its entirety here, on this blog.

Thanks for your interest, and for visiting!

Blessings,
Linda

Quintessential Pioneer Square: An Exploration

Welcome! I have been working with documentary photography for a month or two, and undertook an assignment to photograph a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. Pioneer Square was my selection,  and I pursued the goal of creating a multi-photo portrait of this historic and popular area.

My images were shot on an overcast day, inside and outside, ranging from the well known and loved Victorian pergola, to Occidental Park, the Underground Tour, past restaurants, clubs, galleries, shops, and services for the homeless and disadvantaged. This is a neighborhood where the ghosts and sites of the past collide with the tourism and commerce of the present, where the well-heeled and the homeless tread the same streets and sidewalks, and where night and day are as different as, well, night and day.

Please join me on a visual tour of Pioneer Square...

Bust of Chief Seattle, aka "Sealth, Seathle, Seathl, or See-ahth" *and the Victorian era pergola, two of the most common sights in Pioneer Square,
along with lines of people of all ages, who take the popular Underground Tour... 

Bread of Life Mission, with an ironic sign
 for happy hour, in the foreground. Ironic sights
 are common here... 

Raindrops on a chessboard, in Occidental Park.
There are a group of stone chessboards here,
for enjoyment and use on sunny days... 

Memorial statues and beams dedicated to the fallen
firefighters of Seattle, in Occidental Park...

Tliingit totem pole in foreground, Pioneer Building
 in background. The Pioneer's original front door is
located on a lower level, in the underground
 and is not in use...

Merchants Cafe, with a member of the staff taking a break.
This is the oldest restaurant in Seattle, in operation since 1890.
It is reputedly haunted, and was investigated on the Travel Channel's
 television show, The Dead Files...

The historic Delmar Building and State Hotel on 1st Avenue,
with its Rooms 75 cents sign. Built in 1891*

Colorful ivy-covered building in Occidental Park, near
the outdoor, stone chessboards...

One of my favorite places in Pioneer Square,
the New Orleans Restaurant and Bar, Creole food and live blues! 

Stone, carved lion head and architectural detail on a
beautiful terra cotta-colored building in Pioneer Square...

I frequently saw mounted police and downtown-goodwill-ambassadors
 in the  area. This guy looks like he is ready to be off-duty!
There are several sports bars in the area,  this neighborhood
borders the area where our major sports venues stand.

Turns out, it was the horse who wanted a break from work! 

Detail of old, brick wall and windows, from one of the
main rooms on the Seattle Underground Tour...

I have always loved the verdigris of old, oxidized  copper. This is detail
of a very old, copper bathtub, as seen in the Seattle Underground...

I was captivated by this corner nook, with an old bucket
and the shadow of a ladder, as seen in the Underground..

Doorways and portals exist where you least expect them sometimes.
A very old door frame and the edge of a trellis, in the Underground...

Loved this old but colorful sign, lying amidst the rubble in a corner.
In the Underground...

I held my camera through a random window into darkness,
 set it for manual focus, turned on the flash, and here is what I got,
 a secret stairway, rising into a solid ceiling above!

Hope you have enjoyed this short tour of Pioneer Square. I had a blast walking around for five hours taking pictures. See you next time!

Blessings,

Linda

A New Beginning: Studio Dance Photographs, with Elizabeth Dennis

Welcome back!  I have been gone from this blog for so long! I have been busy with school, taking photography classes, and throwing myself whole-heartedly into the world of photography. Last quarter I worked with studio photography: portraiture, product, metal, glass, etc. It was a fantastic opportunity to work in teams, learn continually, and shoot in the studio every week.

I have always loved dance and photographing dance, as a result, my final project consisted of photographing a variety of dancers and dance styles, solo, in the studio. One of my models was the beautiful and talented Elizabeth Dennis, known in the Seattle area for her unique fusion of different styles, such as Belly Dance or Raks Sharqi, Flamenco, East Indian, and others. Here are three shots from my shoot with her. She was a terrific model...

Elizabeth dancing with one of her favorite props, a fan.
She has a magical ability to create free flowing shapes...

Elizabeth dancing with a veil. She is also well known, among
dance enthusiasts, for her beautifully expressive hands and arms...

Elizabeth kicks up her heels in a passionate and expressive fusion
 of Flamenco and Danse Orientale, demonstrating the integral role
that costuming plays in dance...

Current Showings and New Gallery Spaces Online

Salmon Waves Sculpture I
Art installation by Paul Sorey, at the Ballard Locks, Seattle

Thirteen of my matted and framed 11" x 14" photographs are currently on display & for sale at Julia's Restaurant, 4401 Wallingford Ave N., Seattle, WA 98103. They make great gifts for the holidays! 

My photography is also new at http://lindagayleparkerphotography.see.me/

I am still putting together my gallery and other info at this site, but this is a great place to check out my work, as well as the work of many different artists working in different media.

My work and info can also be found in the directory at: seattleartists.com: http://seattleartists.com/main/active/single_listing.asp?id=1898

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Blessings,

Linda

Long Exposure: Stillness and Motion

The theme for this photography project is Long Exposure: Stillness and Motion. I began this adventure with a fascination for long exposure images, particularly with regard to the way they capture motion. Standard portraiture or landscapes are generally crisp images that capture stillness, a frozen instant, and the seeming solidness of physical objects and bodies. Long exposure work, on the other hand, shows the progression of movement over a period of time. Physical solidness gives way to visual energy, fluidity, and spirit; nebulous trails of motion. Physics tells us that nothing is solid, all physical matter is a dance of energy. My goal here was to play with that idea by juxtaposing what we would call stillness and motion, animate and inanimate, the seemingly solid with the seemingly nebulous. 

I have consciously avoided the cliché of shooting images of traffic with long exposure, and have instead pursued the ideal of images that offer something different. My love of this adventure ensures that I will be doing more of this work in the near future. I hope you enjoy these in the meanwhile....

Wild Night IV

Grasses and Sunset

Boat and Train

Koi Waterfall

Parking

Night Theatre

Space Needle and Fountain

Thank you for stopping by to view these images. They were created with love. 

Blessings,

Linda

Diptychs

Diptychs are a pair of images consisting of different subject matter with a common visual element of some kind, a visal parallel...

Diptych 1
This began with the image on the left, which I shot about a week before.
Then, I went to a local store and quietly arranged and photographed the feathered boas...

Diptych 2
Yes, indeed, a sunhat and a mushroom do look alike. Don't be surprised if you see a
garden faery dancing among dew laden leaves some morning, with a mushroom for a sunhat...

Diptych 3
Jungle gym and an umbrella. Structurally similar, but favor different weather!...

Diptych 4
A sculpture of sails at a playground looked irresistibly like snow shovels to me. I also like the
dichotomy between work and my elderly model with his snow shovel, versus play and a place 
created especially for children... 

Diptych 5
A compelling pairing, and one not lost on the history of religion and violence, unfortunately.
I pray for  faith to bring out the best in us, not the worst. 

I hope you have enjoyed these pairings, and that they inspire you to see parallels, visually or conceptually, in the world around us. Everything is connected, in life and death.

Blessings,
Linda

Richmond Beach Treasures

Richmond Beach is a short drive from where I work, so I sometimes go there after spending all day in a room with no windows, to breathe the fresh air, soak in some natural light, and yes, take pictures. The images below were taken during two different visits, and comprise the park above the beach as well as the beach area itself. You never know what treasures you will find when you start consciously looking for them....

Autumn Joy

Lightning Strikes I

Lightning Leaves Scars and Flames

Peeling Red II

Stillness and Storm

Light Rays

Richmond Beach I

Driftwood Face II

Bone and Socket

Cracks and Swirls

Fruit and Wood I

Fruit and Wood IV

Last Light

Grabbing the Sky

I hope you have enjoyed our tour of some of the beauties of this place, and that it inspires you to go outside your own door and breathe the free air....

Blessings, 

Linda