Stumbling Around Philadelphia- Dancers Among Us Gets Lucky Again (and again, and again...)

Another beautiful city, another stunning day of weather, and another outpouring of volunteers as Dancers Among Us continues to crisscross the nation. The Philadelphia dance community welcomed me with enthusiasm, and once again I was unable to photograph everyone who wanted to participate.

On Saturday I started at sunrise and spent 15 hours shooting 10 dancers. To say I was unprepared is an understatement. I put a loose schedule together when I arrived to my hotel at 12:30am on Saturday. Five hours later I was heading out the door with my equipment and a handful of granola. The day was a blur of activity. I had a few scenarios in mind, but I was primarily relying on chance.

One of my favorite sites is stumbleupon.com, perhaps because I rely on chance so much when I'm shooting. Stumbling upon shots was definitely the theme on Saturday, and it took several forms.

Stumbling Upon an Idea-

Sometimes I have no idea what to do. I have a dancer in front of me, an hour before the next shoot, and I need to manufacture something. Fortunately, current events took over on Saturday.

Jaamil Olawale Kosoko waited patiently as I finished a shoot at the LOVE sign. I had no ideas for Jaamil, and I was due in Old City soon. Across the street from LOVE was City Hall, bathed in late afternoon light. That seemed promising.

We arrived to a full scale Wall Street protest. The possibilities were limitless.

Walking through Center City with Kelsey Ludwig, we saw a crowd gathered by the Apple Store. A memorial had spontaneously erupted for Steve Jobs, and it was quite moving. How can we honor the spirit of this memorial without being cute or overly dramatic? We gave it our best shot, and I believe Kelsey struck just the right tone.

"I brought a skateboard." Miles Yueng was offering a suggestion for his shot. He had to leave for rehearsal in 30 minutes, so I had to be extremely decisive- which is difficult when you have zero ideas.

Falling off the skateboard would be funny. But where? We were in an upscale section of Center City- not exactly skateboarder haven.

Or maybe it is. Two great looking boarders, Tracy and Jordan, flew by me and stopped at the light.

"Guys, want to be in a book? Can you pose in this photo?" I asked. They were open to the idea, and even suggested a grungy alley around the corner.

Perfect!

Stumbling Upon Props-

"The Italian Market. Do the Italian Market."

I heard this from everyone, so I asked Barry Kerollis to meet me there at the busiest time of the day. Once again, I arrived in a rush with no scenario in mind. We had 20 minutes. I had spent five hours on two shots in the morning, so I was very behind schedule and trying to make up for lost time.

The Market was awash in authentic and surprisingly unphotogenic meat and fruit stands. We headed to the most famous stand- Giordano's. Sitting and waiting for us was one of the greatest props I've ever seen- John's infamous shopping bag cart. Ten dollars later, we had use of it for five minutes. It's all we needed.

Stumbling Upon Reactions-

Often it's the unexpected reactions of passers-by that make the shot, and sometimes I don't even know it's happened until I review the images later that day.

I couldn't leave Philly without photographing a slice of the nation's history. I asked Lauren Bilski to dress like a tourist, bring some binoculars and wear her pointe shoes. We stumbled upon a wall featuring the Declaration of Independence, and the reflection of the buildings gave it added drama. But it is the reaction of the family passing by that gives the image life.

Stumbling Upon People-

This happens to me with amazing frequency- I've got the scenario and the location, and we shoot until I think I'm satisfied. Then something magical happens- a person arrives and completes the story.

This happened twice to Evgeniya Chernukhina. First, we met at 6am for a "Rocky" inspired sunrise photo on the Philadelphia Museum of Art stairs. We shot until 8am, and I thought I had it.

Then I noticed Malik Gray teaching a fitness class on the stairs, and I asked him to join the shot.

Next, we headed to Philly's oldest road, a major tourist destination. I thought Evgeniya should be watering the plants, and I knocked on the front door of a pretty yellow house. I asked the owner t0 borrow his hose, and explained the concept for the book. Incredibly, he had already heard of Dancers Among Us. That never fails to thrill me.

I asked Evgeniya to balance on a slippery pole, lift her leg effortlessly and spray the hose- an almost impossible task.

Looked good to me! We packed up and started walking towards the car. Then my jaw dropped open and I stopped in my tracks. A man dressed in period garb was giving a tour of the street. We ran back to the location, set up the shot again and hoped he'd enter the frame.

He did much more than that!

It is often said, "Chance favors the prepared mind."

Who am I to argue with Louis Pasteur? However, I have a slightly different interpretation.

"Chance favors an open mind."

A special shout out to:

Local photographers Thomas V. Hartman (above photo) and Patrick Cliett for guiding me around the city and suggesting great locations; dancer Jennifer Jones for making a day trip from NYC and conceiving several of the poses; Samantha Siegel, Bill Thomas and PhiladelphiaDANCE for finding me amazing artists; Katie Yohe for her fantastic ideas; and the many dancers who volunteered their time and talent to make this day possible.

Thank you!

The Dancers Among Us Photograph I Feared Taking, and the Pain that Followed

"Your images are so happy, but life isn't always joyful. We need photos that show people's struggles and hardships as well."

I was speaking with Susan Bolotin, editor-in-chief at Workman Publishing, and the rest of the design team. We were discussing the photos I should attempt in Chicago. I understood exactly what she meant, but I didn't want to hear it.

I knew what I had to do. I had to say goodbye to my mother.

Four months ago, my mother died suddenly. Just as suddenly, my career exploded. Since she died, I was filmed for a television feature that aired throughout Europe; I shot the 2012 promotional campaign for the Paul Taylor Dance Company and the 2012 calendar for the Olympic Women's Crew Team; I agreed to a book deal with Workman, and brought Dancers Among Us to San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago, Stanford, Princeton, Boston, Indiana, Westchester and Baltimore. I shot over 150 headshots and comp cards.

It was a busy summer. I never gave myself a moment to grieve. I just put my head down and hit the accelerator.

"Maybe a graveyard. There's usually a beautiful one in every city...." Now everyone at the table was discussing the merits of a mourning photo. I smiled and nodded my head. Inside I was filled with dread.

When I arrived in Chicago, I asked the innkeeper for some good locations to shoot. He gave me one- Graceland Cemetery.

Jesus.

I met dancer Chloe Crade at Graceland on a sunny afternoon. I asked her to bring flowers. We sat on the expansive grounds and discussed loss. A friend of hers had recently died, and she was feeling raw and vulnerable as well. We wanted to honor our memories with dignity- to create a simple image with resonance.

As I photographed Chloe draped across a gravestone, I felt exhilarated by the creative process- photography has been my protective blanket. When I looked at the image later that evening, alone and undistracted in my hotel room, I broke down and cried uncontrollably.

This photograph is the beginning, not the end, of my grieving process.

Today is my birthday, and Saturday I will be shooting Dancers Among Us in Philadelphia, where my mother spent many years of her life. The confluence of these two events will likely be another step in this process of grieving, and I approach it with similar apprehension.

I'm not ready to say goodbye.

Racing the Clock- Sunrise and Spontaneity on Lake Michigan

5:15am:

“Sweet Jesus you’d better be awake.”

My Chicago collaborator and tour guide, Katie Yohe, is meeting me downtown at 5:30am, and her text says it all. We're doing a sunrise Dancers Among Us photo with Jessica Deahr. The idea is titled, “Walk of Shame". We meet near a bunch of bars.

I immediately don’t like the location. Maybe I should have done some pre-production. The clock is ticking. Sunrise is scheduled for around 6:45am.

“Is Lake Michigan nearby?” I ask.

“Four blocks to the east.”

I decide to abandon the "Walk of Shame" idea (for now), and get a sunrise shot on the lake instead. I have less than an hour to figure out exactly what that shot will be.

6:03am:

We arrive to magical light on the lake. The cityscape is breathtaking, and I have no idea what to do. How do I find a pose that equals the beauty of this moment? We still don’t have Jessica- she is looking for parking. I really should have done some pre-production.

6:14am:

Jessica arrives. In a frantic effort to create a scenario, I borrow someone’s coffee cup. She strikes a pose and is immediately swallowed up by the environment.

6:16am:

Forget the cityscape. Let’s shoot the lake instead.

6:19am:

Forget the coffee cup. It looks too contrived. With no other prop in sight, I consider settling for a beautiful pose in the sunrise. I hate the idea, because it’s just so obvious and has been done a million times already. Why, oh why, didn’t I do a little pre-production? Just this one time?

6:21am:

Wait, is that a dog in the water? Before I even ask, Katie runs over to the owner Molly and works her magic. The dog’s name is Cooper, and Molly is willing to help tame the puppy's frantic energy. We decide on a game of fetch. This just might work.

6:26am:

That’s a pretty pathetic looking stick. We scour the beach looking for a better one. I hand Jessica the coffee cup and a new stick.

6:31am:

Why am I holding on to this coffee cup idea? Get rid of it already. Just a girl playing with her dog- beautiful! Except that Jessica is terrified of big dogs, and keeps dropping the stick in sheer terror. Eventually she warms to him a little, and we shoot for ten straight minutes (except when Cooper is running around in circles or chasing other dogs- tick tock Cooper!).

6:44am:

We review the images. I can sense Katie’s dissatisfaction immediately.

“She’s a dancer. She needs to be doing something! It needs movement.”

You’re right. Thank you, Katie.

Now if only Cooper would look at her.

6:48am:

Bingo! It only happens once but we get the shot. Cooper stands up, ready to fetch. He looks right at Jessica. She nails the pose, the stick in perfect line with her leg. A sailboat magically appears on the horizon. The gathering clouds are illuminated with a pre-dawn glow.

6:52am:

Minutes later the sun appears and Cooper, now a seasoned veteran, poses majestically. Jessica, exhausted from jumping in the sand, gathers her energy for one final push.

Pre-production is for sissies.

Katie put together a fun and quick video that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at this exciting morning. Take a look.

5 Days and 50 Dancers Among Us -- Getting Gritty in Chicago

I booked my flight to shoot Dancers Among Us in Chicago before I had any dancers, any ideas or anywhere to stay. I figured if I got a few quality dancers I could get maybe a dozen shots I liked. But you just can't overstate the power of social media. After a few tweets and Facebook posts, I had over 50 terrific volunteers. I was able to shoot 23 of them in five days, and I ended up with 30 photographs I love.

Good week at the office.

Chicago is an amazing city. The dance community is tight knit and extremely talented. I was blown away by the skill of the dancers volunteering their time. They were creative, athletic, fearless and beautiful. They made me look very good.

I arrived at a coffee house Monday morning to meet my first three dancers, Kara Lozanovski, Justine Humenansky and Erin Clyne. I knew nothing about Chicago and had no idea where to go.

Luckily I had Katie Yohe. I photographed Katie years ago for my book, "Uncovered", and I hadn't seen her since. She proved to be an invaluable asset, volunteering her time and considerable energy to help me navigate this unfamiliar territory.

I wanted to shoot a ballet dancer en pointe at a construction site. Not the easiest way to start my trip, but Kara's enthusiasm made me hopeful. She was willing to do anything!

We all hopped in a cab and Katie took us to the Fulton Meat Packing District. I assumed Kara would be standing in front of a warehouse on her lunch break, but a wrong turn by the cabbie landed us at an Asphalt factory instead. We couldn't have been luckier.

I approached a couple of the guys on the site and showed them my work.

Photo by Katie Yohe

They suggested I shoot around the corner, away from the prying eyes of The Man in the office.

"Can we borrow your vest? And helmet? Oh, and how about your goggles?"

Believe it or not, there was even an abandoned shovel. If I had done pre-production for a month, I couldn't have found a better set-up. I asked Kara to roll in a mysterious black substance. She happily complied.

I had Kara stand on top of this soft mysterious substance. I asked her to lean on the shovel like she was exhausted, and kick her leg up while en pointe. She kept sinking in or falling down. I was desperate to get the shot quickly. The location was perfect but we had no permission.

Photo by Katie Yohe

We kept frantically shooting. After almost an hour and over 200 photographs, I realized I had tested everyone's patience long enough. I pulled myself away and reviewed the shots. They looked great! The location and the sky couldn't have been more perfect, and Kara nailed her pose.

As Kara walked towards me, I saw what this mysterious substance had done to her pointe shoes. I needed one more shot. She climbed back up on the mound and posed again.

This was an unbelievable start to an incredible trip, and it portended good things to come. I will release more Dancers Among Us photos later this week. In the meantime, if you want to know what that mysterious substance is, take a look at this fun behind the scenes video.

Video by Katie Yohe (of course!)

My Son's Inspiring Moment, and the Book Deal That Followed

Dancers Among Us will be coming to a bookstore near you! I have agreed to terms with Workman Publishing for a national book release of Dancers Among Us, tentatively scheduled for the spring of 2013. This gives me another seven months to shoot a slew of new images across the country before the book goes to press. Anyone have a spare RV collecting dust in their driveway?

In a recent blog post, Will They Like Me In Kansas?, I outlined the process that eventually led to this book deal. What I didn't mention was the moment of inspiration that led to the first photograph. For that, I must thank my son, Hudson.

One afternoon two years ago I watched Hudson play with his toy bus. I was trying to follow the fantasy racing through his three-year-old mind, as he intensely played with a yellow plastic box and armless figurines. At least that’s what I saw. He saw a thriving community rushing to catch the 77 local bus to Australia. He frantically jumped in place, mouth agape and slapping his knees, joyously reacting to a world I couldn’t see, but one nonetheless powerfully present for him. As we get older and wiser, what happens to this enthusiasm, this ability to be wholly present in the moment? Why are these pure moments of passion so often replaced by cynicism, boredom, and indifference? As I played with my son, I thought about creating photographs that would show the world as if through the fantastical eyes of a child. The people in the images would be alive and in the moment, celebrating all aspects and emotions of everyday life.

Shortly after playing “bus”, I attended a performance by the Paul Taylor Dance Company, and I knew immediately I had found my collaborators. Asking dancers to embody these ideals makes perfect sense. Dancers are storytellers. They’re trained to personify passionate moments, their bodies imbued with a stunning combination of artistry and athleticism. They create a fantasy world, offering us a deeper look into familiar settings. They bring to life what we feel but are unable to express physically.

The process of producing the images is organic; created through a spontaneous collaboration with the dancers. The essence of the subject material parallels the current state of our society, where people are finding an appreciation of smaller, simpler pleasures. I try to infuse the images with humor and joyfulness to make the viewer feel good. I hope the carefree nature of the work is a welcome antidote to the persistent anxiety that defines many people’s lives.

I’ve created Dancers Among Us for my two children, who are everything to me. There is so much I want for them. My hope is that they will live long and healthy lives, find loving partners and fulfilling careers, and experience the joys of parenthood. Most importantly, I want them to be free from self-consciousness, to discover the deep happiness of impassioned lives, and to find the serenity to be truly present. The photographs communicate my dreams for them more powerfully than words alone-- relish moments large and small, recognize the beauty around you, and be alive!

The Curse of Faulty Equipment... and the Patience of Paul Taylor

"We've got a problem."

I was standing in the lobby of the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center, talking with John Tomlinson, Executive Director of the Paul Taylor Dance Company (PTDC). Director of Marketing Alan Olshan stood close by, looking concerned.

"I enlarged some images to 80 inches for posters from last week's shoot, and they're not sharp enough."

Uh-oh.

The shoot to which John was referring was the two day, ten dancer marathon recently documented in my blog, "When Life Gives You Lemons..." I ended that blog with a confident declaration about the quality of the final images.

Perhaps my boast was a bit premature.

The campaign will not be revealed for a month or two, so I cannot mention any specifics. I can say with confidence that it will be stunning, unlike anything seen before. The dancers are phenomenal, and the concept PTDC created is fun and unique. They produced a tremendous amount of exciting images for any print and media campaign they pursue.

But there's this little issue with the posters. You know, the big posters hanging all over Lincoln Center. The face of the campaign. Well, they're not sharp enough.

I had rented a special camera for the marathon shoot. The Nikon D3X is specifically designed for shooting large images, but it wasn't focusing properly. Let me reiterate- I rented a camera to solve the problem before it became a problem, and it was broken! So I turned to my trusty D3S, the very best camera on the market. It takes amazing photographs that look flawless, even if you blow them up to 60 inches.

Did they say they needed 80 inch posters?

We returned to Lincoln Center on Monday to reshoot two dancers, Michael Trusnovec and Amy Young. I rented the D3X again, and it was fully functional this time. We had a very successful shoot, and we parted ways, excited to see the results. The images would look stunning as 80 inch posters.

Whew!

I got home and ran straight to my studio. I couldn't wait to see the photos. I popped in the memory card, opened the file, and...

Nothing. No images. The memory card was corrupt.

I can't write about the rest of that evening; I don't have the skill to put a voice to the level of my frustration. I will say this though- I wasn't looking forward to the reaction from PTDC. I wrote an email promising my third-born child for one more chance to shoot these damn posters.

I hit "Send" and waited to hear the explosion on Grand Street. Ten minutes later my cell phone rang.

"Jordan, this is John Tomlinson. This isn't a call to strategize about the next step. This is just a call to calm you down. It's going to be fine."

Now I know why his dancers speak so glowingly about him. His calm absorbed my anxiety.

In the end I was able to retrieve some images, and we're hoping the memory card's service department can recover more.

We've scheduled one final shoot for next week. I'm going to bring three cameras, ten memory cards, two computers, four assistants and the CEO of Nikon.

Is that overkill?

Goodbye to a Friend- The Blog I Wish I Had Written Earlier

Two weeks ago, Geoff Legg, my friend and assistant, died tragically young. His behind-the-scenes photography has been featured in many of my blogs, most notably in a Valentine's Day Chinatown blog. I had always intended to write about him and his path to NYC. He loved the idea of being the subject of my blog and had anticipated it with great enthusiasm, but other priorities distracted me from writing it. So I now write this blog not for Geoff, but for his family and friends. They know they've lost a gentle and caring man, but they may not know that we've all lost a passionate and talented artist.

Geoff gave me the title for a blog about him-

From the High Country to the High Line

In Colorado, Geoff was kind of famous. He was known as a progressive thinker, and he dedicated his life to making the world a better place. He started the first "green" painting company in the world after studying for a year at the oldest renewable energy school in the country. He could build a wind turbine out of junk-yard parts. He dedicated himself to volunteering for non-profits, and he ran some of the biggest arts/crafts/music festivals in Western Colorado. He bought an old schoolhouse so he could start his own arts/music/organic farming school. On top of all of that, Geoff was an avid landscape photographer.

Geoff believed in positive change. When he moved to NYC and found it difficult to find like-minded people, he called me out of the blue and expressed an interest in my work. I invited him to join me on a Dancers Among Us shoot, and he photographed the process beautifully. The first blog featuring his photos, "Getting Kicked Out of the Plaza", went viral, which I don't believe is a coincidence. We hit it off immediately.

He joined me on many shoots after that, and he found great enjoyment documenting the process. I called him a "behind-the-scenes documentarian." The next time I saw him, he handed me a business card with that title under his name.

Geoff loved the creative artists we were photographing together. He was exposed to people who thrilled and inspired him, and he seemed to be having a blast. He saved a very special place in his heart for dancer AdeChike. Geoff had seen Ade compete on "So You Think You Can Dance?", and he was a bit star-struck at the opportunity to work with him.



Eventually I started putting Geoff in front of the camera as well. He appears in the background of several Dancers Among Us photos. The final time we worked together, I asked him to take a face full of iced coffee thrown by dancer Allison Jones. It was a spontaneous request, and he wholeheartedly agreed without hesitation. Ten minutes after we got this shot, Geoff gave me a coffee-soaked bear hug and walked through the subway doors. I never saw him again.



I always found comfort in his presence. His passion for photography mirrored my own. Though his love was landscape and art photography, he had an uncanny ability to capture candid moments as well. Without any time to prepare, he was able to record my shock as I asked Ade, "So, can you jump?" This is my favorite photograph of me working, and he knew it.



Even a very static process like shooting headshots looked interesting when seen through Geoff's lens.



Having lost my mother earlier this year, and now my friend, I'm struck by the sudden finality of death. Shared experiences I had casually anticipated will never be realized. Relationships are left frozen in time, with no opportunity for a deeper connection. I am more saddened by the loss of future possibilities than I am by memories of the past.

As I look again at his photography, I am reminded of Geoff's great potential. These are a few of his favorite photographs. Each of them could easily be sold in a gallery, and the world could celebrate an artist whose images mirrored the man himself- thoughtful, unpretentious and beautiful.








I'd like to end with a stunning self-portrait taken by Geoff in Colorado.




Goodbye, Geoff. I miss you already.



To see more of Geoff's work, you can visit his website, leggacyphotos.com.