Pivots

I was in a dance class recently in which the instructors were sharing how a sabbatical in Argentina had evolved their concepts of tango. They used the pivot step to illustrate. Boiling things down for non-dancers, it basically came down to the fact that the best dance takes place when each partner has agency and responsibility for their own actions, posture and balance. What takes place between them, then, is genuine sharing. Think of it as a Venn diagram where neither part dominates the other.

This is how I think of portraiture. The photograph represents the overlap created by the subject and the photographer sharing space and time together.

I recently was advised that I am not making enough money at this photography business to keep it going, and I need to convert it to a “hobby” for tax purposes. That means I must continue to declare my income but can no longer justify deductions for expenses. It means facing reality. If I were younger I would push harder to commercialize but the fact is, I’m to the point in my life where I just want to shoot what I want to shoot. Mostly, that means portraits and dance. And I will continue doing so. To celebrate this pivot I bought a new camera, a Leica Q3 43. I am still getting used to it but so far, I am loving it. Stay tuned for evidence.

For now, I have made some changes to this website to reflect my change of focus. I swapped out the cover shot of ballroom dancers for a composite I made of my friend Candice Simpson, a mulitmedia artist with a deep affection for trees. I rearranged my portraits/headshot page, adding a few photos that previously lived only on blog entries.

I plan to do more work on portraits going forward, so if you want to participate please let me know.

Spring is fading, and the atmosphere is unsettled as we head into summer. Embrace the change. Take risks. Go after whatever it is that you truly seek. Be kind along the way; doing so is its own reward.

Namaste.