Aerial Dance Work with Mesmerie

Katie Mesmerie Brunner and I have worked together  for 3 years. We shot together for Art as Action (the unforgettable flour shoot), and for Iluminar Aerial (underwater!).  I also photographed her and her fiancé sitting on a bed on 16th Street Mall in Denver, and of course I photographed her beautiful wedding in Estes Park. Katie and I are used to working under challenging conditions and I knew that once again we would be creating incredible images when she asked me to shoot her portfolio.

Katie is an aerial dancer; she uses lyras, silks and straps to perform at different venues around the country. Her latest, month-long series of performance in Florida convinced her that as a professional dancer, a solid portfolio of her work was necessary.

I knew that I needed to use a solid color backdrop and model the lights perfectly to showcase Katie’s incredible strength and grace.  The challenge with aerial dancers is that they need a rigging point for their apparatus and enough space to move around. Using a large enough backdrop that covers the dancer and her apparatus is one of the greatest struggle that a photographer will have to deal with when working in studio.  Katie and I reviewed several locations before deciding to try shooting in my studio. I have an unfinished basement with nine feet high ceilings that I use to shoot all the studio images in my portfolio. This basement is huge and has been a wonderful creative space for the past 4 years. This basement would serve as an aerial dance studio for the first time!

In order to photograph Katie safely, I placed a heavy-duty clamp on a weight-bearing beam (a steel I-beam that runs the length of the house). Then Katie used a carabiner to hang her apparatus.  She used an anchor shaped device for her silks. We placed the backdrop (a 12 feet wide seamless) behind and under her and set up the strobes around.  By the time the studio was set up, Katie only had a 7.5 feet clearance to work with, which is very low for aerial dance. Thanks to the seamless backdrop and Katie’s skills, I could then recreate a sense of height in post processing.

The advantage of shooting in my studio is that we can use any color backdrop, plug my strobes and take our time to create a solid aerial dance image.  Katie quickly adapted to the lower height and we managed to get a series of images that showcase her incredible skills.

This blog shows the first part of the shoot, using a Tiffany Blue Backdrop and silks and a Lyra. The second part of the shoot was done two weeks later and will be the object of a second blog! Katie Katie 2 Katie 3 Katie 4 Katie 5 Katie 6 Katie 7 Katie 8 Katie 9 Katie 10

A Knight’s Tale : Courtney and Tony’s Epic Proposal

Courtney and Tony have known each other for two years and are the most unique couple I have ever met. Courtney is a permanent make up artist while Tony is a motorcycle riding, comic book loving electrician. When Tony decided that he was going to propose to Courtney, he poured his heart into it and it took him six months of secret planning to finally pop the question (and the black diamond ring). For six months Tony learned how to ride a horse and joust, sword fight in heavy armor and play the part of the “Black Knight”. Under the cover of helping his friend with dance lessons for his wedding (this friend was not going to get married, it was all pretend!), Tony spent every weekend practicing and had to show Courtney his new (made up) dance moves after long days of rolling in the dirt. Then the big day came and in the tiny town of Wellington a group of performers gathered for a jousting tournament. Courtney and Tony showed up along with 100 other friends and family members (Courtney was quite perplexed to see so many people she knew!!). As the fighting and jousting took place, Tony stayed in the audience until Courtney was selected to hold a box that would be the grand jousting prize. She was given the key to the box and was instructed to keep it locked until the remittance of the prize to the winner. Courtney sat with her box as the black knight walked right past her and proceeded to win the tournament. The knight had a very tough time winning as tears (of joy) started to stream down his face as soon as he put his helmet on! At the end, Courtney was led to the podium and opened the box while Tony took of his helmet. There were many more tears shed, both on Courtney’s side and by the audience. The rest, as we say, is history and Tony and Courtney are now happily engaged 🙂 Congratulations to the two of you!!

The tournament took place in the tiny town of Wellington
The tournament took place in the tiny town of Wellington
many performers : dancers, jugglers and a dressed up puppy entertained the crowd
Many performers : dancers, jugglers and a dressed up puppy entertained the crowd
There was a story about a mean queen and valiant knights (the red headed person was mean too, I think)
There was a story about a mean queen and valiant knights (the red headed person was mean too, I think)

 

Many members of the audience were Courtney and Tony's family and friends
Many members of the audience were Courtney and Tony’s family and friends
Bear Girl
See I told you she looked mean!
Tony is waiting to enter the scene. He looks pretty zen so far
Tony is waiting to enter the scene. He looks pretty zen so far
Here is the box! Hint : there is a ring inside
Here is the box!  Hint: there is a ring inside
To no one's surprise (except for her!!) , Courtney was selected to hold the box!
To no one’s surprise (except for her!!) , Courtney was selected to hold the box!
Here is the Black Knight! He look cool and ferocious.
Here is the Black Knight! He looks cool and ferocious.
Tony can Joust like a ....jouster :)
Tony can Joust like a ….jouster 🙂
And fight like a knight!
And fight like a knight!
And it's a win! Take that you   traitor ! and don't come back!
And it’s a win! Take that you traitor ! and don’t come back!
Now Tony the Knight is waiting for his future betrothed to present him with the box
Now Tony the Knight is waiting for his future betrothed to present him with the box
while Facebook's server is exploding with knight pictures
While Facebook’s server is exploding with knight pictures
Here is Courtney! That's when me and 100 other people starting crying our eyeballs out. There was a universal "AWWWWWWW"
Here is Courtney! That’s when me and 100 other people starting crying our eyeballs out. There was a universal “AWWWWWWW”
YAY!!!!!
YAY!!!!!
Everyone is so happy at that point, I wish I could box that happy up for them!
Everyone is so happy at that point! I wish I could box that happy up for them!
The and Knight and his Lady rode away, and lived happily ever after.
And the Knight and his Lady rode away, and lived happily ever after.

 

THE END <3