Tuesday, March 17, 2009

A night at the opera

I had a chance to photograph a student opera production for the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. The assignment included access to the backstage area and the apron in front of the stage. I was able to navigate some tricky stage lighting conditions to capture a very impressive production of three scenes from well-known operatic works, imaginitively staged in settings that ranged from traditional to contemporary.


Sunday, March 1, 2009

Rings 'n' things

These pictures were taken as part of an engagement photo package - the blings shots. If the bride- and groom-to-be picked out the ring together, they've spent a lot of time looking through loupes, comparing and evaluating stones. And if the photographer wants to impress the future bride, it behooves him or her to capture what the bride remembers seeing up close at the jewelers.

That means a lot of fussing with lighting, adjusting, shooting and adjusting some more are in order until things are about as perfect as one can get. Then there's being playful and creative to come up with settings that are meaningful to the bride and her friends and family. Because more than likely, those pictures will wind up on Facebook or MySpace and become a hot topic of conversation among the bride's circle of friends in the days ahead.

Before this shoot, I talked with the bride-to-be to see if she had seen other ring photos that she liked. I also discussed some possibilities that I had in mind. Armed with her feedback, I headed to the studio and shot several settings.

The bride was happy with the results and happily shared the pictures with friends and family.


Photographs © 2009 James Jordan.