CABARET – "…and the orchestra is beautiful!"
I finally managed to get the entire “orchestra” together for the band shot. Immediately after the curtain closed, on the final performance, I jumped in. Had to – you’ve never seen people scatter to the winds as fast as a herd of musicians after a performance....
CABARET – Cast Photo and a Hail Mary shot from the Pre-Show…
The primary purpose here is to post the Cast Portrait. This is definitely a different production, it is just before the second performance and everyone is in the “mood”. The shot includes full cast, along with the dancers from the pre-show – the Band photo...
"We are Rogue Swan Theatre Company" official limited edition Zine…
“We are Rogue Swan Theatre Company” is on sale now. Nan and I put our hearts into this – It is a collection of "character-revealing” images of the 23 core members of the troupe. From the Zine (cover “normal” portraits extend to the back):
These performance...
CABARET – "Come to the Cabaret…"
Last images before show time – there is a dress rehearsal tonight and the show opens Friday. It is amazing. I still have to show up for things like the cast & orchestra photo before the performance – they always do a straight one, I guess because they are...
CABARET – Stage Prep Begins…
This first shot is a b&w version of a color image Rogue will use somewhere, I’m not sure yet. Set isn’t quite finished (no rails, etc.). In the next shot the Emcee tries out the old fashioned mic he will be using at times…
Jeremy sets up with his...
CABARET – Some last fun rehearsal moments before stage prep…
Most of my shooting as the troupe works on the stage, so far, involves working out a system to manage lighting, exposure, etc. Every show is different and here I’m going to need a whole new work flow – arrrrgh! The opening shot shows Marion as Sally Bowles...
CABARET – Shot of most of cast making a promo video…
Not done with this set of images yet. but a quick early post. This was the final shot, the cast gathering together, at the end of the last off-stage rehearsal (Minus Katie Gordon, playing Frau Schneider, who was directing the group here, making a promoation...
CABARET – We also Smile…
I’m separating exposures from this collection into categories. These are a few of the more “up” moments in the production. This and the next couple of postings are the last from rehearsal venues. Hell week (actual stage work) has begun. In the opening image...
CABARET – We got ATTITUDE…
I got a number of shts from back-to-back rehearsals, so the results are mixed here. These sort of go together – attitude images. The musical numbers do get a little active at times. I’ll see what else I can mine for this folder while, tomorrow, we begin...
CABARET – Definitely getting there…
Just a couple of straggler images from August rehearsals while I shoot the last two rehearsals in Concord Point Coffee. Then Sunday will begin on-stage itself work, with Dress rehearsals later in the week and the first show on Friday. In the opening shot...
CABARET – Whoopee, your Emcee and Texas says "Don't Tell Mama"…
The Emcee and Sally Bowles rehearse a celebratory moment. I thought I was through with August rehearsal shots, but they’ve kept me busy with band head-shots for the program, etc. Not sure about posting those since the majority are actually using past program...
We acquire a b&w watercolor…
Every once in a while I like to show here a work of art we’ve acquired. Nan and I don’t simply hang our own work – we apperciate art and have an extensive collection of pieces from area artists, going back many decades. We stumbled on this little piece at,...
CABARET – It's getting intense…
The last of August rehearsal images. Scripts are gone, though there is an occasional yell for “line”. Props and aspects of costumes are beginning to appear, being tried out. And I’m managing to get a sense of the timing I will need. First two images are...
CABARET – Zooming in a little…
As Rogue begins the final two week rush to performance, I’m mining the end of August rehearsals for gems. Here are a couple where I zoomed in for partial views. The faces really come to life. Things will get quite hectic now – I’m playing with a couple of...
CABARET – Attitude x 3
Three grab shots of definitely projected attitude from three of the “ladies” of Cabaret. This was the final rehearsal in August – first performance is just a couple of weeks away. First is Frenchie, played very seriously by Lisa. Just betting her husband...
CABARET – "Don't Tell Mama!"
The first shot here is from one of the more fun numbers in the show – “Don’t Tell Mama!". Can’t wait to catch it in full costume and on stage. The rest here are just more group shots – the trickiest things to catch in a very small rehearsal space. It does...
CABARET – Yes, faces have to reflect the moment…
I put these four together for a reason, the faces. I actually have no idea whether these are the final, show faces for their moments – but that’s where they are at this stage. The show is running in (loose) order in rehearsals now and the players are able...
CABARET – Almost ready for the big stage…
Well, close to almost. The troupe will be relieved to have the stage the days prior to actual performance, where they can run the show without tripping over one another and bumping into walls. Intro shot here was my final of the rehearsal session. This is...
CABARET – "Life is a cabaret…"
Three exposures of Moxie singing “Life is a cabaret…”. In order, as the number progresses, zooming in slightly. The number is in Act II, and Sally Bowles has made her decision. I have some more shotsready from this session, but I’m awaiting approval for...
CABARET – Fun exposures of the Emcee…
The Emcee in this show – is actually in the show. Here are a couple of exposures with James interacting. I think I’m becomming familiar enough with everything to anticipate coming exposure opportunities – that’s the trick, getting the shooting down to almost...
CABARET – The Cast (5) …
Finally the last of these, certainly not the least. The intro shot is of Jesse, who plays Clifford Bradshaw – the young American author who’s memories are reflected in Cabaret. Then Jess, pllaying a not quite so ladylike Lulu / and Brian, who for once is...
CABARET – The Cast (4) …
The intro shot here is Caleb – playing Hans (not the pleasantist of characters). Below are two who joined Rogue Swan for playing Bobby and have returned for Cabaret. Lisa Geiger playing a perpetually smokimg Frenchie and Callum Howard (huh, he was Ethan...
CABARET – The Cast (3) …
The first entry here is new to Rogue Swan – Connor Hartland plays the part of Victor. I had time for two quick shots. They come dressed for rehearsal – you can see in the shots – and bring tops for a quick sit for head shots. It’s actually quite hectic....
CABARET – The Cast (2) …
Four of the “ladies”. Actually these four all opted to use their head=shot from the previous show – making it quick and easy for me. I’m busy working up the rest, along with more of the gentlemen. Opening with April Burril (the troupe’s resident bellydancer)...
CABARET – The Cast (1) …
Rogue’s primary need from me at this point is head-shots for the program – those little one-inch things. Hardly an inspiring assignment. So I take the opportunity to try actual portraits. The issue there is that they have to be taken mid-rehearsal. I am...
CABARET – "not very ladylike" …
Well, Pride and Prejudice it ain’t – it’s CABARET. This is the last batch of rehearsal images before I begin the cast portraits. Rogue uses them primarily for the program, tiny as all heck. But I like to work them up for posting – the only crack I get at...
CABARET – Beginning to be able to line up show-shots…
At first I thought this intro shot was a loss, lined up wrong. But the more I looked at it, the more I really like it. Bre, with James here, is the understudy for the ladies of Cabaret. If anything happens to keep any one of them out of the show, Bre has...
CABARET – Learning a new scene…
Back to Concord Point Coffee (after hours). Light is at least a little brighter here. Again, it’s always interesting watching a new scene start with script reading and progress slowly, if faster than it would if I had to learn it. Within a couple of hours,...
CABARET – Keeping a straight face and dance steps…
Or not. Sometimes it’s difficult. The first couple of images here show the results. Then some more serious dance step practice. I finish up with a single that I liked of Jess simply walking across the floor. For some reason she was stuck wearing a dress...
CABARET – Three faces of LH James…
I have a feeling that at the end of this show, i could put together a 28 page zine of James’ faces just from this performance of Cabaret. Notice the background – Concord Point coffee is generous in offering the use of their second room space for one or two...
CABARET – POW, first of two postings spotlighting facial expressions…
One of the up-close and fun part of shooting rehearsals is watching work on stage facial expressions. They have to be visible from the audience. The intro shot here was the second try at a thrown punch – these guys are good, they really know how to project....
Speakeasy – Rosie Jack and the Bangtails at McGregors 2…
A little bit of a mongo post – I try to trim down the number of shots used as much as possible. But here the lighting was so, if bad, similar across the images that pretty much the same workflow held, making it a little easier to work up more. It’s almost...
Speakeasy – Rosie Jack and the Bangtails at McGregors…
Well, you can imagine how dark this actually was. I call this a low-to-no light shoot. But it was fun – always different too. This should be the first half of the images (the smaller half), Trying to get to the rest. The intro shot came near the end, but...
CABARET – "Ladies" of……
It can be tricky adding in close-up individual shots during fast moving rehearsals. And, of course, all but Melissa are succeeding in maintaining the required serious expressions during this number (she’ll get there). Looking back on images leading up to...
CABARET – SH!
Rehearsals are getting to the point where there are caught-moments that the troupe wonj’t want shown before the opening. Even though so many people are familiar with CABARET, there are always uniquenesses (if there is such a word) in every production to...
CABARET – Early runs of dance numbers can be fun to watch…
It’s all mostly work, trying to catch moments worth shooting. I'm rehearsing for the performance as much as the cast – the second shot here is an example on one, in a crowded dance scene, that I’ll tackle the second performance with a zoom lens, knowing...
CABARET – "Are you sure she;s gonna catch me?"…
I’m not sure yet where all this fits in with the story, but i’t my (and their) first crack at this scene. Fun to shoot and catch their initial reactions to the choreography. James and April – not yet keeping a straight face…
Last two weekends...
CABARET – Exercise in covering a scene…
Shooting rehearsal scenes is important in being able to successfully shoot an actual performance. It’s critical to have a familiarity with what movements are coming next. With one Rogue performance, Puffs, I was fresh out of the hospital, with vertually...
CABARET – Working out scenes while reading scripts…
This post combines images from two eventing sessions in Concord Point Coffee’s side room. I prefer this rehearsal venue because it offers a little more lighting. Still low, but workable. The intro shot is of Moxie (Marion Jackson) as Sally Bowles.
Amy...
CABARET – Katie and Jesse, mother and son's first crack at a scene…
I always enjoy watching the early-days awkwardness of staging scenes while keeping all eyes on the script lines. Here Jesse and his mother, Katie, are tackling a scene from early in the show.
The final shot actually came first, the pair are discussing...
CABARET – Some rehearsal close-ups…
The second rehearsal was at another venue, graciously provided by the Port Deposit Presbyterian Church. More room for rehearsing dance numbers, if the lighting is a little on the difficult side. Early stage and almost everyone was wearing expressions of...
CABARET – Rehearsals begin for Rogue Swans Cabaret in September…
September is fas approaching and Rogue Swan is in full rehearsal mode for CABARET at the Star Center in town late September. Tickets are on sale here: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/82844469/rogue-swan-theatre-company-presentscabaret-havre-de-grace-the-star-centre
I...
Rogue Swan – A Very 70s Dance Party… 2
Rough shoot. Something about the lighting left a lot of very harsh shadows across half faces – I dealt with those I could. these are the rest of the lot fro the "Very 70s Dance Party that was something of a fundraiser for the upcoming CABARET performances...
Rogue Swan – A Very 70s Dance Party… 1
Rogue Swan’s “Very 70s Dance Party” at the Vandiver in town was a tricksy shoot. Lots of motion, very little light and a shortage of shooting angle. But it was fun. I had to trust the auto-eye focus most of the time. Exposure iso ranged from 12,800 to maybe...
Rosie Jack and the Bangtails at Tytings Park-2…
These are the rest of the images that I did manage to get, and work up. It was our anniversary and we held the work level down to enjoyable level. The Bangtails are always fun, and always different – yet ever with that Rosie Jack feel to their music. Plus,...
Rosie Jack and the Bangtails at Tytings Park…
The first four images from the Tyding Park performance of Rosie Jack and the Bangtails. One heck of a turnout – though we had to endure the embarrassment of having to dance by ourselves to a song dedicated to our anniversary that evening. Birthdays and anniversaries...
Rosie Jack and the Bangtails - zine
The other half of my recent experiment with what I call mini-zines. This is an 8.5 inch square, 28 page (100lb stock) collection of some of our favorite Rosie Jack exposures – gleaned from performances at McGregors and the Vandiver. There are only 21 of...
Hushdown mini-zine…
OK, it isn’t as mini as a lot of zines that photographers put out, but it is mini for me: 8.5x8.5 inches and 28 100lb pages. These are my favorite Hushdown images – most are somewhere here in past postings (non print versions) . Out of a very small printing...
First Friday is a participation event …
First Friday in Havre de Grace is a very much a crowd participation event. In this posting I’m showing four of those many attending who were joining in. The intro shot shows a very cool looking lady enjoying matching her drum beat to the rest of the circle....
First Friday in June – Kids Join the Adults in the Drum Circle 2
I really love this pair of shots – both these kids were really getting into it – in their own styles. Sometimes it’s difficult to leave watching the drum circle, but things to do and see…
Click HERE for the First Friday Folio, where images can be...
First Friday in June – Kids Join the Adults in the Drum Circle 1
The stead, rhythmic beat of many drums, provides a beating heart for First Fridays. When the kids join it, it all becomes fascinating. Those images are one of my favorite collections – along with some of grown kids. This time around I capturedred five, two...
First Friday in May – Drum Circle
A little slow on this one, so many distractions (that simply had to be addressed. We attended the first First Friday of the year, for which the weather just managed to allow. We had to leave early, but had to spend what time we had at the Drum Circle focusing...
Fun treatment of a Hushdown shot…
A few days ago I had an hour to kill while making our wheat bread – you can’t go too far from the kitchen at that point. I spent it playing around with a more graphic treatment of a standing shot of local rock group The Hushdown. They use the seated version...
How to…… make a quality Book-Zine
Why Zine, not book…
You really want a book / but printing costs are prohibitive. I've done a few through on-line printers (small volume orders) and was never all that happy with them anyway. One I had printed by a local printer who let me supervise...
Godspell
GODSPELL – performed at Holy Communion Lutheran Church, directed by Jarett Rettman, August 2025. Not actually in town, but featrued a good number of locals. A one performance event. Just a few shots from the show taken for friends… I realize I was slow getting...
Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Azyra Izel
Finishing with a little bit of a punch. Azyra performed in one of the first Haflas, in the Opera House Black-Box room. Boy was that a crowded setup. She’s back and hasn’t lost her way with the camera. Admittedly I was a little uncomfortable with the theme...
Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – April Monique
I held off working on April Monique’s set of images until late in the postings for a couple of reasons – April manages the shows and is always anxious to see everyone who performs to get their pictures posted, and I like to approach the end with shots of...
Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Rainbow Body Arts & Kaimeria
Getting near the end, just two more postings after this. These were a little tougher in that I had to fight worse shadows than on most for some reason. Best is simply to diminish them as much as possible – elimimation causing more issues than it solves....
Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Blue Lapis and Silk & Rachel Martin
Just a reminder, all of these go into the Folio for the show, linked below. There they are a little larger and easier to download. Also, anyone portrayed can always have a full size file simply by sending a request – Ill send a link to the file. The opening...
Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Zora and Jacqui
Zora was interesting in that she’s the first Hafla performer that I’ve seen sing her own musical accompaniment. Kinda cool, if a little rough on me. She wore one of those old, almost as large as a baseball, black mics. Getting rid of that thing, on all three...
Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Lena Mae and Bellina
One thing I have to admit about shooting a Hafla at the new rejuvenated State Theatre is that thank goodness it’s not the Star Centre. The State doesn’t have all those lights and feedback speakers across the front of the stage – blocking feet and forcing...
Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Kimala Nar
I love the intro shot of Kimala here – her expression is wonderful. On one hand, while I’m shooting I really can’t pay much attention to the flow of the performance, but in my exposures I get to see what the eye can easily miss. My one constant worry is...
Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Lorelei
Lorelei’s performance was quite active, lots of opportunity to catch slight edge-blur movement that I like so much. She made me decide to do something about the whole heavy lens hand held thing, expecially with verticals. When zoomed close enough there is...
Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Moonshine Troupe
Short, second posting today. Just one shot of April Monique’s Moonshine Troupe, her bellydance students. When one has a shot this good, this much fun, you don’t bother with more. It says it all. They all flowed together at the end for a well choreographed...
Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Kalayla
Kalayla is another one of the regulars. However this show was a little more frustrating to shoot – she performed the first half of her set facing away from the front of the stage. Then, when she turned around, I had time to grab one transition shot before...
Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Naimah
The Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla was held at the renovated State Theatre this year – and attracted a pretty good crowd. That was even though it was fast approaching 8 degrees Fahrenheit outside. I’ve given the color jpegs over on Flickr to the dancers. Bellydance...
Something Wicked – Rogue Swan Theatre Co 2025 pdf eBook…
This is the free pdf eBook version, includes all my favorite shots from the performance. Since this is a pretty large collection, even the optimized file is pretty large – so I am posting the file in two sizes. The main one is labeled (Med) and is about...
Something Wicked - Rogue Swan Theatre Co 2025 video…
The Something Wicked - Rogue Swan Theatre Co. 2025 video is on YouTube. You can access it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL3iZG9TGHU or from the Rogue Swan page on this site. Temporarily I will keep it on the home page. The pdf eBook will be up shortly....
Scottish Pub Night with Rogue Swan – at the Vandiver: annual Bonnie Knees contest and more performance shots…
Finishing this up in order to get to posting the October Vaudeville pdf eBook and video slide show – next. OK, the annual Havre de Grace Bonnie Knees competition is more of a Knobby Knees show, but it’s fun. The winner of this one was Kirk, the felow on...
Scottish Pub Night with Rogue Swan – at the Vandiver: a few singles…
These individual close-ups are a fun challenge. But they do sport possibly over-smoothing of faces due to the process of bringing in details and structure when shooting in low to no light at 1/250 of a second. The intro shot shows Amy on violin. She sings...
Scottish Pub Night with Rogue Swan – at the Vandiver
Rogue Swan at the Vandiver pretty much always sells out. It was a fun evening, complete with the local Bonnie Knees competition (those pictures come later). Since this show featured a new, young member on drums – Gabriel Fazzino – I decided to start with...
Rosie Jack and the Bangtails – Christmas at the Vandiver III
Rosie Jack is a sepearat entity, but made up of Rogue Swan members. We try to attend most of their performances, partly because they are fun and there is an opportunity to dance with my sweetie. Not all that much opportunity for pictures, but it IS just...
Rosie Jack and the Bangtails – Christmas at the Vandiver II
Well, this was going to be just two postings but has turned into three. I need to include a few cool shots of Rogue connected people in the audience – I’m tagging those on at or near the end of the postings. Most this time are a little brighter, barely....
Rosie Jack and the Bangtails – Christmas at the Vandiver I
The Vandiver has the advantage of being, for the audience, a great place for these shows. Plenty of room for dancing and good food. It also has the disadvantage of being a very awkward venue for getting shots of the the Bangtails. What light there is is...
"Something Wicked – am umexpected image / Dand and the Spell Book…
Slow slogging putting the book together – the best Vaudeville yet, both to experience and for the pictures. While working on Jabberwokie I was reviewing the exposures and couldn’t figure out how I missed this one – right at the intro for the number, Dane...
