Archive of ‘Event’ category

Jo and Claro Engagement Session

Washington, DC

Jo and Claro met me in downtown DC for some engagement photos. Claro and his family have been family friends for years. By comparison, we are Hokies, Filipino, and lived most of our lives in northern Virginia. He and his fiance Jo planned to marry last summer. When they thought about a photographer for their day, I came to mind. Of course, I jumped at the chance to cover this important event for them!

National Gallery of Art East Building

Our first stop was the National Gallery of Art. Seeing that it is a space to view large art installations, it is a beautiful space for portraits! The large open space with lots of natural light makes photos very easy. In addition, your subjects can move around freely and still be in nice even light.

We started in the East Building of the museum. Given that is a modern space with clean lines, we found plenty of places for photos. With this purpose in mind, we explored all the levels of the museum to find the best spots. In between the East and West building, there is a tunnel famous for posing subjects. Above a motorized walkway a many spot lights mimicking a symmetrical field of stars. Whenever I get a chance, I will bring subjects here. I have not fallen off of the walkway yet!

Lastly, there is collection of glass pyramids on the ground level outside of the West Building. As a matter of fact, it it right above the tunnel in the above photos. Putting them in between these glass sculptures creates some awesome reflections. In reality, it is producing a Photoshop-like effect right in the camera! Although we did not have to walk a long distance, we were able to get a lot of Jo and Claro engagement photos quickly.

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

2015 Fall Freestyles Expiring

DC Area Arthur Murray Studios

The photos from last September’s 2015 Fall Freestyles expiring at the TimeLine Media proofing site. During this event, we had six professional shows on Saturday evening! Given that I make so many photos of pro-am dance couples, having professionals dancing together presents fun challenges.

2015 Arthur Murray Fall Freestyles at TimeLine Media

Arthur Murray professional showcase ©TimeLine Media
Arthur Murray professional showcase ©TimeLine Media
Arthur Murray professional showcase ©TimeLine Media

Pushing Limits

In order to capture professional dance shows, you really push the limits of the camera. Auto focus systems are frequently updated with each new camera body. In that case, I use the highest end sports cameras to track these dancers and keep them sharp in photos.

Arthur Murray professional showcase ©TimeLine Media
Arthur Murray professional showcase ©TimeLine Media
Arthur Murray professional showcase ©TimeLine Media

Despite the highest end gear, I still have more misses than usual for a dance performance. Can I blame this all on the camera? I wish! But no – I am also part of the equation. First of all, is the palpable buzz in the room when the shows are about to start. Everyone in the room is focusing their attention on the only couple out on the floor. This heightens my nerves, and puts me on edge as I want to come out with some great images from their performance.

Secondly, these are the most skilled dancers in the room wanting to display their talent and skill to the fullest. Although they may do some familiar figures, they will not look exactly the same as amateur dancers, and their movements will be full out in every instance! While these make the best photos, it does shift the timing for me somewhat, and I can be off from the peak moment.

Lastly, they can be performing figures that are not standard. Unlike the syllabus that is taught to everyone, they add some showy flourishes that are not normally seen in social dancing. These surprises keep me on my toes during shows and make this my favorite part of the weekend. I hope you enjoy all the photos!

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

2015 DC Dance Challenge photos Expiring

October Dance in DC

This coming Monday, the 2015 DC Dance Challenge photos will be removed from the TimeLine Media proofing site. Following the posting of these, we received a lot of traffic on the site. Thank you to everyone that made purchases of digital download and prints from Jennifer Bonini’s event! To see all the photos, please share the link below:

DC Dance Challenge photos at TimeLine Media

Professional Dance Shows

Manuel Trillo and Anna Belyavtseva Dance Showcase ©TimeLine Media
Manuel Trillo and Anna Belyavtseva Dance Showcase ©TimeLine Media
Rosalia Gasso and Alejandro Barrientos ©TimeLine Media
Rosalia Gasso and Alejandro Barrientos ©TimeLine Media
Argentine Tango by Rosalia Gasso and Alejandro Barrientos ©TimeLine Media
Argentine Tango by Rosalia Gasso and Alejandro Barrientos ©TimeLine Media
Manuel Trillo and Anna Belyavtseva Dance Showcase ©TimeLine Media
Manuel Trillo and Anna Belyavtseva Dance Showcase ©TimeLine Media

When it was fresh, I posted about this competition when the photos were released. Held at the impressive Ronald Reagan Building right near the power centers of Washington, DC, makes this an appropriately named competition. At the end of the 2015 DC Dance Challenge, we were treated to performances by two dynamic professional couples.

Professional Dance showcase ©TimeLine Media
Professional Dance showcase ©TimeLine Media

In addition to judging competition heats during the day, Manuel Trillo and Anna Belyavtseva put on an American-style dance collection of routines. Their sharp lines, and quick movements gave the dancers in the crowd something to aim for as they continue their dance studies.

Professional Argentine Tango show ©TimeLine Media
Professional Argentine Tango show ©TimeLine Media

Additionally Rosalia Gasso and Alejandro Barrientos performed Argentine Tango. As can be seen in their photos, their shows were a showcase of strength and speed. During their shows, Alejandro would do lifts so effortlessly. Whereas small kicks are a staple of Tango, I encourage you to find videos of these two performing. The speed at which they perform these have to be seen live!

Finally, thank you to Jennifer Bonini and the volunteers from Forever Dancing! Even though they had a lot of familiar faces at their competition, they treated everyone like a first time guest. We hope to see you next year!

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

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