# Fiona (with new photos added of the poster and ticket design)



## LaFoto (May 17, 2007)

This photo is against all the rules of people photography: all four of her limbs are cut off, she is posing - somehow - but definitely not for me and not in a photo-flattering manner, yet I like this photo a lot myself, despite all its compositional flaws, because of its expressiveness and the fact that this moment was so fleeting and so short, I did not have time to "compose" (limbs in the frame) at all.

Fiona is the dance instructor in whose dance classes I am working on a series of photos showing the progression from the rehearsal stage to their piece put on the stage on 28 June (and she said, right after I took this and said to her"Thank you so much for THIS pose!": "You can post this to your photoforum then, heehee, I don't mind.")







Do you think this photo as such excuses all the compsitional flaws it has?


----------



## Alpha (May 17, 2007)

Why is it so soft? Do you have a high-res copy?


----------



## Garbz (May 17, 2007)

Lol A photo like that excuses everything , Funniest thing I have seen all day.


----------



## JimmyJaceyMom (May 17, 2007)

haha yeah I bet she was very happy that you took that photo!  hee hee.


----------



## LaFoto (May 17, 2007)

Well, Max, my problem in the little gym where they have their classes is light! While it is a room with windows on both sides which give me large, white patches whenever they get into the frame, and while I also get white reflections on the floor wherever those windows reflect, which all in all presents my camera with a (too) high dynamic range, all together there is too little light. 

Therefore I tested it out and came to the conclusion: only ISO 1600 is what works. Mostly so because a) no one waits for me, they carry on their classes as if I were not there and b) I must photograph everything from the periphery of the room, I cannot walk up close to people, which means that I have to zoom in quite a bit. Zoom combined with movement (remember, it is a dance class) ... and that high ISO is the choice of the day.

And this photo was then put through NeatImage before I compressed the filtered version for web presentation. That may very well account for the softness, while the original has ... noise. :roll: So there. Such was the situation.

The assignment is for me to show the progression of their work, and to produce photos in which the dancers recognise themselves. So anything "artistic" in the way of emayd's much admired (by me) ballet photography is not required at this point in my work. I might consider trying out something like that at a later point in time when they start doing their last rehearsals on stage, with the stage lights. Who knows? It much depends on what the situation then will allow.

And JimmyJaceyMom: I still don't know why she did this and what it was for. While I know the music she uses for her choreography, many parts of the choreography were all new to me when I first arrived in her classes, so I had to sit there, watch, get a feel for what is important to be captured in photos, and be really really quick all the time. They never waited for me or repeated something FOR ME (when they made mistakes they would have to repeat something, but never for me). I guess her dancers were supposed to "imagine something very frightening" at this point, and to express their fright in facial expression and body language, and in order to remind them, she jumped up and onto that chair, looming over them with this expression? That is how this came about.

And I still like it - noisy or soft.


----------



## cherrymoose (May 17, 2007)

Everyone who takes multiple shots a day should always try to get a fun shot like this.  Wonderful job, under the circumstances!


----------



## LaFoto (May 18, 2007)

Thanks, Emma.
This was one out of 200 that day .

And actually, come to think of it: I don't really think this one's soft.
I can count her eye-lashes in the original one...


----------



## mec621 (May 18, 2007)

not a great picture but a fun shot


----------



## LaFoto (May 18, 2007)

I can't help the feeling, though, that as soon as I start selling all those rehearsal pics, this is going to be a best-seller .


----------



## Puscas (May 18, 2007)

Fiona.....I was thinking Shrek!!





Yes, LaFoto it's the expression that makes up for all the rule-breaking here.






pascal


----------



## LaFoto (May 19, 2007)

Hmm. I have never ever seen that film, so I didn't know what sort of associations my thread-title could provoke in some here .
Thanks for encouraging me to "break all the rules" here, Pascal .

There is one other photo of her hidden in the Photo Themes under On the Job, here - just in case you are interested.


----------



## EBphotography (May 20, 2007)

Hmm I do sense a best-seller here when you put them all together.   Or maybe it'll be Fiona buying them all so no one else can.


----------



## The_Traveler (May 20, 2007)

this is fun but, imo, would profit from tighter crop.
try it at 5 h x 4 w with orange ball in top left.
the uni is overdark and would profit by using S/H tool.


----------



## LaFoto (May 20, 2007)

Sure, a closer crop is yet another idea, but this has been cropped already, and I already added some to the tones of her clothes, I did not want to go any further. Might consider a closer crop, though, much depending on how much more time I have to get this batch ready to be sent away for the prints to be made.


----------



## LaFoto (May 21, 2007)

OK, I went back to the first edition (original is RAW) and started to work on that one once more, and came up with a cropped (thanks, Lew), and converted version. 

What do you say now?
Chopped off limbs no longer as bad?
Eyes even more expressive? 
Conversion ok?






This has not been put through NeatImage, so the full noise of using 1600ISO is to be seen (read above posts for "the making of" this photo).

I tried to lighten up the black of her clothes and get greyish stripes ... so I refrained from going that far. At the highest possible ISO (for my camera) there is only so much pp-brightening a photo allows, and after that ... finito).

The more I think about it, the better I like the crop ... and might consider using this version for the print order, though the prints will be in colour for the general public. They are more used to colour photography.


----------



## SpaceNut (May 24, 2007)

It's fun to take pictures that aren't the greatest sometime, especially when the photo subject doesn't mind.


----------



## flofrog (May 24, 2007)

Well people of TPF, my first post here, and how strange it is that the subject matter (if only indirectly) is me .... yes ... _*I*_ am that mad woman that LaFoto captured. There I am, despeately trying to motivate, inspire, coerce, or provoke, call it whatever you like, my pupils into some kind of reaction that we can then transpose into movement.... Well, that's my excuse anyway, and I'm sticking to it!!!

Corinna has been working with us for a few weeks now and it has been wonderful! I deeply admire her powers of observation, her attention to detail, her talent to make the best out of a less than ideal situation (for photographers anyway) and her ability to ingore the  constant din in the studio (musical repetitions,LOTS of chatty students ) and most of all, my mad choreographic ramblings! I admire her wonderful good nature and cheerfulness. It is infectious!

Enough! 

I gave LaFoto full permission to post that pic here .... perhaps some people will be surprized to discover that creating a "dance" is not always so serious or elite as it is often portrayed..... 

Enjoy the pic.... I know my students will!!!! hi hi hi....


----------



## abraxas (May 24, 2007)

Cool shot. The solid circles sort of add a Mickey Mouse effect.


----------



## LaFoto (May 24, 2007)

FIONA!
You have actually joined TPF only to say all those nice things that you do say in your post? Oh :hug:: :hug:: :hug:: !!! 

Does that mean that you share my feeling that this photo could become a best-seller as soon as we'll have set up the show?  Something tells me it might! 

And I'll have the version printed that here is in black&white.


----------



## TwistMyArm (May 25, 2007)

Fun photo Corinna.

Hey welcome to TPF Fiona!


----------



## terri (May 25, 2007)

flofrog said:


> Well people of TPF, my first post here, and how strange it is that the subject matter (if only indirectly) is me .... yes ... _*I*_ am that mad woman that LaFoto captured. There I am, despeately trying to motivate, inspire, coerce, or provoke, call it whatever you like, my pupils into some kind of reaction that we can then transpose into movement.... Well, that's my excuse anyway, and I'm sticking to it!!!
> 
> Corinna has been working with us for a few weeks now and it has been wonderful! I deeply admire her powers of observation, her attention to detail, her talent to make the best out of a less than ideal situation (for photographers anyway) and her ability to ingore the constant din in the studio (musical repetitions,LOTS of chatty students ) and most of all, my mad choreographic ramblings! I admire her wonderful good nature and cheerfulness. It is infectious!
> 
> ...


Welcome to TPF, Fiona!  

I must say....in viewing all the various versions of this image, that I don't think you look like a madwoman at all....more like a very enthusiastic and dedicated teacher of dance. Which is always wonderful to see! 

I hope you visit us often! (You will see that we view Corinna the same way you do.)


----------



## Big Mike (May 25, 2007)

Hello and welcome aboard


----------



## flofrog (May 28, 2007)

Hello to all!

Many thanks for the warm welcome. 

I have been "lurking" in the background here for a while and I am constantly impressed by the diversity of talent I see here. The healthy amount of constructive critique and support appears to be well accepted. Wonderful!

@terri.Thank you!  I try my best and truely believe that setting an example is the best way to "reach" my pupils. However, the pic that LaFoto posted here may be the exception to the rule! (Only joking!) IMO, the "fun" element in class should never be forgotten ... and being British in Germany, my humour sometimes causes shaking of heads. But laughing together is the best ice breaker! And dancing together even more so .... 

Although I am not even a hobby photographer, I really enjoy coming here. There are lots of things to learn and I am definately looking at photography from a different viewpoint these days. 

Keep up the good works guys!!!!

Best wishes,

Fiona.


----------



## Tyson (Jun 3, 2007)

This is nice, I break the rules of photography all the time. In fact I have a book by Bryan Peterson, he talks about going beyond the rules to capture images like this. I say great job, keep it up.


----------



## LaFoto (Jun 4, 2007)

Thanks Tyson, here - in addition to my thread on Fiona's funny photo - the poster she made out of a selection of my pics taken during the rehearsals (I might post some more of those soon, too, if you are interested?), so I should point out that while all the photos showing are mine, the design of the poster plus the conversion into b&w is hers (*flofrog's*)!!!!

The poster (to be displayed in shop windows and so on to inform people on the show and invite them to come):







The design for the tickets for the 6.30 p.m and for the 8 p.m. performance:


----------



## shoots (Jun 12, 2007)

That is a fun shot, Corinna. I think I like the color one better, though.

As for the ones Fiona picked, I epecially like the compostion of the one with the girls who look like they are doing push-ups. 

How exciting for you! Can't wait to see more.


----------



## LaFoto (Jun 13, 2007)

Heya SHEILA!
Thanks for coming and looking! 

Interestingly enough, the one that looks like the girls are doing push-ups (they were to express "grasshopper" in that particular instance of the dance, or at least THINK "grasshopper" to visualise this particular figure) was one of the first to appeal to Fiona herself quite much, too. Must be the shallow DOF, maybe?

The reason why my name is mentioned in connection with "Fotografien" on the poster and the tickets is not that I took the photos during the rehearsals but more so because the "stage" background will be a large screen (6m x 4.5m) onto which - going with the interpretation and choreography of the music "Carmina Burana" by Carl Orff (of which ALL OF YOU know the "O fortuna"-theme, I am SURE!) - a selection of my nature photography will be projected. I find that very exciting!


----------



## ClarkKent (Jun 13, 2007)

That made for a good smile for me.  Thanx


----------



## Moni (Jun 13, 2007)

Hey...Cori....this one is pretty good in such context!
The pose and the tone is great!

And...I think I like BnW more than the Color one!


----------



## hamburger (Jun 16, 2007)

Hey, those posters and pics really tempt me to "see" Carmina Burana for the first time (having sung and listened to it quite a bit in my lifetime...)!

Not to mention seeing "that tongue" for real, maybe?

Great pics, photographer Corinna... ! :-D


----------



## LaFoto (Jun 17, 2007)

I can organise you tickets for the 8 o'clock performance, maybe? Shall I?


----------



## tpe (Jun 17, 2007)

I think you have made a good team, she has done very well with the last two. The first one is too busy to be a poster as you have to be able to understand it our of the corner of your eye in an instant for it to serve its purpose. 

It seems like you have both done very well, now if you could just come and design the cover art for our latest game here at work all would be well with the world .

tim


----------



## LaFoto (Jul 12, 2007)

Ah, just an update:

This photo sold *19 times* to those who want prints from the dance rehearsal photo series, and again *8 more times* to those who ordered websized pics on CD from me.

No other photo has been ordered as often.

Somehow I knew this would happen... and I wonder, why :scratch: 

(Further update in brackets: getting 810 prints reordered via e-mail order is an _awful _lot of work! Boy! :roll: )


----------



## shoots (Jul 25, 2007)

That's awesome, Corinna.  Goody for you.   

Thanks for the welcome back.  I'm hoping to stay around this time.


----------

