The Kaleidoscope
The meaning of life is living.
Photography offers us a window through which we can isolate the world and our positions in it. We release the shutter and freeze time, allowing us to appreciate the discreet moments that flow one into another.
When I was a boy my father gave me several glass prisms and demonstrated how they could “break” the white light we see into its rainbow components. Later, my mother gave me a kaleidoscope made of stained glass and mirrors that created a jumble of colorful designs. I loved the colorful creations these devices revealed. Standing back, I could see that what makes the whole are myriad parts, each with its own expression. I am mindful of this as I reorient my photography business toward creativity, even at the expense of profitability.
I’ve been busy making dance photos for clients, but I also am taking my cameras with me wherever I go. Some days I grab street shots. Some days I photograph friends — gratis. And some days I just look around and try to see the world with fresh eyes, leaving my camera on the table. I feel refreshed and look forward to shooting more than I did when I was constantly trying to justify my work within the confines of a business plan. Ultimately, I believe this works better for my business as well. But I have detached myself from the outcome to savor the process.
I now have time to consider the meaning of my work, and my existence here in this time and place. The story remains incomplete. The viewers of my images will fill in the details — or not. I no longer will worry about that.
I am reminded that the meaning of life is living. And no matter how many times we get distracted by the jetsam of daily living, we can always step back, look, and see.
Change of plans
Our time on this earth is short. Let freedom ring.
After meeting with my financial advisor, I have decided to scale down my photography business rather than close it this year. What does that mean? Reluctantly, I have ended my studio lease in Minneapolis. When I need a studio I’ll just rent by the hour or shoot on location and charge my clients for any related expenses. I also have eliminated my expensive, redundant online backups. I’ll just do manual backups and store the data off-site so that if disaster strikes my network-attached storage (NAS) drive — which already creates a mirror image of all my work at home — I’ll still have off-site redundancy.
So what prompted this change? The year started out strong with several clients seeking photos, ranging from portraits to marketing images to documentary style photos of group dance classes. This is the kind of work I would have continued to do in any case. Of course, I would have declared all of the income, but keeping my business open allows me to continue deducting expenses, which I have scaled back, for income tax purposes.
So there you have it. I am happy to take on any portrait and headshot assignments. I also will be doing a lot more personal work, including dance photography and street photography. I might even throw in some abstract, landscape and still life photographs. The point is, I will let creativity drive my decisions of what to photograph.
Our time on this earth is short. Let freedom ring.
Adios
Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save. –Will Rogers
As the end of the year draws to a close I took some time to reassess my photography business. After starting up in the face of COVID and pursuing the growing business through my spinal surgery a year ago, I have decided to face reality and close up shop. I have cancelled my studio lease as of January 31, 2024.
Truth be told, while I love photography more than ever, I don’t love marketing enough to make this into a viable career at my age. I have no doubt that if I had started the business at a younger age I’d be doing fine. But I am a realist. At 68, I just want to shoot what I want to shoot.
What this means for those of you who still want me to take their photos: Nothing will change. I will still be making photographs and yes, charging for them. (I will still be reporting any income to the IRS. However, I won’t be deducting expenses.) I will convert my photographic activities to a hobby. This way, I won’t have to track my expenses or try to justify my purchases. I won’t need to spend money on signage, professional services and rent. I can cut costs by canceling my expensive business backup plan (though I continue to maintain redundant backups in my home).
I am grateful to all of you for supporting me and Danzante Photography LLC and hope we will continue making photographs — and memories — together in this, my second retirement.
The photos posted with this blog entry were my last professional shoot of the year. Special thanks to Bonnie Burton and Ed Soltis for making it happen.
Giving back
No one mentioned the gorilla in the room: cancer.
The Klingbeil Family
When my friend and fellow Argentine tango dancer Shandy Potes Mangra asked me to take some family photos for clients of the nonprofit Angel Foundation, which supports adults diagnosed with cancer, I said I’d be happy to do so. Then she told me it would be unpaid, and I said regretfully that I couldn’t do it. I have to make money from my photography to keep it going, I explained. She said she understood, and thanked me.
My assistant, Susan Martin, left, with Angel Foundation Health Equity & Community Outreach Manager Shandy Potes Mangra.
When I thought about it some more, I got a visit from the spirit of my late wife, who died in 2014 from frontotemporal dementia and ALS. After she died, I vowed that going forward, if I was ever asked to do something new I’d say yes — unless I had a good reason to say no. I told Shandy I had changed my mind.
Naomi Moturi, adult and family programs manager for the Angel Foundation, scheduled the shoot for 5-8 p.m. on Sept. 21. Initially, 24 families with 111 members had signed up for the “Making Memories” photo session! I was starting to dread the assignment. As it approached, however, Moturi said the list had dwindled to 16 families and that fewer than a dozen might show up. These families are dealing with incredible stressors and illness, so that’s not unusual, she said. I was relieved.
The Pressgrove Family
My assistant, Susan Martin, helped me set up an hour ahead of schedule and we waited. No one showed for the first hour. Only five families arrived in the remaining two hours. One arrived in three cars, with 19 members, ranging from infants to adults. (They noted that several others couldn’t make it!)
The Page Family
The Schuldt family
Despite the low turnout, Susan and I got a lot out of this assignment. We met some wonderful families and shared in their circles, if only briefly. No one mentioned the gorilla in the room: cancer. They simply enjoyed one another, and it showed.
The Pezerovic family
While I cannot afford to do this kind of work for free very often, I’m glad I agreed to do it this time. So many things are worth more than money.
Reflections
“The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.” ― Omar Khayyám
Window light on plaster.
I decided to go through some old photos and take stock of what brought me to this point in my photography. I started with some abstracts, as I am reading a new book about Minor White, a former editor of Aperture magazine who was an early influence on me. His work, blending Zen thought and photography, is profound. I then moved on to a folder labeled “work”, and found many photos I had forgotten about.
These photos were photojournalism, mostly from the end of my career as a reporter for the Star Tribune newspaper. I was pleasantly surprised by the storytelling evident in these images. Most of my career was spent in what we called “hard news.” I investigated governmental malfeasance and misfeasance, and like all reporters I covered crime, disasters and a smattering of feature stories that happened to cross my beats. My favorite work centered on exposing white collar crime, and when I tell tales about my career I tend to focus on those stories. I was not the photographer for these “big stories.” We relied on staff photographers for that, for good reason.
At the close of my career I covered “Outstate” Minnesota, meaning anything outside of the Twin Cities. This involved reporting simple but somewhat interesting stories that were often little more than space fillers for our Minnesota page. This is when I got to contribute my own photos. Our full-time photojournalists were busy covering bigger stories and they didn’t have time or the inclination to travel great distances for minor stories. At the time, I didn’t think much about this work; it was perfunctory. But looking back at the images I realize what an honor it was to be let into the lives of these strangers, some under duress, yet like all of them, full of hope that this reporter/photographer from “the cities” could help them in some way. As I look through the images I wonder what became of the people who let me into their lives. I know some of them have died. Others have moved to new stages in their lives, as I have. Perhaps we will cross paths again one day. If so, I hope I have my camera with me.
Below is a gallery of some of those images. I hope you will forgive me for including some images of my colleagues, who made this work possible, at times thrilling, and always enjoyable in retrospect.
Negative space
A precondition for reading good books is not reading bad ones: for life is short. - Arthur Schopenhauer
It seems I have had nothing to say for awhile, so I hope you appreciate that I did not feel compelled to write something just to fill a blog entry. The term itself reveals its dispensable nature. Blog: A blah log. Take it or leave it, yadda yadda. Yet while nothing much has been happening to me of general interest, babies were being made and born. Great minds and bodies have gone to rest. Wars have been fought. Spectacular sporting events have taken place. Lovers have found one another, or bid one another adieu. All the while, our world spun relentlessly, edging toward its demise. I say our world because there are undoubtedly others out there in the vast reaches of the universe. We are significant, but in miniature.
Too much to contemplate? Then turn inward and start there.
We started in space and as a photographer I pay close attention to it. In the studio, I start every session by setting my camera so that no ambient light encroaches. I then add light to carve out my subject and transmit my vision.
The word photographer means a person who writes with light. The only light I want in a scene is the light I put there, or allow in. Without darkness there is no definition to light; It’s just a blob of energy. Light needs dark to reveal itself.
My photography lately has been workman-like. I made some headshots of three lawyers for a marketing brochure. I made some portraits of an amateur ballroom dancer and her professional partner. I grabbed some snapshots at Argentine tango practices and parties. And I shot some personal photos, seen here, of a friend’s expansive garden. The work was good enough but it’s not the stuff of dreams. There was no Mona Lisa in the bunch; no Monet’s garden. Nor should there have been. It was journalism. In French, Arthur Schopenhauer wrote, the term means day labor. It is the lowest form of writing. And yet, journalism has brought kings to their knees and presidents to ignominy.
Daniel Norton, a New York photographer and educator, suggests making time at the end of commercial photo sessions for some personal experiments. Many will fail. But that is the negative space against which art might emerge.
One of my tango teachers recently showed me a print that another student had given her. It was a simple black and white photo of some leaves. We stood before it for a moment and I realized that the composition is what made the image work. The light traveled along the shadows of the leaves, tracing a golden spiral. I left her home refreshed, eager to get to work.
House detail, south Minneapolis, Minnesota.
I’m back!
Go Wild! Minneapolis Dancesport sure lived up to its name.
Mishiko Bregvadze and Alena Khoroshevtseva put on impressive demonstrations at Go Wild! Minneapolis Dancesport.
It’s been a minute since I’ve written in this space. I’ve been busy, though I’d be hard pressed to say with what. Suffice to say I haven’t had much to say so I took a break.
I recently photographed a ballroom dance competition called Go Wild! Minneapolis Dancesport, and boy did the dancers live up to the name. You can see most of the results here https://danzantephotographyllc.shootproof.com/gallery/21482145 Many of my photos were sent directly to clients who pre-booked my services for exclusive coverage of their rounds, so those images are not included in the gallery behind the link.
Amateur dancer Ed Fukunaga with his pro partner Shelley Judd at Go Wild! Minneapolis Dancesport 2023.
I find this concierge service more rewarding, both financially and artistically. It allows me to concentrate on just one couple at a time on the dance floor. The ad hoc photos of various dancers, shot at random, also can be great but the exclusive service offers more personal attention. My clients seem to like it as well.
I also brought my kit to a recent Argentine tango milonga (party), which was held at a private residence in the Minneapolis suburbs. Not many homes have such a nice ballroom, with large, inlaid wood floors and an alcove for a live band. Regular readers may recall that I have launched a personal project on Argentine tango and its many facets. This milonga is one I will not soon forget.
It’s been too long since I’ve made any portraits or professional headshots. I currently have some openings in my schedule so if you’ve been thinking about it, please reach out.
I’m available for studio or location work, including family reunions and other events. Give me a buzz or drop me a line
Beach Bash
Both my dancing and my dance photography have come a long way…
In 2017 I competed as a novice “bronze” dancer in four different styles (American Smooth, International Standard, Rhythm and Latin) at the annual Ballroom Beach Bash, a DanceSport competition in San Diego. I won a number of trophies and accolades that year, not knowing at the time that part of the glory was simply because I had entered so many different dances. (The top competitor awards are skewed toward the dancers who compete the most, rather than those who place in the top spots most often.) I had entered as many dances as I could afford in 2017 because I had a number of ailments at the time and thought I might be dying. And also because I suspected that my pro partner, Nicole Piechowski, was planning to quit her job in St. Paul, Minnesota, and move to California, a suspicion that later proved to be true.
Fortunately, I overcame my health concerns and continued dancing. This year, I returned to the Beach Bash as a silver-level competitor in three styles (Smooth, Standard and Latin) with my pro-partner Grace Jungers. We did exceedingly well in individual events, but this time I did not win any overall awards because I aimed for quality rather than quantity.
Pro dancer Eric Hudson with amateur Annabel Bavaud in 2017.
During my first Beach Bash I also photographed my friends who were dancing. I was just getting into dance photography but I was reasonably happy with the results and gave the images away. My friends encouraged me to do more, launching me into what later would become my business, Danzante Photography LLC. This year, I didn’t try to photograph the pro-am events because I hadn’t arranged to do so in advance with the floor photographer, a master craftsman named Stephen Marino. He told me the professional events were fair game, however, and I gladly shot them on two nights, together with a few evening events featuring serious amateurs who are on their way to become pros.
It’s safe to say that both my dancing and my dance photography have come a long way since 2017. I am posting a gallery below of my most recent shots.
My next photography assignment will be in Sacramento, working as the official photographer for the American Judo & Jujitsu Federation’s annual convention. Please stay tuned. If you have any dance events you want photographed, or if you want portraits or professional headshots to update your brand, please let me know as I am back working again after recovering from spinal surgery. You can see my work in those categories by clicking the links above.
Let’s get personal
Argentine tango is sexy, intimate, passionate, intense.
Rob Peterson and Shauna Dodge demonstrating tango artistry.
Anyone who spends much time as a photographer will tell you it’s important to have a personal project going. It refreshes perspective and creativity and reminds you of why you love this artform. A personal project can free up your mind because you don’t have to please a client; you can just play.
I recently started a project photographing Argentine tango. I went to a few parties, called “milongas”, and made some images. Next, I asked some friends to pose for me in the studio. This is just the beginning. I plan to shoot many more dancers, both on location and in the studio, before I’m done. I expect to pursue this project through the end of the year, when I plan to go to Buenos Aires, the birthplace of Argentine tango.
The dance has a few different forms. When you ask anyone to describe Argentine tango in general they offer adjectives like sexy, intimate, passionate, intense. “Show tango” can be flamboyant, and in a way, it’s easier to photograph because the dancers often come apart and you can see both of their faces. Traditional tango, by contrast, is done in a close embrace, making it hard to get both faces in the shot. Show tango travels across the floor in sometimes dramatic fashion, with climactic dips and lifts. Whereas traditional tango travels around the edges of the dance floor in smaller, constrained moves punctuated with elegant flourishes, foot play, and embellishments.
I’m looking for models. If you can embody this dance and want to pose for me please let me know. I cannot pay you but will exchange digital images for your time and your release allowing me to publish the photos.
Intimacy
Portraiture does not seek to project an image, but to celebrate the person before us.
I recently began a personal project photographing Argentine tango, a dance style I have been seriously studying only since September. The dance is characterized by a close embrace, though there are extended forms allowing flourishes by the dancers. The dance has been called a “three-minute affair.”
What captivates me about this dance, however, is the inherent intimacy between the partners. While it certainly can be sexy at times, intimacy is more than that and doesn’t need to be sexy at all. It’s a meeting between two beings, an interaction that fosters a sense of understanding and trust. Without that intimacy the dance is just a mechanical display of technique that leaves one disappointed in the missed opportunity.
In that sense, it’s like portraiture.
When I make a portrait I am seeking that common bond between my subject and my vision of the person. To do that we need to drop our guards, if only for a moment. You can project any image of yourself that you like, but behind the chimera you create is your true self. If I do my job right the viewer of the image will get a glimpse of that and want more. Portraiture does not seek to project an image, but to celebrate the person before us. If that’s not intimacy I don’t know what is.
Come along for a ride with me as I embark on this photographic journey through Argentine tango. I expect it to take me at least through November, when I plan to travel to Argentina to explore the native roots of the dance. I will be shooting at a variety of locations in the meantime — at my studio, at milongas (dance parties) at practicas (practice gatherings), and on location. If you’re a dancer and want to participate, please reach out to me.
Of course, I am still a working photographer seeking clients for headshots, portraits and events, particularly those involving any type of dance and athletics. I am proud to announce that I will be traveling to Sacramento at the end of April as the official photographer for the American Judo & Jujitsu Federation’s annual convention.
Some final thoughts: Jean Paul Sartre explores the nature of consciousness in his book, Being and Nothingness. He contrasts the existence of an unconscious being, such as a rock, with the conscious being of a human. We humans are always trying to understand our true nature by comparing ourselves with the world around us. Essentially, we are trying to achieve that simple experience of being that we share with a rock, but which is often obscured by what Buddhists call our “monkey mind.” Buddhists seek nirvana through mindfulness and meditation. Sartre suggests that we come closest to understanding our true nature in moments of extreme pain or ecstasy, when we cast off our ego, if only for a moment.
Perhaps he’s right. But I would argue that practicing intimacy is another way to reveal our true nature.
En avant
En avant, a ballet term that means traveling forward. This 12-year-old embodies the concept.
Ana Santos, wearing her mother’s dress and wedding veil.
When Ana Santos emerged from the dressing room wearing a white tutu trimmed in gold and a matching leotard I took a deep breath. It had been awhile since I had photographed a ballerina, and I wondered if my plans would measure up. We weren’t going for any artsy invention, but rather, something clean and simple to show the grace and budding beauty of this hard working 12-year-old.
Test shot of Ana Santos.
As I was testing my lights she rose en pointe and I quickly hit the shutter. It was the first image of a two-hour session and I knew it was a keeper. Her nonchalant expression contrasted with a posture developed through years of sacrifice and hard work. She looked as though she was standing in the kitchen waiting for a snack.
I asked Ana what music she would like to hear and she chose Lizzo. We worked steadily through a variety of poses and leaps against black, gray and brick backgrounds. My assistant, Amanda Joy Redd, monitored my laptop for exposure, framing and wardrobe issues as Ana’s mother, Ligaya Carlos, herself and accomplished dancer, offered suggestions and corrections.
We worked fast for two hours, as we had to pack up quickly to clear the studio for another photographer. (I share studio space with several other photographers in Northeast Minneapolis.) I am posting my personal favorites in the gallery below. Enjoy. Contact me if you’re interested in dance photography, portraits or headshots.
Rehab
Rehabilitation takes many forms. — Dan Browning
Sue Martin pauses for a photo at Tapestry Folkdance Center in Minneapolis, New Year’s Day variety dance.
If you follow this blog you know that I had spinal surgery to replace a disc in my neck a few weeks ago. My rehab limits me to lifting no more than 10 pounds until the end of January, so my activities have been greatly limited. Even so, I already have managed some photography and some limited Argentine tango dancing (I’m still barred from ballroom dancing). True to form, I overdid it initially. But fortunately, nothing shook loose and I have backed off, discretion proving to be the greater part of valor.
My first step back into photography came at the end of the year. The Rev. Katherine Mary Engel, a dancer friend, death doula, actor and minister had wanted a fresh portrait. She was one of the first subjects to sit for my foray into studio lighting, back when I was using Canon speedlites and Impact softboxes. We had great success, and I have been eager to get her back in front of my camera now that I have substantially upgraded my kit and have a professional studio.
Katherine brought a large duffle bag full of wardrobe and said, “Let’s play.” We started out classic, in front of one of my new Clot Studio backdrops, a deliciously red, hand-painted canvas. Next were some poses in front of some rusted, corrugated metal sheeting that adorn a small section of studio wall. I broke out a red gel and a smoke machine I had bought secondhand (but had never used) to provide a bit of atmosphere. Katherine donned a camisole that revealed a more playful side of her personality. And finally, we moved on to another new Clot Studio canvas, a black and gray one I found perfect for shooting in black and white. Please check out the gallery.
Then I decided to shoot impromptu portraits of a bunch of ballroom dancers who regularly attend events at the Tapestry Folkdance Center in Minneapolis. The New Year’s Day dance started off with a bolero lesson by Scott Anderson, a Minneapolis pro known both for his teaching and performance skills and his friendly demeanor. I photographed all comers at no charge, unless they wanted prints. Mostly, I just wanted to stay occupied so that I would not be tempted to dance, risking injury. But the greater benefit was in meeting new friends and in talking with many of these folks who I see often but don’t always engage in conversation. Their gratitude for my work was heartwarming.
Rehabilitation takes many forms. There’s the physical, to be sure. But don’t underestimate the psychological value of gradually progressing back to a normal routine. For me, that means photography and dancing, in measured doses. I often overdo things. Fortunately, I have good friends watching out for me.
Faith
Facts don’t give a damn whether you believe them or not. But faith has its own power.
Shhh. Sit down and listen. Can you hear it? That’s your heartbeat. The gentle rasp, that’s your respiratory system sending oxygen, fueling chemical reactions, good and bad, throughout your body. Hear the rumbling? That’s the result in your bowels, pushing out waste. Your body is talking to you. Will you listen in time?
I did not. Like many, I relied on my youth and my physique to make things happen. My body allowed it but quietly accumulated a toll. Now it has come to collect.
I am writing this as a warning. Don’t do what I did. It isn’t worth it.
Among my many infirmities: Two rotator cuff tears (repaired), several broken bones in each wrist (healed, but manifesting arthritis), an ACL tear (repaired but since failed), several meniscus tears (repaired, but since worsened, leading to bone-on-bone abrasion in my right knee), a gooseneck tear in my left ring finger (repaired), a break of my right radius head (repaired), a retina separation in my right eye (rather miraculously repaired), a repeatedly broken heart (repaired, though heavily scarred, but that’s another story). As a result of these and other insults to the body, I have arthritis in my knees, wrists, and in several vertebrae of my cervical spine. I currently have serious pain radiating down my back and right arm; I cannot extend my right index finger; and I am losing muscle mass in my hand and forearm.
To stop the decline I am going to have surgery soon to remove a slipping disk and replace it with titanium, fusing C7 to the surrounding vertebrae. It’s a common procedure but carries serious risks.
I have faith that all will be fine, that I will emerge renewed, if not better. However, faith is something independent of fact. As a student of religion and philosophy, I know that it occurs a priori. Facts don’t give a damn whether you believe them or not. But faith has its own power. It draws us forward despite overwhelming odds. It helps us heal.
That is my next assignment: To heal, so that I can return to making portraits, to photographing movement, to exploring my interaction with light and shadow and the penumbra between them, to love and to find meaning in this short life.
If all goes well, I should be back in action in 6-8 weeks. Wishing you a joyous holiday season, however you celebrate it.
All photos in this blog were made by me at Camp South 2022, an annual clinic through the American Judo & Jujitsu Federation. © 2022, by Dan Browning/Danzante Photography LLC.
Cutthroat
Scheduling a break to do some bodily repairs from 12/13 through January (at least). Reserve your sessions now. — Dan Browning
Dancer Corynn Harvieux
I am back from a whirlwind assignment shooting the Fred Astaire Dance Studios National Dance Championships in Orlando. It was a grueling but rewarding five-day experience, with some spectacular dancing. I was shooting for another photographer so I don’t have access to the photos. However, here a some recent photos of Corynn Harvieux, an incredibly talented young dancer from the Twin Cities.
I am wrapping up some portraits before Dec. 14, when I will undergo spinal fusion surgery to relieve a pinched nerve in my neck. The surgeon will replace a disc at my 7th cervical vertebrae with a titanium disc and open the facets that are pinching a nerve to my right index finger — my shutter finger. I’m told it’s a fairly routine surgery, but of course, it has some rare but serious risks.
Alas, I won’t be able to carry my camera gear for some time. If you need something done soon, let’s get it done by Dec. 13. I hope to be functioning again by February so if you’re planning ahead, it’s not too early to schedule a session. In my downtime, I will hone my editing skills and maybe work on some less demanding shoots in my basement studio, just to stay sharp.
Wishing you all a peaceful and blessed holiday season. Give thanks and celebrate!
Impermanence
Do not linger to gather flowers to keep them, but walk on, for flowers will keep themselves blooming all your way. — Rabindranath Tagore
Liz Cummings Browning
I can usually fall asleep at will. I lie down and let my thoughts roll by until dreams take over, usually within a few deep breaths. Then I sleep until nature calls, or until my immobility causes my arms to go numb, with a tingling that borders on pain. I must then get up and face the day. It’s no use trying to get back to sleep. Last night was different. My mind raced. My heartbeat thumped in my head like a drum. Nothing would quiet it. I felt panicked without knowing why. Maybe it’s what my eldest sister said about the Buddha nature: impermanence.
Today would have been the 32nd anniversary of my marriage to the late Elizabeth Cummings. I don’t believe that had anything to do with my night panic. It’s just a coincidence worth noting. I lost Liz in 2014. I mention this because it taught me how fragile life is. Nothing lasts. The universe just moves on. Grasping is foolhardy; it simply pushes away that which we desire.
Yet that’s the illusion of what photographers do when we “release” the shutter. A well timed exposure will prompt our colleagues to say, “Nice capture!” We talk about freezing time, as if that were possible. It’s not. As the songwriter Steven Haworth Miller wrote, “Time keeps on slippin’ slippin’, slippin’ into the future.” What we photographers do is say look! Take notice! Savor this before it’s gone. Yet it’s already gone. The perpetual string of moments has moved along, making room for more. Wake up and see!
It is possible to step back and experience what’s in front of us, however briefly. When that happens we have a chance to record the interaction of self and other, to say thank you for being here with me. When we see the images later, we can summon the moment to carry with us going forward. It becomes a living document.
Cinema Ballroom instructors and staff interpret Downton Abbey.
I recently photographed a dance performance for Cinema Ballroom in St. Paul, Minnesota. Soon I will leave for Orlando to photograph the Fred Astaire National Dance Championships as part of a team working with Lahari Photography. I enjoy the frenetic pace and problem solving that goes with this kind of photography. But when I return Nov. 5, I plan to slow down and concentrate more on my studio work.
Roy Fahland, 93, enjoying some time with his eldest daughter, Susan Martin.
Winter is coming. Let’s see what happens when we slow down and share one another’s company.
Catching up
“Dance, when you're broken open. Dance, if you've torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you're perfectly free.” ― Rumi
Daneen Barone Shelton with pro dancer Scott Koogle at the Heart of America Dancesport Championships in August 2022.
A personal update: My years-long quest to enter the national ballroom dance championships, formally known as the United States Dance Championships, has come to an end. I did well in my respective competition categories. I’d love to return and try again for the top spot, but I’m afraid the cost of competition is too high for this former journalist. I plan to compete just once a year going forward (OK, maybe twice in some years), focusing instead on social dancing across a variety of styles. This should keep me fresh for photographing dancers, which is my passion as well as my business after retiring from the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Lately, I have taken on a variety of photographic assignments. I photographed competitors at the Heart of America Dancesport Championships in Kansas City, Missouri. I did a maternity shoot of Laine Torres Bartley and her family.
I photographed some dancers performing live at the Minnesota State Fair. And I made some headshots for an IT professional moving up in his organization. I also did some studio portraits of a dancer who’s trying to sell her ballroom gown.
Nate Hill
Whether you’re a dancer looking to update your profile or just want a family portrait for your holiday cards, I hope you’ll consider hiring me.
Kris Larson models a dress she’d like to sell.
A change is gonna come
It’s been a long, a long time comin’ but I know a change gon’ come. — Sam Cooke, “A Change is Gonna Come”
Dancer Corynn Harvieux, by Dan Browning/Danzante Photography LLC, © 2022
If you haven’t heard Sam Cooke sing A Change is Gonna Come for awhile you might want to listen to it. It’s sort of the soundtrack for this moment in my life, and I believe in the life of America as well.
Dancer Corynn Havieux, by Dan Browning/Danzante Photography LLC, © 2022
For several years now I’ve been rolling down a path as a ballroom dancer to go to the United States Dance Championships. I have pursued this goal despite its extraordinary cost in money, in relationships and its toll on my other activities, such as my photography, my martial arts practice and my desire to travel. It’s now within sight. It makes no difference how I perform there. The act of getting there is all that mattered to me. Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo, was once asked about the secret to judo. He responded, “Never miss practice.” And that is how I have approached this activity. The goal of reaching USDC is not important except to keep me practicing. Which is to say, dancing with focus. And that I have done.
The river of life flows on, however. After USDC I will keep dancing but now I will attempt to become a better social dancer as I explore my other interests more deeply. Perhaps you’re thinking, why is this part of a photography blog? Because the photographer is part of every photograph. When you hire me you become my partner in the creative process.
What do you expect when you hire a photographer? If you’re getting a headshot you should have a vision of how you want others to see you. If you hire someone who specializes in cosplay don’t be surprised if the outcome differs from someone who specializes in infant portraiture. Both photographers might be experts in their respective genres, and I’m sure they will do their best to deliver what you like. But you’re part of the process, too. What do you bring to it? What is your goal? Why would you want me to photograph you?
Grace Peterson and Charles Leonard, by Dan Browning/Danzante Photography LLC, © 2022
Daneen Barone Shelton with Scott Koogle, by Dan Browning/Danzante Photography LLC, © 2022
This summer I made some portraits of a young dancer as part of a personal project to explore a technique called shutter drag, where a long exposure is used to blur ambient light, then a pop of flash is used to properly expose the rest of the scene. You can see a couple of those images above. I also did a maternity and family portrait. And I have shot several ballroom dance competitions. In November, I expect to join a team of photographers shooting the Fred Astaire National Dance Championships in Orlando.
After that, I would like to do a series of portraits of active, older adults in their daily practice, regardless of what form it takes. Yoga? Dance? Rock climbing? Maybe you’re handicapped but keep sharp by birding or playing bridge. If you would like to be a part of this project please let me know why. What would you bring to it? I look forward to hearing from you!
Space is the place
“A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.” – Edward Steichen
Apologies to the late Sun Ra for the headline, but he nailed it. I am officially now in my new photography studio in one of the old Grain Belt brewery buildings in Northeast Minneapolis. It’s a creative place, full of artists and something called the Up-Rock Community Church that fills the old brick building with music on Sunday mornings. There’s a coffee shop across the street, and a bar and grill as well. Just to the west is a running/bike trail that skirts the east bank of the Mississippi River. Shooting here is going to be fun. Will you join me?
I have not shot in the studio for too long. I’ve been working mostly on location, which I love doing. But I miss the more contemplative pace of the studio sessions. In the studio, we can plan the lighting more accurately to choose the effects we want. Working in the privacy of a studio eliminates distractions and allows us to get to know one another better. That’s my favorite part of photography. It’s a collaboration, after all. A successful photoshoot is like a good conversation.
When you come to my studio you should bring any outfits that you’d like to wear. Think about bringing meaningful props as well. Do you have a favorite hat? Do you have any hobbies dear to your heart? For instance, an archer might bring a bow. A bridge player, cards. A musician, an instrument or favorite sheet music. One subject brought a cat’s skull. A Peruvian folk dancer brought five outfits she wanted to preserve “before I’m too old.” It’s all good.
I can arrange to have a makeup artist meet us at the studio, you can bring your own artist or skilled assistant, or you can do your own makeup. Figure 30-45 minutes for a professional makeup artist to do their work. It’s an investment, which adds $100-$175 to the price of the studio portraiture experience, but it does make a difference. You won’t see models in Vogue doing their own makeup. On the other hand, doing your own makeup, if you’re good at it, is fine for family keepsakes and many less formal portraits. I can hire a hair stylist as well, or your can have your own stylist prep you for the shoot, or you can do your own hair. One thing to keep in mind is taming those flyaway hairs. Men should shave or trim any facial hair before the shoot. Minor blemishes can be removed in retouching. If you’re sensitive about wrinkles, please let me know as I can reduce them in the way I light your face. I can also smooth the skin and reduce any red patches or blotches during retouching, but I prefer a light touch with these techniques. I don’t like the “plastic” look popularized in some magazines or glamour shoots. Age is something to be respected, not shunned. Finally, don’t forget your nails. Trim them and if you use polish, make sure they’re freshly painted. But if you’re an iron worker or a laborer or some who makes a living with your hands, feel free to leave them alone, as they are part of your character.
In celebration of my new space, I’m offering a promotion through July, reducing my creative fee from $400 to $280 for in-studio portraits. Let’s book something soon, as I share this space with a handful of other photographers. I look forward to meeting you and getting to know you better.
Stepping into space
Taking the plunge into a professional photo studio.
Nata Rossini and Elizabeth Hernly pose for photographers attending the Pas de Deux conference in Austin, Texas.
I am happy to announce that effective July 1 I will be joining five other photographers in a shared studio inside the old Grain Belt brewery complex in Minneapolis. It’s a reasonably large space with arched windows overlooking the east bank of the Mississippi River. The 14-foot ceilings provide ample room to place my lights above the most accomplished dancers as they do their leaps. The studio doesn’t have finished dressing rooms or a kitchen or an office. But that’s just fine. There’s a nearby restroom for changing, and folding screens that can be used for a temporary changing room. This photo studio is a working space, and I am anxious to get going.
Do you need new headshots for a personal rebrand? Have you always wanted a character portrait? Do you want to freshen those family photos? Are you an actor, athlete, model or dancer seeking more creative images for your portfolio? Now is the time to book a session.
I am offering inaugural photo sessions — in the studio only — at a 30% discount off my $400 creative services fee through the month of July. That’s just $280! It covers the photography, editing and retouching on three photos, plus delivery of digital images. Prints are extra.
I generally work in two-hour blocks but I’m open to sessions of any length. The only limitation is that we must work around the other photographers’ schedules. Call or message me to book a time. I am also available to work on location, though the discount on my fee does not apply.
Do you have particular ideas? I’m happy to discuss whatever you have in mind.
Studio or competition?
Portaits and events… This is the yin and yang of photography.
I am just coming down from shooting a college graduation portrait and a ballroom dance competition known as Go Wild Minneapolis.
The graduation photos went well until a small gust of wind turned my lighting umbrella into a sail, which caused the light stand to topple to the ground. Fortunately, it landed on the umbrella, which was destroyed, but that saved my expensive Profoto strobe. Still, it meant that I’d be shooting for free. (The cost of a new Profoto umbrella is about the same as the amount I was charging for the portrait.)
Two days later, I was working as the official photographer at Go Wild. It was a 10-hour marathon of dancing and problem solving that led to eight very long days of editing. The setting was less than ideal. The only lighting in the hotel ballroom came from overhead chandeliers burning in the incandescent (yellow) range. Fortunately, I brought my Profoto B10s and a B10+. They are battery-powered lights, though I ran plugs to them to help accelerate the recharge rate. I set them on opposite corners of the dance floor and bounced the bare heads off the ceiling in an effort to flood the floor and cast the dancers’ shadows downward.
Setting the light power proved difficult. Depending on where the dancers were on the floor, they could be perfectly exposed, overexposed or grossly underexposed. Most competitions have powerful lights on stanchions illuminating the floor, so the photographers’ strobes would just add a touch of fill light and eliminate any motion blur. But this one-day competition is smaller so I suspect it wasn’t worth the cost of renting those floor lights. No matter, professional photographers adjust as necessary. I experimented with TTL (through the lens) metering on my strobes, a kind of automatic setting, but ultimately settled on manual control of the lights.
I offered two services at the competition. Hire me to shoot your round (three to five dances of a given style) and I will focus only on you. This yields more and better photos. But the cost is too much for some dancers. So I also agreed to shoot “freelance” whenever I wasn’t working for a client. That was most of the time. The dancers can then go through the shots and pick just the ones they want. The cost per photo is much greater than what you’d pay by hiring me for exclusive coverage, but many people only want a few shots, so this option works for them.
I shot more than 4,700 photos. Because of the nature of the lighting, it took an extraordinary amount of time to go through and edit the photos. They had to be cropped, color balanced, and in many cases, the exposures had to be corrected. That’s because the Profoto lights, as good as they are, could not keep up with my shooting pace. One shot would be properly exposed and the next one would be slightly underexposed because the light hadn’t been fully recharged between shots. (The power recycling rate on the B10 flashes ranges from 0.05-2.5 seconds.) I shoot in “raw” mode, which retains all of the possible data that was captured, so I knew I could make adjustments in post processing. Ultimately, I came away with just over 2,400 usable images.
I took the advice of a former colleague and uploaded the ad-hoc images to a website called ShootProof.com. It allows me to set up galleries for clients to browse and order print or digital images at their leisure. It protects the images by adding a “watermark” with my studio name, which is removed upon payment. It collects client contact information and adds the sales tax and takes care of the payment. Apparently, it will also distribute invoices, contracts and model releases, though I have not yet used those components. So far, I am pleased by this website. I look forward to hearing from clients about their experiences with it.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my photography in the wake of these assignments. I love portraits, where I create the effects I want through light and shadow, and through personal interactions with the subject(s). I also love shooting events and photojournalistic assignments, which require anticipation, quick decisions and a bit of luck. This is the yin and yang of photography.
I’ve been a bit heavy on the yang lately and feel the need to add more portraiture work. If you’re considering a new headshot, have a family reunion coming up, or just want to explore some dramatic expression in a studio or location setting, reach out. I still have some openings in July and August.