Rosie Jack and the Bangtails – the final four
Eight humdred exposures netted six usable images – ab I actually like half of them. Actually not a bad result for b&w. Not to mention the excess labor involved from shooting in the very, very low light of a speakeasy. My head is a little bruised from beating...
Rosie Jack, James and Jesse – The Bangtails at MacGregor's
I have to slow down a little on these, a lot to catch up on and a book to work up. But if I try to stick to one image at a time, I can probably handlle the multitasking. Besides, I feel like I’m cruising again – the 500 chess.com puzzle rating points I lost...
The Gordon Brothers / Base and Drums / Rosie Jack and the Bangtails
The Gordon brothers, Nate and Caleb, play base and drums for Rosie Jack and the Bangtails. Nan and I attended their Speakeasy at MacGregors the other evening – everyone was dressed up for the occasion. But, true to the atmosphere, lighting was so dimmed...
Come Alive – I was convinced I didn't catch the moment…
In a, what seemed futile, effort to catch everyone at once coming alive, I held the shutter down at five frames a second. Only now did I bother to go through them – this shot was the result. It even catches James’s eye behind Bre on the far right end, Melissa’s...
Wicked Little Town / Phantom of the Opera / Love You to Pieces
Onekey moment from each of "Wicked Little Town”, "Phantom of the Opera” and Jimmyo Buril's "Love You to Pieces” from Silver Scream (there are a couple of numbers written for Silver Scream that should be used more often our there). Approaching the end quarter...
"No One Lives Forever" – shooting the dark
The lighting was quite effective in the live performance of "No One Lives Forever" – but the camera is not the human eye/brain combination. Darkened stage, deep blue lighting, precious. The intro image was, again, far back in the right hand corner – a little...
The Rogue Ladies of "Mein Herr"…
The first goal in any shoot, in the back of the mind of any b&w photographer, is to end up woth one or two worthy images, additions to his exhibition collection. I believe I’ve got a couple from the this 10th Anniversary Vaudeville performance, the fastest...
Our Favorite Number – "Mariner's Revenge"
Rogue’s “Mariner’s Revenge” was phenomenal to watch, not so much to try to get shots of. I can’t count how many times Alex was chased across the stage and back, not to mention Bre’s stage ramblings. Then April, with her triangle, would appear and disappear....
Rogue does Fosse…
Katie loves Fosse, and succeeds in drawing Nate into it every time. Intro shot here is from “Me and My Baby” – it morphed very quicly into “Hot Honey Rag” for the two images below…
Working on a couple of shots from everyone’s favorite Rogue number, “Mariner's...
Tap Dancing to "Bottom of the River"
Boy, catching tap dancing without them looking like they are standing still is tricky. I got to watch the show evolve, including being there to see Melissa become pretty darn good at it – Dane was already proficient. This was just one facet of a stage full...
"Howl" and Jasper on Drums
Moxie (Marion) sang “Howl” from way back in the dark far right corner. She did have a bright lignt on her through – awfully bright. Over two nights I gave it maybe three dozen shots º trimming that down to a handful or color jpegs. Zeroing in on the b&w...
"Bitch of Living" images to add to Bre's jump close-up…
As I was getting started on these I posted a close-up of Bre taking flight. Part of that is caught here in wide view. The Star Center is a big stage – a full view is a long thin shot. Two views of the rather intense performance of “Bitch of Living” are here...
April's Veil Dance to Violin and Drum…
I have two shots from the 10th Anniversary Vaudeville to add here to my collection of April Monique bellydance images. One more bring added as I was organizing exposures earlier.
For this performance, April switched very late to a veil dance instead...
Tara Vin – Mama Who Bore Me
Tara Vin, who has taken her theatrical efforts to New York, came back to rejoin Rogue Swan for their 10th Anniversary Vaudeville. This is the young lady that wowed us by singing stirring versions of both Strange Fruit and Suddenly Seymore in the same performance....
Chandelier – Lilli takes to the air…
Lilli did this twice in this performance, cool. With the ring turning it was a little tricky getting a shot. The intro image did have to be manipulated a tad, adding a little to the top so that the chain would show, relatively minor. I wish I could show...
Welcome to Mystery 2
Now that I’ve set up a sequence of files to work on from Rogue Swans 10th Anniversary Vaudeville – Decayed – I can go back an pick up someof the opening number images. The opening shot shows Katie entering to “Welcome to Mystery”. Rogue does like opening...
Welcome to Mystery…
Rogue Swan has a tradition, in their vaudeville productions, of opening the show with “Welcome to Mystery”. This is accompanied by a sort of organized chaos of players interracting and doing “stuff”. Not much there for my short zoom, but I like to grab a...
Hey Big Spender…
The first big number of Rogue Swan’s “Decayed” vaudeville, after the opening, was seven ladies performing “Big Spender”, a somewhat naughty ditty. Here are two shots from that number, eked quite painfully from pure red lighting. The intro is the group addressing...
Rogue's "Major Men" – Coney Island
Well, this group changes so much – maybe this will be it. For one performance they even had to change their name to The Three Quarters. They sounded good though. My one observation is that in the “other” River City, they are always, persistently, around...
Rogue Vaudeville Cast/band portrait – Which one tells the truth?
Every major performance needs its cast portrait – and every Rogue performance needs one where they are all just being themselves. That’s where one can get some idea of what each one of them is like, both on stage and in real life. The color version is out...
Bre Soars with Dance in the Graveyard and Does a Great Chair Leap
I have my liiiiisst of needed images from Lilli. The two today I had already begun working on – Bre singing Dance in the Graveyard, and then in Bitch of Living outdoing everyone with her chair leap – I have the whole thing in three stages as she came down....
Focusing in on the Woodwinds – Jake and Amy
Haven’t done many of the actual show images yet from Rogue Swan’s actual show nights – but I did work this one up because I was so happy to get it. They’re usually in the dark on the right when playing. Maybe by tomorrow I’ll be recovered enough from exhaustion...
The Ladies Will Be Out Tonight…
Just a quick pre-show posting – tonight is pay what you want night, so come one, come all. It will be a great one. Eight at the Star Center here in Havre de Grace. Just had time for two today, too tired and too busy. And of course, both were bears to remove...
Mermaid and Puppet Girl…
Just three more of Lilli’s picks from Monday’s rehearsal. One of the trickiest parts of shooting a Rogue performance is catching little extras happening on the edge of the stage, often at the same time as in the center. Here the mermaid, Emily, sits in her...
OK Lilli, Remember that Solid Red-lit Exposure…… magic
Every once in a (long) while I feel like a magician. The exposure for the intro file here was solid red – stage is red-lit for the number, Hey Big Spender, and this was at the darkest point. Forty rough minutes later, working from seemingly nothing, I emerged...
A Number Worth Double Admission – shots from the first stage run-thru
One of my two favorite numbers from this show is Mariner’s Revenge. Even better than last time and that was great. The intro shot is from that number – so cool. All of these are from the first on-stage run through. Everyone is in street clothes, and things...
More Rogue Rehearsal Faces
Three more of the faces of rogue rehearsals. When the action is that fast, and the lighting that bad, one never has those moments of just knowing that the last shot was the one. The best one can do is hope. Even if you have time to check the exposure to...
Katie being Katie, Amy sings like an Opera Singer and Melissa takes a Break?…
This was the last of the major off-stage rehearsals – what a crowd in such a small space. I’m sort of the fly on the wall – most of the time nobody is conscious of my aiming a camera at them. This is actually my favorite way to work – I might as well be...
The Rest of the Rogue Cast/Band Portraits
This will make seventeen out of the nineteen or twenty this time around. I know of at least two who want to use last year’s for the program. Oh well. All vertical so I can crowd them a little here – they’ll be able to be accessed, and downloaded, full size...
"Hey, there's a shot…" (from Nan) – and the rest of First Friday
That’s how the intro shot here, and the one following, came about. The young lady stood out First Friday – and was gracious enough to respond to the camera with a smile. Turns out her and her husband, in the second shot here, operate Bay Breeze on Franklin...
Playing Catch-up – More fun with rehearsal faces…
All but one of these were selected for b&w by Lilli. The first two I had already started – Bre being Bre at her best, belting one out while standing on a chair! These are followed by James (thinking/contemplating/confused?) and Jess at a point in a series...
More Cast/Band Portriaits…
OK, I know these will be reduced to low resolution cropped circles for the program, but the troupe has them if they ever need or want to use them. The intro shot is Nate, Katie’s husband. He plays base and guitar in the band and is also part of the cast....
Two Fine Ladies and a Tophatted Gentleman
Three more cast/band portraits. The intro portrait here is Katie – “leater of the pack. vroom, vroom, vroom”. I’m counting on her to muscle the rest to sit for their pictures. The lady has pipes! The second shot below is Bre, another young lady with a phenomenal...
Three of the Very Fine Ladies of Rogue Swan – More cast portraits…
Nan laughs at me for this and says to not get the big head. Most of the cast sits, I fire off a test shot, look at it and throw up my hands – got it, no real need to try more. Often they will strike another pose on their own, telling me to choose one – at...
Some Fun with Rogue Rehearsal Faces
Stage rehearsals make for some interesting facial expressions up close up – add to that reaction to slip-ups, I sometimes catch some good ones – most of which I could never post for frar of one of the ladies setting out to hurt me. I’m probably tking a little...
First Friday in June – #1, Rogue Swan cast hand out show flyers, in full dress…
I did get a couple of interesting shots from June’s first Friday, but only time to do one up today. Check out Rogue Swan cast members taking a break from handing out mini-flyers announcing their 10th Anniversary Vaudeville show at the Star Center June 28...
Moxie, Katie and Emily – and a rehearsal moment
With Moxie being front and center in Mein Herr, she has to be constantly workin the hat and chair – lots of moments there. It’s difficult to catch Katie other than either very seriously concentrating or during an extreme, lighthearted moment – rarely in...
Wild Roses at Ladew Gardens
We went up to Ladew Gardens for the first time Tuesday. We’ve been, over the years, to Longwood a few times and noted a number of differences. Can’t wait to get therde closer to Fall flowers time. Lots of places to simply park oneself and read, or enjoy...
Rogue Cast & Band Portraits #2 – The Guitar Player and the Sirens
I have just three more for today, leaving a heavy load for next week. Intro shot is Jess Langley – she sat down / I fired off one shot / I looked at it and threw up my hands – I wasn’t going to beat that. Both Jess and April Monique, below, have something...
Rogue's 10th Anniversary Cast and Band – 1
This will have to come in parts – due both to the workload on my part and procrastination on the part of dome members of the troupe. Here’s the first three cast portraits: the intro shot above is Will Conway – violinist with a mischievist nature who can...
Two Sides of James – One of each Moxie and Dane
Finishing up the last Rogue Rehearsal with three singles that Lilli picked out – and a second one of LH James that I used for the intro pricture here. A completely different side of him. In the second one, below, he manages to look good even when caught...
How is dance like football?
Check out the blackboard on the right/back of this image. Katie, choriographer and coach, makes diagrams that only the team can comprehend. Then, below, a moment when the cast on the floor were breaking up over something in the script.
Below, Katie...
The Usual Suspects – "Deny Everything"
Just one image this posting – but one I enjoyed. The instant I took the exposure, I knew just what I wanted to do with it. Unfortunately it was taken in the old music room at the Star Center, an extreme amount of clean-up work to do on the file. Please,...
Just Three Guitars…
I braved the “Garage” again, this time just three guitars were playing. Almost the first thing I noticed through the camera viewer was the lady haunting Josh’s instrument, so I zoomed in on it. Turned out better than I expected. I guess this earns Josh first...
It's Darker on the Inside – The "Garage"
Entry shot is the door to the Rogue garage band rehearsal haven – makes you wonder which level of hades you are daring to enter. In spite of the judiciously placed lighting, it can be even “darker” on the inside. This shoot I concentrated on the guitarists...
More from Hanging Around Rogue Rehearsals
At this point big dance numbers like this are not only rough, they are usually missing one of two cast members. But it’s still fun to watch. Next a closeup of Jess Langley taking one of the hesitation-pose moments in Mein Herr, definitely a big number, wow....
Rehearsal Faces – Not Always Show Faces
Lots of rehearsing at this point – these are the first five from Thursday night. A lot of early stage instrucgtion going on – so I concentrated on faces. The opening shot is my image of “How a Violinist Reads a Musical Score”. Will worked his virtual wand...
Venue Nightmare and Tara's Back…
The music room at the old High School, now the Star Center, has been turned into a construction workshop. This last rehearsal was held there – with walls, floor and chalkboard reflecting very much that it is now a workshop – paint splatters, smudges, etc....
Choriographing Organized Chaos…
Sond and dance scenes where each participant moves completely differently, coming together for synced moves at some points, seems like organized chaos until they all start getting their various roles down. The intro shot is the first run-through’s synced...
Quick Grabs of Rogue Band at the Garage…
I poked my lens in the doorway a few times – rejoicing that my camera was back in operation. As far as me, almost there. I see the doc on the 13th when he’ll probably give me a heart monitor for a week or so to make sure I’m back to abnormal. Hopefully off...
Fun shots from May 4 Rogue rehearsal…
Early rehearsals are a lot of hard work for the troupe – as well as for me trying to get used to the flow of the numbers while shooting for something interesting. Things move so fast that, shooting a show, I have to be able to anticipate almost every move....
A couple of First Friday shots – and a weird camera issue solved…
First the camera issue. About a week ago Fuji put out a Firmware update – I like these because they always add something (sometimes including a menu alteration, arrrrgh). This time around it was a step up in focus tracking, cool. But then my focusing went...
Do I have to hold my arms like this? – Rogue Rehearsal
This was a very crowded rehearsal, on a floor a little too small. Hard to fire off a shot. Very early run-throughs are fun to watch, as timing starts far enough off to be hilarious as everyone tries to catch on to the moves. The opening shot is of James...
Rehearsals are hard work – and FUN
I did up half of these, a more appropriate number for this one, before Lilli sent me a request for the other half, arrrrrgh. Anyway, this is way more than the one or two that I originally intended. But it was a fun early session, and it showed it. Here’s...
"Reefer Madness"
The opening shot here is my favorite from the State theater’s production of Reefer Madness – the focus was a little soft, but I still love the shot. When I get to shoot something other than Rogue Swan, I’m not familiar enough with the show to know what’s...
It Begins – Rehearsals for Rogue Swan 10th Anniversary Fundraiser and Vaudeville
It Begins – Rehearsals for Rogue Swan 10th Anniversary Fundraiser at the end of May and Vaudeville in June – more on those later. Band, and some singing, at the “Garage” – NOT bigger on the inside. Dark, crowded and difficult. I always come away from these...
Back to Shooting but first an important re-do –'23 Rogue Swan "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
I recently reworked this version, feeling that it is better than that posted. One of those exposures in need of more work than available at the time – half a day. Now that “I’m baaaack” and working up some “Reefer Image” images, and due to begin with Rogue...
Again, Missed Work – The Addams Family
2023’s season at the Opera House included The Addams Family musical. I was fortunate enough, and temporarily stable enough, to shoot the dress rehearsal – we thought it was to die for. While I managed to get the color images to the Director, off and on electrical...
This is Havre de Grace…
Nan, my editor and chief, has decided on the image. Here’s a quick screen shot of the cover for the book i’m working on for the fall. Of the approximately 120 pages, I probably have the easier thirty done, arrrrgh. Tentative plans are to put it on Kickstarter...
I Get a Nice Shout-out on YouTube…
Now that I have my heart beat back, I can report on wwhat was happening during my down time. Strong heart / crap electrical system. It seems that in January my book The Moon has been Eaten got a shout-out from a big-time YouTube photography channel (along...
Upon Discovering a folder of left-out images from last September…
It has been a rough year with a lot of distraction – that’s my only excuse. In September I shot the local Autumn Moonshine Bellydance Hafla at the Opera House. But half the images, for the most part finished then, were never included in the Folio for that...
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