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| The Israelites watch Elijah compete with the priests of Baal |
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| The prophets of Baal call to their god |
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| Singing is fun! |
More information about the performance is available here and more pictures are here.
Showing posts with label people photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label people photography. Show all posts
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Rehearsal for Elijah
On October 6 and 7 the associated choirs of St. Lantpert in Freising are performing Elijah by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Some pictures from the latest rehearsal:
More information about the performance is available here and more pictures are here.
More information about the performance is available here and more pictures are here.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
3 Musketeers online
A gallery of pictures from the performance of "3 Musketeers" in the Luitpoldhalle in Freising on October 28. and 29. Oktober are now online.
Here are some samples:
Here are some samples:
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| Milady de Winter in "Men" |
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| Athos sings "Crystal Angel" |
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| The choir can dance! |
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| All for One |
Friday, October 14, 2011
(Another) Queen Anna
Queen Anna, too, is cast twice. Like in Joseph last year, there is no first and second ensemble, but two of equal calibre (internally, they are "1" and "A"). That is too complicated for me, so I'll just introduce the queen:
The date of the performance in Freising is rapidly approaching. For some of the performances there aren't all that many tickets left. It would pay off to get some before it is too late.
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| Queen Anna in the musical '3 Musketeers'. |
Friday, September 23, 2011
Louis XIII
König Louis XIII in the musical "3 Musketeers" is a weak and easily to manipulate ruler. He does not know that his wife, Queen Anna, is having an affair. This gives the scheming cardinal an opening for an intrigue. Luckily, his loyal musketeers rush to aid him ...
If you want, you have the opportunity to see the cast and the performance live in October. Check it out!
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| König Louis XIII in the musical "3 Musketiere" |
If you want, you have the opportunity to see the cast and the performance live in October. Check it out!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Queen Anna
Queen Anna in the musical "3 Musketeers" is one of the central figure around which the intrigue the cardinal schemes revolves. The three (four, really) musketeers rush to aid their queen and are thus involved in the power struggle.
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| Queen Anna in the musical '3 Musketeers'. |
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
d'Artagnan
What would the Three Musketeers be without the young hero d'Artagnan?
In the Freising production d'Artagnan is cast twice in order to cover all six performances.
It is fascinating to watch how two actors interpret the same role differently. This a matter of "better" or "worse" but rather of personality and artistic freedom. It also makes the two cast different enough to warrant watching them both - I count myself fortunate to be in a position that allows me to do so.
In the Freising production d'Artagnan is cast twice in order to cover all six performances.
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| d'Artagnan ... | ... and d'Artagnan |
It is fascinating to watch how two actors interpret the same role differently. This a matter of "better" or "worse" but rather of personality and artistic freedom. It also makes the two cast different enough to warrant watching them both - I count myself fortunate to be in a position that allows me to do so.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Constance
At the end of October, the Musical "3 Musketeers" will be performed in Freising. One of the main roles is Constance, Queen Annas handmaiden and d'Artagnans lover.
The story of the 3 Musketeers is set in 17. century France. That is why Constance is lit with a soft, diffuse light, as if the light was falling through a diffuse window. This style (Chiaroscuro) reminds me immediately of the great painters Rembrandt and Vermeer and carries me to the past.
| Constance aus "Die 3 Musketiere" |
The story of the 3 Musketeers is set in 17. century France. That is why Constance is lit with a soft, diffuse light, as if the light was falling through a diffuse window. This style (Chiaroscuro) reminds me immediately of the great painters Rembrandt and Vermeer and carries me to the past.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Pauline with Felix and other Fair Folk
My entry for the Strobist Boot Camp (BC3) assignment #1:
When I read the assignment, Pauline Hermann was the first person that came to mind. I knew that I wanted to do a picture of her because I admire the work she does in my community.
Pauline Hermann is a native Freising artist specializing in the various fairy creatures (the Fair Folk) of the area. She initially started to create the fairies her grandfather told her stories about when she was a child. When she ran out of space, she converted a room of her grandfathers old house to fairy living space. With time, the house has filled up room by room ...
During long walks in nature, the fairies seem to find Pauline. She then offers them a home in the house so people may become re-acquainted with the enchanted fairy world and the special ways of its denizens. Pauline believes that it is important in this very rational age for children and adults alike to elope to a magic realm every once in a while in order to stay connected with the creative and imaginative powers that are inherent within all of us.
I had planned to spend an hour on the entire shoot, but I overran the time by over 100% ... My initial plan was to light the background and throw just a tight spot of light on her face. But that did not work out, I needed more separation from the background. So I set up the hairlight (which I don't usually use) and over an hour was gone by the time that looked right.
Then Pauline sat for me and we chatted and I shot away another hour. Finally, the doorbell rang and we had to stop. I can only thank Pauline for being so patient - I hope she had as good a time as I did and is just as pleased with the results!
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| Pauline with Felix and other Fair Folk |
When I read the assignment, Pauline Hermann was the first person that came to mind. I knew that I wanted to do a picture of her because I admire the work she does in my community.
Pauline Hermann is a native Freising artist specializing in the various fairy creatures (the Fair Folk) of the area. She initially started to create the fairies her grandfather told her stories about when she was a child. When she ran out of space, she converted a room of her grandfathers old house to fairy living space. With time, the house has filled up room by room ...
During long walks in nature, the fairies seem to find Pauline. She then offers them a home in the house so people may become re-acquainted with the enchanted fairy world and the special ways of its denizens. Pauline believes that it is important in this very rational age for children and adults alike to elope to a magic realm every once in a while in order to stay connected with the creative and imaginative powers that are inherent within all of us.
I had planned to spend an hour on the entire shoot, but I overran the time by over 100% ... My initial plan was to light the background and throw just a tight spot of light on her face. But that did not work out, I needed more separation from the background. So I set up the hairlight (which I don't usually use) and over an hour was gone by the time that looked right.
Then Pauline sat for me and we chatted and I shot away another hour. Finally, the doorbell rang and we had to stop. I can only thank Pauline for being so patient - I hope she had as good a time as I did and is just as pleased with the results!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Learning to Swim
My son is learning to swim and consequently I am regularly spending time at the pool. I recently took a camera along.
Stefan Schoberth of www.kinderschwimmen.de is watching a student who is quite low in the water ...
... until he reaches solid "ground".
I like how closely Stefan pays attention to the children, creating a safe environment for them to experience water on their own terms. It seems that it's not just the children who are having a great time!
A word of advice: because a lot of intense sunlight passes through the giant windows the air temperature can easily reach close to 40°C (104°F) with high humidity. Cold metal or glas immediately collects a film of condensation. On the one hand this can quickly damage the electronics, on the other hand it is not really possible to take a picture through a fogged lens.
In order to avoid this, the camera and lens should have enough time to acclimatize and reach the ambient temperature. This is best done in an airtight plastic bag. I have had good results using Ziploc bags, such as Ziploc Double Zipper Gallon Storage Bags. Pick a size suitable for your camera. If you do not get the double-zipper bag, you can use two bags, one inside the other, to ensure that the content is really kept dry.
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| Swimming Lesson |
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| Saved! |
... until he reaches solid "ground".
I like how closely Stefan pays attention to the children, creating a safe environment for them to experience water on their own terms. It seems that it's not just the children who are having a great time!
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| Swimming Instructor Stefan |
A word of advice: because a lot of intense sunlight passes through the giant windows the air temperature can easily reach close to 40°C (104°F) with high humidity. Cold metal or glas immediately collects a film of condensation. On the one hand this can quickly damage the electronics, on the other hand it is not really possible to take a picture through a fogged lens.
In order to avoid this, the camera and lens should have enough time to acclimatize and reach the ambient temperature. This is best done in an airtight plastic bag. I have had good results using Ziploc bags, such as Ziploc Double Zipper Gallon Storage Bags. Pick a size suitable for your camera. If you do not get the double-zipper bag, you can use two bags, one inside the other, to ensure that the content is really kept dry.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Freysing Larks in Concert
I was lucky to be able to attend a concert by the gospel choir Freysing Larks recently. The choir finished a weekend of musical workshops and a small concert tour with a concert at home in a packed house (well, church, actually). I was thrilled and moved by the music!
Having a seat in the front row, I couldn't resist taking a few pictures. I was fascinated by the observation that the singers not only sang the same note in any given moment, but they would often have exactly the same expression while doing so.
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| Freysing Larks in Concert |
Having a seat in the front row, I couldn't resist taking a few pictures. I was fascinated by the observation that the singers not only sang the same note in any given moment, but they would often have exactly the same expression while doing so.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Heads Up!
Here's another photo from the recent shoot with Amy, Grace, and Richard:
Grace was happily lying on her tummy when she found the carrying-on of the adults so fascinating that she raised her head all by herself for the first time to get a better look.
Given the expression on the face, it seems like she is quite ready to start crawling!
Grace was happily lying on her tummy when she found the carrying-on of the adults so fascinating that she raised her head all by herself for the first time to get a better look.
Given the expression on the face, it seems like she is quite ready to start crawling!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Family: Amy, Grace, and Richard
Recently, I had a wonderful shoot with a young family. Baby Grace is only a few months old. So it is quite important to create a stress-free and familiar environment for her. So we decided to do the shoot in their family home.
It is also much more pleasant if you do not have to travel when it is below freezing outside - I know what I am talking about! And it is very pleasant when the photographer is served tea and delicious cake during work. Thank you! :)
Baby Grace really seemed to enjoy being pampered with a blow-dryer and warm, cuddly-soft towels. I think her pleasure shows:
I was blown away by the fact that Amy and Richard took so much time for the shoot. Babies have a different rhythm from adults (or even older children) and the best pictures are created when you immerse yourself into the childs flow. So we took pictures when baby was happy and breaks when she got tired and unhappy. That way the little angel got sleep and I was able to change the "studio" for a new look.
The proverbial icing on the cake, however, was that Amy and Richard where quite open to try unusual takes. That was how we got one of my favorite photos in this session. I was unsure if I could manage to capture tenderness and protective security using hard light and deep shadows:
It was very special for me to have the opportunity to experience and capture loving and tender moments from the perspective of a welcome guest. May the three of you continue to experience so much happiness together!
It is also much more pleasant if you do not have to travel when it is below freezing outside - I know what I am talking about! And it is very pleasant when the photographer is served tea and delicious cake during work. Thank you! :)
Baby Grace really seemed to enjoy being pampered with a blow-dryer and warm, cuddly-soft towels. I think her pleasure shows:
I was blown away by the fact that Amy and Richard took so much time for the shoot. Babies have a different rhythm from adults (or even older children) and the best pictures are created when you immerse yourself into the childs flow. So we took pictures when baby was happy and breaks when she got tired and unhappy. That way the little angel got sleep and I was able to change the "studio" for a new look.
The proverbial icing on the cake, however, was that Amy and Richard where quite open to try unusual takes. That was how we got one of my favorite photos in this session. I was unsure if I could manage to capture tenderness and protective security using hard light and deep shadows:
It was very special for me to have the opportunity to experience and capture loving and tender moments from the perspective of a welcome guest. May the three of you continue to experience so much happiness together!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Rehearsal of the "Joseph"
Last weekend I had a really fun assignment shooting a rehearsal of the musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. It will be performed May 13th and 14th in Freising by a cast of almost 300 people.
What I saw was breathtaking - a stunning performance. Even though the performers are all laymen and -women, the choreographer, director, voice coaches, etc. are all pros working pro bono - and it shows.
Here are some impressions, you can find more on my Flickr! page in the Joseph set.
In case you have been looking carefully and feel confused: there are two different narrators to cover all four performances. :)
What I saw was breathtaking - a stunning performance. Even though the performers are all laymen and -women, the choreographer, director, voice coaches, etc. are all pros working pro bono - and it shows.
Here are some impressions, you can find more on my Flickr! page in the Joseph set.
In case you have been looking carefully and feel confused: there are two different narrators to cover all four performances. :)
Sunday, October 4, 2009
[Book Review] Within the Frame - The Journey of Photographic Vision
[amazon ASIN=0321605020]Within the Frame - The Journey of Photographic Vision[/amazon] by David duChemin may easily be the most unusual - and best - book on photography that I have read this year. It is unusual in that it manages to bridge the gap between books about photography as art and photography as technique, delivering both. In my opinion, that is what photography is about.
The first chapter is devoted to vision - what it is that you see and want to communicate. The second chapter focuses on what feeling, idea, or impression you may want to capture and what subjects may show this to the viewer. The third chapter on gear and technique required to get the image you want. I think that the focus not on creating technically perfect pictures but on how to turn something you want to communicate into a picture is spot-on. The author really nails it here!
The fourth chapter is about storytelling in pictures - how to tell a story in a single frame or in a photo essay, how to create interest in the viewer. This chapter is a must if you want to go from mere visual candy to a four-course meal.
The next chapters are about photographing people, places, and culture. I really enjoyed the chapter about people (I love photographing people and got a number of useful tips and ideas from the chapter), but found that my attention flagged halfway through the places chapter, and did not pick up to the end of the book. It seems to me that the essential message of the previous chapters are repeated a bit too often.
The pictures in the book are compelling and beautiful, the printing is of high quality. You can find a number of them on his website at www.pixelatedimages.com if you are interested. Despite all of the pictures having been taken in what amounts to "exotic" locations for most people from Europe or North America, I would not say that it is about travel photography. Everything in the book applies to taking pictures of your home town. Maybe even more so than when you are abroad ...
I feel great respect for the way David duChemin approaches his subjects as human beings, not just props in his pictures. I feel the same way and I became aware of a lot of things that I have done without ever thinking about them. I have also learned a few very useful things about how to approach people.
The same applied for his treatment of technical aspects: he makes things that I have been doing intuitively become conscious decisions, giving me much more control. For example, I wish that I had read what he has to say about lens choices much earlier, it has taught me the value of wide-angle lenses, which I rarely use. This will definitely improve my ability to show my vision to the world. (Interestingly, he apparently went through a similar development, starting with telephoto lenses and only gradually learning to use wide lenses.)
Finally, I learned ever so much from his approach of treating photography as storytelling. If this is - as to me - a closed book (pun intended), you will benefit greatly from [amazon ASIN=0321605020]Within the Frame[/amazon].
As I mentioned before, my attention and interest flagged towards the last two chapters. Maybe it was just too much to absorb? Maybe the chapters are simply weaker than the previous ones? I do not know. But I do know that even without the last two chapters the book is definitely required reading for anyone interested in photographing people, so it gets five stars!
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="111" caption="5 stars (out of 5)"]
[/caption]
The first chapter is devoted to vision - what it is that you see and want to communicate. The second chapter focuses on what feeling, idea, or impression you may want to capture and what subjects may show this to the viewer. The third chapter on gear and technique required to get the image you want. I think that the focus not on creating technically perfect pictures but on how to turn something you want to communicate into a picture is spot-on. The author really nails it here!
The fourth chapter is about storytelling in pictures - how to tell a story in a single frame or in a photo essay, how to create interest in the viewer. This chapter is a must if you want to go from mere visual candy to a four-course meal.
The next chapters are about photographing people, places, and culture. I really enjoyed the chapter about people (I love photographing people and got a number of useful tips and ideas from the chapter), but found that my attention flagged halfway through the places chapter, and did not pick up to the end of the book. It seems to me that the essential message of the previous chapters are repeated a bit too often.
The pictures in the book are compelling and beautiful, the printing is of high quality. You can find a number of them on his website at www.pixelatedimages.com if you are interested. Despite all of the pictures having been taken in what amounts to "exotic" locations for most people from Europe or North America, I would not say that it is about travel photography. Everything in the book applies to taking pictures of your home town. Maybe even more so than when you are abroad ...
I feel great respect for the way David duChemin approaches his subjects as human beings, not just props in his pictures. I feel the same way and I became aware of a lot of things that I have done without ever thinking about them. I have also learned a few very useful things about how to approach people.
The same applied for his treatment of technical aspects: he makes things that I have been doing intuitively become conscious decisions, giving me much more control. For example, I wish that I had read what he has to say about lens choices much earlier, it has taught me the value of wide-angle lenses, which I rarely use. This will definitely improve my ability to show my vision to the world. (Interestingly, he apparently went through a similar development, starting with telephoto lenses and only gradually learning to use wide lenses.)
Finally, I learned ever so much from his approach of treating photography as storytelling. If this is - as to me - a closed book (pun intended), you will benefit greatly from [amazon ASIN=0321605020]Within the Frame[/amazon].
As I mentioned before, my attention and interest flagged towards the last two chapters. Maybe it was just too much to absorb? Maybe the chapters are simply weaker than the previous ones? I do not know. But I do know that even without the last two chapters the book is definitely required reading for anyone interested in photographing people, so it gets five stars!
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="111" caption="5 stars (out of 5)"]
[/caption]Friday, August 7, 2009
Muscial Performance
I was invited to be the official photographer covering the performance of a childrens musical. Over 130 kids performed on stage - everything else was a huge volunteer effort by the parents. It was great fun to see how enthusiastic the kids (aged 6 to about 19) were and how much fun they were having on stage!
It was also a great learning experience, since this was the first time I have done any stage photography. Out of over 1000 exposures I got about 500 that are decent and 150 that I consider good. The main lesson here: consider depth of field. It will not do to shoot several people with an aperture of f2.8 if they are not exactly the same distance from the camera.
The second lesson is that I need to sort out the model releases before, not after, the event. Now I am identifying the performers and contacting them or their parents directly for permission to publish - it would have been much easier if we had sorted this out when the kids signed up to participate.
Here are "Wolfgang 4" (Mozart as a man) with his mother:
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Performers 'Wolfgang 4' and 'Mozarts Mother'."]
[/caption]
As I get the releases straightened out, I will post more images of the event. Subscribe the RSS feed to be notified of updates.
It was also a great learning experience, since this was the first time I have done any stage photography. Out of over 1000 exposures I got about 500 that are decent and 150 that I consider good. The main lesson here: consider depth of field. It will not do to shoot several people with an aperture of f2.8 if they are not exactly the same distance from the camera.
The second lesson is that I need to sort out the model releases before, not after, the event. Now I am identifying the performers and contacting them or their parents directly for permission to publish - it would have been much easier if we had sorted this out when the kids signed up to participate.
Here are "Wolfgang 4" (Mozart as a man) with his mother:
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Performers 'Wolfgang 4' and 'Mozarts Mother'."]
[/caption]As I get the releases straightened out, I will post more images of the event. Subscribe the RSS feed to be notified of updates.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Book Review: Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait
Michael Grecco's Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait starts of by discussing various camera systems (35 mm, medium format, and large format) and their particular characteristics.
Then a number of pictures are presented with diagrams and text describing exactly how the lighting was set up to achieve the desired result. This is extremely useful to help understand how the picture was made. Why on earth the client contact for the picture (usually art director so-and-so) is important in this context is beyond me, however ...
The remaining pictures are described without a diagram, but I had no trouble understanding the light after the previous chapter with diagrams.
I really like that Grecco not only explains the technical detail of the shot but also why he made it the way he did. Sometimes the reason is his creative vision, at other times it is a restraint that came up during the shoot (the subject objected, for example) or the image evolved in the process of shooting, often in collaboration with the subject.
Grecco's method seems to involve a truckload of equipment and a horde of assistants and specialist. This should not intimidate the reader. Most of what Grecco describes can be achieved on a much lower budget using inexpensive speedlights and some tinkering (and gaffer tape ;-) - the same principles apply as with super-expensive studio lights.
The book is strongly recommended to anyone looking to improve their lighting skills, especially when photographing people.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="111" caption="5 stars (out of 5)"] [/caption]
Then a number of pictures are presented with diagrams and text describing exactly how the lighting was set up to achieve the desired result. This is extremely useful to help understand how the picture was made. Why on earth the client contact for the picture (usually art director so-and-so) is important in this context is beyond me, however ...
The remaining pictures are described without a diagram, but I had no trouble understanding the light after the previous chapter with diagrams.
I really like that Grecco not only explains the technical detail of the shot but also why he made it the way he did. Sometimes the reason is his creative vision, at other times it is a restraint that came up during the shoot (the subject objected, for example) or the image evolved in the process of shooting, often in collaboration with the subject.
Grecco's method seems to involve a truckload of equipment and a horde of assistants and specialist. This should not intimidate the reader. Most of what Grecco describes can be achieved on a much lower budget using inexpensive speedlights and some tinkering (and gaffer tape ;-) - the same principles apply as with super-expensive studio lights.
The book is strongly recommended to anyone looking to improve their lighting skills, especially when photographing people.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="111" caption="5 stars (out of 5)"]
[/caption]Friday, December 19, 2008
Waiting for the Baby ...
A girl and a boy hugging and kissing their mothers belly in anticipation of the sibling that is inside.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Book Review: face to face
Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Photographing People is just that: a comprehensive, in-depth look at how Rick Sammon takes pictures of human beings on his travels.
Rick starts by explaining that the camera looks both ways, which means that there is always an emotional connection (or lack thereof) between the photographer and his or her subject. This connection is at least as important as the technical aspects of taking the photo, since it determines the content. I believe that it is far too common for photographers to become far too focused on the technical aspects of photography instead of the content, so I like being reminded of this simple fact.
Rick starts by explaining that the camera looks both ways, which means that there is always an emotional connection (or lack thereof) between the photographer and his or her subject. This connection is at least as important as the technical aspects of taking the photo, since it determines the content. I believe that it is far too common for photographers to become far too focused on the technical aspects of photography instead of the content, so I like being reminded of this simple fact.
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