Montreal Dancers: Andréanne
Some background
So this is the first of (hopefully) many posts that might look a little similar. But first I have to set the scene, bear with me for a little flashback story.
I began my photography journey in high school. At the time I had to work toward preparing for a final show upon graduation. Being a 5-day-a-week dancer at the time, I was naturally drawn to dance photography for my focus. I completed a body of work of dancers and non-dancers all dancing in the photo studio; the theme was, Anyone Can Dance. But at the same time I was jotting down ideas in my journal for future photoshoots. I wanted to shoot dancers in urban environments. I won't bore you with my teenage doodles. I brainstormed this series over multiple pages and it stuck with me for years.
Follow your dreams
Flash forward to 2017 and I had NEVER completed that idea. It was finally time. Andréanne was my first dancer in November of 2017 and it snowed the night before so we got creative and stayed inside for her shoot. I'm so excited to be finally bringing this project to life after all these years and to have found the most wonderful dance community that has welcomed me with open arms.
Andréanne
Dancer: Andréanne
Location: World Trade Centre Montreal and surrounding area
Want to schedule a shoot? Contact me here.
Montreal Swing Riot 2017
As a lindy hop dancer I have known about Montreal's Swing Riot for a few years. I had always hoped to make it one year as it brought something new to the swing world that I had not seen before, the yearly infamous Street Dancers vs Vintage Dancers Invitational Battle. Professional lindy hop dancers can perform to a crowd and throw tricks just as much as the next professional dancer. Often thought of first as a social dance that your grandparents did (which it is), the showmanship side of it is equally as fun. And when lindy hoppers compete, watch out, people will be flying in the air. So at Swing Riot, two teams of vintage and modern street dancers were invited to battle against each other. Since it was invitational you knew the dancers were going to be great and the battle was going to have you screaming. This year's battle didn't disappoint. Both vintage and street dancers were amazing. In the end, the crowd crowned the street dancers as this year's winners.
Now for the technical side of this post. At the time, I had just recently upgraded my Fuji X-T1 for a Fuji X-T2. Because I wasn't the primary photographer for Swing Riot, I chose not to use my normal swing event OCF set up. I typically set up two flashes, but I wanted to test this camera and it's autofocus and low light capabilities. Seriously, photographing dancers (especially lindy hoppers) in low light with no flash is a huge camera test. Finally switching from my Canon 6D that I had been holding on to for solely this exact situation, to the Fuji was a tiny bit tricky. There's definitely a learning curve to the Fuji coming from a DSLR. I have been shooting Fuji primarily (except dance and a few weddings last year) for a few years now. I have loved my Fujis and always gush about them. But this was a new test. A hard test for a camera system that has been known to not have the fastest AF. After a few tests of different focus settings I finally started to feel comfortable with it and then by the end of the night I was convinced. This Fuji X-T2 could hold up to the Canon 6D. I had learned how to adjust my shooting and was catching the moments I needed to catch. So, since then, I have sold my Canon 6D. I finally felt like the Fuji could do anything the DSLR could do. It was a great feeling.
Alice in Jazzland - Sweet Jubilee
Next month Sweet Jubilee is debuting their first original, full-length show, Alice in Jazzland. Back in April I took some promotional photos for them while I was in Albuquerque visiting. We chose the ABQ Botanic Garden and ventured into the Children's Fantasy Garden that was the perfect backdrop for Alice and her friends. I can't wait to see some videos (hopefully) of the performance since I'm so many miles away now. If you are reading this and in Albuquerque, go check out their show! Ticket and performance info HERE.
Porter Family: Family Session & Day in the Life
The Porter Family - Family Session
For the third year in a row I was fortunate to photograph the Porter family. This year they welcomed baby Thaddeus to the family. You can easily tell how in love the entire family is with him. Big sister Jane didn't have to be asked to hug or kiss him, she was so excited when she was holding him she naturally loved on her little brother. I love creating family portraits that a family will look back on and remember they didn't have to pretend for the camera, they just got to be themselves.
Day in the Life - 1 hr Session
This year we also did a shortened "Day in the Life" session. After their portrait session I followed the Porters back home to capture a bit of their new daily life as a family of four. If you are interested in a "Day in the Life" session please contact me as they are quickly becoming my favorite thing to photograph!
World Breastfeeding Week 2017
A portrait series of local breastfeeding mothers for last month's World Breastfeeding Week 2017.
I haven’t done much photo work in Montreal since our move, but I gave myself this portrait series project and a deadline for World Breastfeeding Week and I’m so glad I did! Getting behind the camera on a regular basis again felt so good. I had my tiny little assistant on my back the whole time, and wouldn’t you know, he was already helping me get smiles out of people and making them feel comfortable.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to the wonderful mamas who volunteered to be photographed for the series and for sharing some words about breastfeeding! It was a pleasure getting to know each and every one of you and capturing this special time in your life.
I am available for hire if anyone would still like a breastfeeding photo session. Please contact me and we can chat.
❤️
Morgan
