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December 2014 archive

Ballroom Dance, Event, Photography | 0 comment

Arthur Murray 2014 Fall Showcase | Dance Photographer

This was the last of the local DC Area Arthur Murray events that we cover throughout the year. With two rooms going at the same time in the morning and afternoon, there is a lot for me and my photographers to cover! We had a great time seeing and hearing all the routines that they have been working on this year. The supportive crowds were very loud in cheering for their favorites!

Columbia Arthur Murray professional show - ©TimeLine Media
Columbia Arthur Murray professional show at the 2014 Fall Showcase – ©TimeLine Media

Tysons, Virginia

Because I had a lot of good help behind the cameras, I was able to enjoy more of the dancing. To be sure, I had lots of time looking through the viewfinder. Having done a few of these Showcases in the past, I know how much work goes into preparing these. It takes a lot of lessons to gain the muscle memory to do all of the sequence of steps. After getting that under your belt, you need to spend time coordinating it to the right song. The last weeks are spent really refining the details. Firstly, determine how you will walk on and off the floor. Secondly, how you will face the audience, and, hopefully, how you can get the camera to get your best angles!

We came away with hundreds of awesome images from the day! You can remember the months of work on these routines. I am so glad that you found your favorites in the collection.

Arthur Murray Fall Showcase Photos at TimeLine Media

Arthur Murray Fall Showcase - ©TimeLine Media
Arthur Murray 2014 Fall Showcase – ©TimeLine Media

There was an early-bird sale on the photos ordered from this event, and it will expire tonight – Monday December 8, 2014. Any purchases are automatically discounted 15% on orders placed by midnight. The photos will still be available to view on the website, but the prices will be going to their normal rates starting tomorrow. We still have a few more shoots on the schedule for this year, but I hope to post some retrospectives on another great year or photos. Please stay tuned!

Rock and Roll costume parade - ©TimeLine Media
Rock and Roll costume parade – ©TimeLine Media

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Personal, Photography, Technology | 0 comment

Interstellar Review

Photography Inspiration

I hope all of you had a nice Thanksgiving weekend! It was another nice day for family gatherings with a long weekend. It comes in handy to recover from all the eating and visiting. With the break, I took some time to see a new feature film playing in a real IMAX theater. At this time we went to the National Air and Space Museum in downtown Washington, DC. Being Black Friday, I did not expect too as many people filing into a museum.

There was a line through security, and all the exhibits had people going through them for most of the day. It was encouraging seeing as this was probably the only museum that I requested to visit as a child that was enamored with the space shuttle program, and all the technology that has come from aeronautical research. This was the perfect setting to watch the movie, Interstellar.

Space Shuttle Discovery arrives at the Air & Space Museum - ©TimeLine Media
Space Shuttle Discovery arrives at the Air & Space Museum – ©TimeLine Media

This movie is another good story told by director Christopher Nolan. For me, he creates films where I end up really pulling for characters to overcome obstacles as they strive to accomplish an almost impossible goal. Technically, Nolan has used the IMAX to his advantage in previous movies like The Dark Knight, and seeing it in a real IMAX theater can make panoramic vistas look even grander, and can make simple dialog scenes very intimate. It teaches lots of photographic lessons of framing, composition, and he uses the effect to really enhance the storytelling.

Science Fiction

The almost 3-hour movie did not seem much longer than an hour and a half. The musical score by Hans Zimmer was very celestial to go along with the space travel focus. Overall the keyboard was used throuhgout. It sounded like old pipe organs, and synthesizer pads that reminded me of scores from many 1980’s science fiction movies. The sound also had a lot space with the reverberating chords. In an IMAX theater, the volume and strong low-end tones added to the dramatic action scenes. The collaboration between Zimmer and Nolan has spanned a few films including the Dark Knight Trilogy and Inception. Again, it works well here. I am listening to the sound track again now to catch more of the subtleties. For sure it was hard to not be distracted by the visuals.

Air Force Memorial - ©TimeLine Media
Air Force Memorial – ©TimeLine Media

Without giving away the movie, I really connected with the motivation of the characters. They have ambitions to save the world, do tasks that are in the best interests of their families, and to leave the human race in a better place than they are now. It is very inspiring to see these themes told in such a big movie, then to walk out of the theater and see the actual machines that were very much a part of the recent non-fictional past can be inspiring. Hopefully many in the 3 sold-out shows that evening felt the same way!

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208