The Road to Zion
What a fantastic entry to the State of Utah. Just after crossing the border from Colorado, I let the drone slip away for a quick flight to capture the Martian landscape.
“To the complaint, 'There are no people in these photographs,' I respond, There are always two people: the photographer and the viewer.”
― Ansel Adams
If you're so inclined, check out the cool drone video I made. It gives an even better idea of the vast landscape of Utah.
Zion National Park - Day One
I arrived, checked in and immediately hit the trails! Even though my initial tour only lasted a couple hours and I barely scratched the surface of what could be seen, I can already tell that I'm going to have a blast hiking, seeing, capturing imagery and exploring this place.
My brief journey to me to the Temple of Shinawava, The Narrows, Weeping Rock, and Emerald Pool but those are just a few of the easiest to access trails and sites. If you want to learn more about the spots and all the cool things here, visit the NPS site for the park or for the Zion Lodge.
Zion National Park - https://goo.gl/LxkBKq
Zion Lodge - http://www.zionlodge.com/
The Zion Petroglyphs
Tucked away in plain sight, 100 ft from the road but they still seem hidden, these awesome artifacts of Southwest history show images of what our forebearers saw … and did.
Go click through the NPS handout regarding these glyphs as it explains their awesomeness better than I can. I'm just here to show off the pics.
I'm reluctant to share information about exactly where these artifacts are hidden as the park seems to be consciously making an effort NOT to advertise them. Probably an effort to deter over-viewing or vandalism. Sometimes, people can suck so I understand.
I only heard about them from a friend who has worked in the park for a number of years and they're surprisingly easy to find. Stop, park, walk down a slope and along a dry river bed. Make a couple turns and Boom! You're there.
Tucked away in a small canyon of their own, the place seems a worthy shrine to history.
What's there to say about them? I'd rather have you look at them in their natural surroundings and think about what life may have been like in this beautiful but harsh landscape. Scorching hot nights, chilly nights and death just one misstep away. Those cliffs are unforgiving.
Après la Tempête
The clouds gathered and gained strength. When they released, the whole canyon shook with torrential rains, strong cracks of thunder and whipping winds. Afterwards ... pure beauty!
The clouds break as the storm over Zion Canyon ends.
To the complaint, 'There are no people in these photographs,' I respond, There are always two people: the photographer and the viewer.
Ansel Adams
There are times when I feel as if I should be making more effort to capture the faces of the people in my world. Today was not one of those days.
After the storm passed, I was greeted with some of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. Breathtaking vistas were all around me and I couldn't NOT try to capture the swirling, shifting clouds and the strong features of the sandstone cliffs.
I've never seen anything quite like it.
Angel's Landing - GoPro
Angel's Landing is often rated as one of the very best hikes in America. I can see why!
This hike was rated as "Moderate" on most of the guides that I read, and "Hard" on a few others. I can see why. At points, you'll have to scramble up the stones like a mountain goat. Even without that, some parts are quite steep and you'll be feeling it the next day.
Despite the toughness of the route, the place was quite popular and crowded. I saw little kids and older folks all over the place. It was a tough hike but anyone in decent shape and with a desire to reach the top can make it.
My favorite part of the hike was watching the human stories unfold. Sorority sisters talked trash about their teachers, young sibling conspired to scare the bejesus out of their parents and the older folks determined to make it up "that damn hill".
The best of them all was the Korean family whose dad was trying to take pictures of his kids in a manner that made it look the kids were about to fall off the cliff. He was just using angles to make it look worse than it was and at no point were the kids in jeopardy but the mom was having none of it. She was so worried about the kids freaking out that she freaked them out by freaking out herself. It would have been a cool shot, something silly I would have taken with my boys but her fussing seemed to interrupted the shot. Still, it was entertaining to watch.
On ... and the views of the canyon were alright, too.
And now ... Zion National Park!
My new home in Zion National Park will fill my days with photographic opportunities and challenges that shall keep me quite busy. I'm up for the challenge. Wanna follow along?
How does one create interesting imagery for sights that have been seen by millions upon millions of eyeballs? My new home in Zion National Park will provide me with countless photographic opportunities but also some challenges in how I present the things I see.
You can't fly a drone in National Parks but there is plenty of BLM land in which to fly.
I feel that my strong history of portraiture and theatre photography will allow me to see drama in a scene that others may not have been able to recognize. There are countless landscape photographers that have covered every square inch of this area so there's no need to replicate their masterful work but I know that I'll want to cover some of those same areas ... just with my unique danscape view of seeing things. Sometimes that will be with drone images and other times it will require patience on my part to wait for the sun and clouds to create a darkened mood that others may overlook.
Because the great extent of natural scenerey already covered in these parts, I plan to make a stronger effort to create unique portraiture. The red clay, the shifting and winding canyons and the strong gold in the evening hours combine to create some of the best shooting locations that Ive been lucky enough to find.
If you stick around, you'll also be able to follow me along on some of my hikes and adventures! I've been using a variety of cameras and tools to capture video imagery that I've been placing on my Youtube Channel! Come along with me on my hikes and adventures in the Southwest.
I hope that y'all can appreciate the things that I see and how I see them. I'd love for you to follow along as I go See Things!
Let's Go To The Movies! - Twin Drive-In
It's funny what you can find when you're making no effort to find it.
It may not look like it, but this awesome gem is STILL operating as a drive-in theater during the better-weathered seasons. The Twin Theater has been going strong for more than 60 years and the new owners have invested enough time, effort, and $$$ in the place to make certain that it keeps going for another 60!
I can't recall the last time I went to a drive-in but I'm pretty certain that I'm gonna make a visit to this place this Spring.
A Trip to Orrick, Mo - Part II
Sometimes pictures are easy to edit. Sometimes they're not and they take a bit longer. These pictures from my visit to Orrick, Mo took a bit longer because they deserved it.
Sometimes, I can go through a few hundred images and easily find the best images and get them edited right away in a fit of energy and inspiration. Then again, sometimes, I find ones that require more time and effort to parse and find the best possible edits for. That;s the case with these images. I hope that you feel they're worth the extra time.
Just north of Big Muddy and about 30 minutes east of Kansas City sits a farm town named Orrick, Mo., named in honor of W. W. Orrick who had drawn up the plat. Despite the addition of railroads, a grain silo, and a modest downtown, I don't suspect too much has changed with the land since it was incorporated in 1873.
On my Youtube channel, you'll see an aerial view of the Orrick area filmed with the new drone. You'll also see more images from the trip in the first blog post about Orrick.
Ft. Osage National Historic Landmark and a Frozen Big Muddy.
Over a very chilly weekend, we visited Ft. Osage, a super cool old fort on the banks of the Missouri River. There may have been a drone involved.
Ft Osage and Big Muddy
The day AFTER we visited Ft. Osage, the weather started a pleasant, upwards climb to the 40s. The day OF our visit ... not so much. With temps in the teens and 20s with a rather sharp wind passing through the river basin, we certainly felt that it was Wintertime in the Midwest; a perfect time to visit the outdoors.
“Rose early, examined the Situation and the points of a Small Island which is opposit, found the River could be completely defended and Situation elegant, this Situation I had examined in the year 1804 and was delighted with it and am equally so now, ordered the Boats to be unloaded and tools got ready to work, and fixed on the spot for the fort and other buildings…”
—William Clark, Monday, 5th Sept. 1808
And yes! I managed to get some drone time in.
A Trip to Orrick, Mo
Just 30 minutes outside of Kansas City ... but a hundred years apart.
Just north of Big Muddy and about 30 minutes east of Kansas City sits a farm town named Orrick, Mo., named in honor of W. W. Orrick who had drawn up the plat. Despite the addition of railroads, a grain silo, and a modest downtown, I don't suspect too much has changed with the land since it was incorporated in 1873.
Very soon, on my Youtube channel, you'll see the video that I created with the drone and I'll also soon be releasing the architectural pictures ... but those will take a bit.
Lake Jacomo - Blue Springs, MO
Yup! I'm in Missouri now, just outside of Kansas City. The move provides me an opportunity to meet new folks, shoot at new theaters and explore the new scenery. Come on and join me!
Sunset on Lake Jacomo
Moving always sucks. Yes, a move always provides the chance to see new things and meet new folks but the logistics, administration, and hassle of a move are never fun. It took me a few days to unbury all my stuff and get my humble operation together in order to take, edit, and post a few pics.
I've lived in the area before so I knew what type of nature and geography to expect but I didn't remember the sunsets being this crisp and sharp. The blues were stronger than I recall and the contrast of the hardwoods against the sky was dark and strong. The waves of light and color that washed over Lake Jacomo in the waning minutes of the light ebbed and flowed from one shade to another with ease and quickness.
The area is more varied in its landscape than Texas so it'll provide plenty of natural vistas to seek and shoot and the grit and grunge of Kansas City are legendary so I can't wait to explore the not-so-natural areas, too!
Stay tuned and you just may see a cool thing or two!
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Texas Premiere!
This was one of the first times that the publishers had licensed the musical to be produced at a regional or community theater anywhere in the county and it was the very first time in Texas!
I think that the Director, George Green and his team nailed it pretty well!
DOM CLAUDE FROLLO - Bob Galindo
QUASIMODO - Nick Szoeke
CLOPIN TROUILLEFOU - Sean Salazar
CAPT. PHOEBUS DE MARTIN - Quinn Johnson
LT. FREDERIC CHARLUS - Macaulay Hammond
ESMERALDA- Alyssa Lopez
JEHAN FROLLO - Travis Trevino
FLORIKA - Josey Porras
FATHER DUPIN - Ryan Campen
KING LOUIS XI - David Nanny
TRIBUNAL OFFICIAL - Ramsey Sweatmon
MADAME - Corina Zars
SAINT APHRODISIUS - Robert Nauman
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Madeline Gutierrez
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Alyssa Araguz
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Luis Legaspi
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Carrie Daniels
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Stephanie Clark
CONGREGATION/ ENSEMBLE - Robert Gonzalez
CHOIR - Christopher Miller
CHOIR - Rebecca Trinidad
CHOIR - Katy Galindo
CHOIR - Nicole Erwin
CHOIR - Jennifer Hoskins
CHOIR - Megan DeYoung
CHOIR - Rob Shaver
CHOIR - Ben Scharff
CHOIR - Victor Trevino
CHOIR - Luke Trevino
CHOIR - Chancey Blackburn
There are two types of people in this world.
Those who love Nick Szoeke ... and those that haven't met him yet
Street Art of San Jose
I love me some great street art. Not sh#tty vandalism but the real good stuff that has artistic quality and a social message. The dudes in San Jose have their game on point!
Street art is visual art created in public locations, usually unsanctioned artwork executed outside of the context of traditional art venues. Other terms for this type of art can be "urban art", "guerrilla art", "independent public art", "post-graffiti",
and "neo-graffiti".
That's all a very nice way to go and say "F*ck you!" to the man and be able to get away with it. Some cities, though, are forward thinking and progressive enough to dedicate some of its public spaces to just this type of art. That's the case in San Jose, Costa Rica. On government-controlled walls near the main judicial and legislative offices, you'll find loads of sanctioned art. Near the train station, underpasses and other urban spcaces in that area, it seems that the area has become a Mecca for public art.
click any image to embiggen
I think they're a litmus test of sorts. Do you see disrespect towards the system or to authority? Do you see just the art or just a distasteful message?
Y'all KNOW I dig the graffiti art in San Antonio but this stuff is amazing. Upon my return to town, I'll have to go to some of SA's other well-known street art collections and see what's what. Until then, and I'm proven wrong, I gotta say that San Jose, CR has got better game at this point.
click any image to embiggen
The Doors and Portals of San Jose, Costa Rica
Whether it's San Antonio, Texas or San Jose, Costa Rica, the best way to see a place is by getting out and walking. On this trip, I've been amazed at the diversity of entryways. Cool stuff!
As I walked the streets in and around downtown San Jose, Costa Rica, I was amazed at both the diversity and similarities of the various entryways and portals in the town. What is a common theme is that almost all of the homes feature an outer wall or gate almost directly along the sidewalk. That's often followed by a small courtyard, parking space or patio and then you get to the home. I love it.
It seems to be a fine way of making peace with living in a crowded city. As I've already mentioned, this set-up seems very European as I've seen similar structures in the big cities of Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. All densely populated places but examples of where design makes that impact less.
Some of the doors that caught my eye were inside ones, portals that led to a patio or kitchen. The simplicity of their purpose didn't make them less striking. Others were the main door or gateway facing the street. What a way to announce your home to the world.
OK. It's not all doors and windows. Many of the outer walls are decorated with intricate masonry, detailed textures or, in the case of my favorite wall, these painted tiles. I'll do my best to find out more about this place and update this but for now, just look at the beauty and try to imagine the tale they're trying to tell.
Before my visit to Costa Rica, I looked at some of the guidebooks and websites to get an idea of the highlights. Yes, of course, the beaches and jungles are always winners but in my life, I've never had a traditional vacation where I sit and sip cocktails or tour museums. Nothing wrong with those pastimes but it's a truism that for me, there is no better way to see and feel a pace than by walking. Get away from the well-traveled paths, keep the guidebook in your pack, and get your feet on the street.
As is often the case, I see the differences in how things are done here versus back home but I see the similarities, too. Folks all around the world just want to work, support their families, live in a nice home, play the way they want to play, and live the way they want to live. Here, they just happen to live with awesome doorways, windows, textures and living spaces.
A safety disclaimer - As for following the paths less traveled, I'm also a tall and stout fella that still walks like a soldier. That certainly helps me make the choice to walk off the beaten path. Don't be dumb. Make good and safe chices.
The Things I Carry - A Bowling Pin
I was a soldier once, a good one, too, but before that, I was a scared kids a million miles from home.
Years ago, I was a soldier. A pretty good one, too, but this isn't a story about any exploits I might have had. This is a story about being a young person far from home and without a network.
In December of 1988, after finishing my training at Ft. McClellan and spending a few days at home for Thanksgiving, I was away on my adventure; my first permanent duty station in the US Army. Wearing my Class A uniform and still with my too-short haircut, I walked into what seemed like a screaming madhouse as my new unit had just arrived an hour before me from a field training exercise and were dragging all their filthy gear from the vehicles to the cleaning areas and on to storage. They were all loud and dirty and frankly, I was scared shitless as to what I may have gotten into.
All that madness ended soon enough and I got in-processed into the unit and was assigned to where I needed to be. Though I was the new guy and the folks that were already there seemed much older than me (they weren't) the fact is that we were all a bunch of scared kids so making friends wasn't hard. After a couple months, I got a new roommate, Joe Gilmartin. He was all of two years older than me and had been in the service for about three years at this point. Though he didn't act it, to me he seemed like the coolest, most calm dude possible. I won't pretend that he was a great soldier but he was a great roommate.
Our base was a small one and it had a recently defunct bowling alley in it. On one of Joe's nights out, he ... well, I don't know all the details but he came back home with a few bowling pins, one of which soon became among my favorite possessions. Over my time there, I had many friends sign it or make their mark upon it. Signatures were scribbled over drawings and quotes covered names. It's frankly a mess but I wouldn't have it any other way.
Since that time, I lived in South Carolina, Alaska, California (twice), Kansas City (twice), Idaho, Spokane, and now San Antonio. That stupid bowling pin has come with me every single time and has always been displayed proudly. I'm not the flag-waving type but I am glad that I served in the US Army. Those years provided me with countless memories and experiences that could never have been found elsewhere. And, I got a bowling pin out of it!
Mission Reach - The San Antonio RiverWalk
The San Antonio RiverWalk is an extraordinarily popular attraction in San Antonio but most of our visitors don't realize just how extensive the developed area is
I've done it again! I went on a little adventure, captured and edited images and never got around to posting them in a blog post. No worries. The San Antonio RiverWalk isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
For this quick trip, I only brought my iPhone but wasn't disappointed. That little thing can capture so much wonderful imagery in the world around us, no? Sure, there's no replacing a bigger, "grown-up" camera but I've never been disappointed with what I can create with it.
The visitors to San Antonio love the RiverWalk but so rarely get to see the parts of it outside of the main hub. That's just fine with me as it means there's so much less traffic on the outer stretches of the river. Go north of town and you'll find what's called Museum Reach which goes near the museums, the zoo, and a few awesome parks. I go there quite often and this trip was my first exploring the Mission Reach portion and I was certainly not disappointed.
So many bits of nature and beauty popping up. Many wonderfully cool and abandoned structures along the way and if you've known me for awhile, you know that I'm a sucker for a good freeway underpass.
Again sorry (not really) for the delay.
Columbia Plateau Trail - Cheney, WA
Here there be monsters! ... and bikers and strollers and puppies.
OK. I have no excuse for the tardiness of this post. I took this brief trip to Columbia Plateau Trail just shortly before my move to San Antonio and never got around to completing this post.
That's a shame because I had a blast and I'm sure that I had some wonderful and witty things to say. Or not!
The 130-mile Columbia Plateau State Park Trail is one of the state’s hidden riches; explorers who find it are rewarded with big eastern Washington skies, rolling landscapes and unforgettable journeys.
So sorry (not really sorry) for the delay. In brief ... Go!
Snakey Snake!
Best Show images of The Playhouse's 2016-17 Season
9 shows, 9 Dress Runs, 5 archive shoots ... and these are the best! Before we begin the 2017-18 Season, let's look backwards abit.
With the 2017-18 Season about to begin at The Playhouse San Antonio, it's a good time to look back at some of my favorite images from the Dress Runs and Archive Shoots in the 2016-17 Season. Before we begin in earnest, here's a few images that I loved but that didn't make the finals.
Over the course of the 9 shows, most of these images were captured during a Dress Run in the days leading to opening night. While those shows always provided fantastic imagery, the microphones that the cast wore often interfered with getting tight shots of the faces. Also, because the shows were so vast and active with so many moving parts, I wasn't always able to get all the shots we wanted so we also relied on the Archive Shoots to produce images.
In past years, theaters would have these Archive Shoots later in the run and the images were used simply to "archive" the show. As marketing needs and social media needs altered over time, we continued doing these shoots but we moved them up a bit in the run so we could use those images for promotional use. A few years back, we started shooting the dress run images so we would have lively imagery in the days before the show to start to broadcast to the community the fun and beauty that they have in store when the show opens.
The reception of the images has been wonderful. The actors and their friends and family do a great job of sharing the images so that more folks can see what the show is about, who the pretty faces are, and what the stellar lighting and scenic design will contain.
Selfishly, I'm so grateful to be around so many talented folks and to have the chance to make my own art. My goals with the photography have been to help sell the shows to the patrons but also to honor the skill and effort of all those involved
Chris Berry and Carlye Elyse in Disney's Beauty and the Beast
A fantastic way to open the season, this show did so incredibly well that it is among The Playhouse's top-selling shows of all-time. The Opening Night fire alarm sure was interesting, no?
Why This Shot --
Chris and Carlye were awesome in their respective portrayals of Gaston and Belle. With their superb comic timing and the deep well of acting experience they both have, they killed the roles. For this scene to work, their timing, grace and facial poise had to be perfect. I'd seen them practice this move before so I knew where I had to be to get the image I wanted.
Dir - David Nanny
Sam Mandelbaum in The Glass Menagerie
Not really a light and happy story on its best day but Molly Cox's version of this classic took it in a thoroughly new direction. Her team didn't change a lick of dialogue but resetting the "illusion" to take place at a mid-century mental institution was brilliant! It gave new life and breath to Tennessee Williams' words.
Why This Shot --
Sam created and nurtured so many little tics that made his Tom Wingfield beyond perfect for the new setting. Never going over the top or being cartoonish, he used every inch of the space to great effect. As other characters were in their scenes, Sam would be watching his "family" and he'd be taking notes on their behavior, using them as material for future writings.
Dir - Molly Cox
David Fenrich in All is Calm
Yup. Still my favorite musical. I've been so lucky to work with various casts of this show over the years and they're all superb humans.
Why This Shot --
Because of its utter simplicity. Nicholas Ponting's set and Dan Heggem's lighting are always a huge part of any show but the restrained use of resources was so masterful on this set because the feel of cold and sparseness was so vital to the story.
David Fenrich's voice is stellar but his ability to, in silhouette even, portray the loneliness and madness of war shone out through his simple, shrugged stance.
Dir - George Green and Bill Gundry
Holly Clifford in Fool for Love
This cannot be a FUN show of which to be a part. It's difficult to imagine the inner demons that an actor might have to bring up and harder still to imagine how to face them, encompass them into a performance and come out normal at the end of a show's run. I admire all of the actors involved with dramas like this.
Why This Shot --
Sam Shepard's play is not for the faint of heart, either for the actors or patrons. Holly's portrayal of May was stunning and chilling from start to finish. Whether the emotional pain was being hurled at her from her love interest or if it came from the demons and guilt she carries with her, the weight of all of her love, desires, and fears hammers her at the end of the play and the manner in which she projected that was magnificent.
Dir - George Green
The Secret Garden
This show was another fine example of less being more. The RHR stage was far more stripped down that in most other shows but that doesn't mean that the set wasn't intricate in its own way. Sliding curtain, moving "gardens", and light design that moved the story along and added chills to each scene.
Why This Shot --
This shot almost didn't happen! The idea for it was from Nicholas Ponting. The yellow light is something the patrons saw only for an instant at a time. It was flashed on and off as lightning during the storms but for this shot we staged the scene as if the kids were captured in the flash of lightning. Corina and the kids managed to make the very best of the moment, no? Keep an eye on Nickie and Ashley. They're gonna be stars.
Dir - Laura Michelle Hoadley
Disgraced
A simple dinner party with friends. What could go wrong?
Why This Shot --
This was one of the very first images we took on our media day and I was surprised and amazed at how quickly and easily the cast got into their characters and enacted their dinner routines. The banter seemed normal and natural, their dining movements seemed smooth, and their demeanor and postured displayed the perfect "before the storm" comfort. The set and lighting were simple/complex enough to turn our Cellar into a trendy Manhattan apartment. A perfect setting for the worst dinner party ever.
Dir - David Rinear
Urinetown, the Musical
This show is now easily in my top three musicals ever. With the power trio of Tim Hedgepeth, Andrew Hendley and Courtnie Mercer covering direction, music, and movement, Urinetown used every inch of the stage, performed superbly the very complex score, and got the most out of every set piece and lighting element.
Why This Shot --
OK. The artsy stuff was awesome but I chose this image because it captures the utter ridiculousness of the ensemble. Yes, the leads were all superb but this show NEEDS a bright, loud, colorful, occasionally stupid cast of background characters. There was not a weak link in the show ... nor in this picture. If you saw it, you know what I mean.
Dir - Time Hedgepeth
Crimes of the Heart
I'd seen this drama a few times and never liked it. I won't get into why but this cast and this show changed my opinion. Maybe it was the casting or the cast. Maybe it was Bill Gundry's use of the space and his pacing. Who knows! It was awesome and the critics and patrons loved it. So did I.
Why This Shot --
LOOK at that set! Once again, Nicholas Ponting and Dan Heggem turned the Cellar into another piece of visual, useable art. As the space is so intimate and close to the patrons, any half-hearted efforts or cheapness will be easily spotted. Not in this house and not in this show.
Dir - Bill Gundry
Danielle Renae King in HAIRSPRAY
Hairspray is a fun and colorful show but it also has a strong point about race relations and equality. This, the biggest cast of the season, took that message and material, treated it with honor and class, and created the best season closer we've seen in a while.
Why This Shot --
Power. Pure, raw power!
D#mn! That lady can sing! In addition to that, her stance in that shot, her movements leading up to it and in the whole show demanded that you look at and listen to her. The very first time I met her was during the portrait shoot. She was funny and polite and awesome and I loved her right away. I imagine she gets that a lot.
Dir - Omar Leos
Y'all ready for the next season?
Best Portraits of the 16-17 Season at The Playhouse
With the opening of 'Hairspray', I've completed my first season as the photographer for The Playhouse. These are my picks as the best for each of the nine shows.
My first full season shooting for The Playhouse San Antonio has come to an end and I couldn't be more pleased with the numerous opportunities I had to meet the cool folks that populate the theater community and San Antonio on the whole. I started my tenure at the very tail end of the 2015-16 Season and I was able to shoot Two Sisters and a Piano, directed by Omar Leos who also directed Hairspray, this year's season closer. The Circle of Life.
For the nine shows in the season, I created a total of 56 images that made it into the public as official portraits. Of those, these are my favorites. Sometimes I chose them for the story behind them or merely that they pleased me the most. Feel free to have others be your favorites but here are mine.
Enjoy!
Beauty and the Beast
Jeff Jeffers - The Beast
Costume-wise, this is as difficult of a show as you might suspect so we only had time to create ONE portrait. The Artistic Director, George Green, wanted a show that was slightly darker and more ominous that previous iterations and the costumery and wardrobe that the team created certainly matched that.
Jeff is an accomplshed actor with a rich background and I think that he found the sweet spot between the scary beast and the wounded prince in his portrayal. Well done, Sir.
The Glass Menagerie
Gloria Sanchez-Molina - Amanda Wingfield
Without changing a single bit of the script or stage direction, The Playhouse and Director Molly Cox crafted an entirely new look at this venerable (koff - overdone - koff) classic and made history. The Glass Menagerie sold every seat for every show and gave San Antonio audiences an immersive experience in the mid-century mental hospital instead of a mere St. Louis apartment.
While 'Amanda Wingfield' was already a dynamic yet wounded character, Gloria's representation of her set a new standard, IMHO.
All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914
Nicholas Ponting
I've stated for the record that this is my absolute favorite piece of theater and I've been lucky enough to shoot it before. It's coming back again for the 2017-18 Season and we already have ideas on how to make the next round fresh and exciting.
This guy, Nick, is amazing. Not only did he have a hand in every show this season as the theater's Resident Designer, he has also performed in 3 of them. For All is Calm, he also served as the Musical Director, channeling the voices of all those trained singers into one magical wall of sound. As an actor, he was masterful at his ability to show strength through gentleness.
Fool for Love
Bill Gundry - The Old Man
If a photographer can't take a good pic of Bill, that photographer should just get rid of the camera. The character, history, and color on this man's face tell stories that others have never heard. As 'The Old Man' in the play, he was tasked to be a silent observer, always judging and occasionally chiming in with his faulty, biased memories and opinions.
"I got nobody now! Nobody!"
The Secret Garden
Corina Zars - Mrs. Medlock
Nobody should be this talented AND kind at the same time. Though I had already worked with her on Beauty and the Beast, I didn't really get to know Corina until this show. Up until then, her reputation as an artist and a super human was well-known but I just couldn't believe that she was as universally loved as folks said.
The rumors were true. From my first days in town, she has been simply wonderful on stage and off and she's earned all the kind words about her. Imagine my surprise when she portrayed 'Mrs. Medlock' as such a thoroughly repulsive woman!
The mystical nature of The Secret Garden inspired me to try a few new tricks and create the aged but ethereal portraits.
Disgraced
Megan Van Dyke - Jory
I chose Megan's pic for two main reasons. In the most simple way, the image captures what matters in the play; her quiet fierceness, the controversial art piece, a hint of wine, and the austerity of the NY apartment. Second, Megan's portrayal of 'Jory' was so very much in line with her presentation for the portrait. Quiet and fierce. Without unneccesary dramatics, she let you know exactly what her opinion was.
Urinetown
Carrie Daniels - Little Becky Two Shoes
Carrie is another person that has greatly helped the 2016-17 Season be the success it was as she has had her hand in all of the productions. She performed in Beast, The Secret Garden, and Urinetown, she was Stage Manager or crew for several productions in the Cellar and she worked on the creation of all the sets. On top of that, her on stage ability is superb, seemingly getting better with each show.
As 'Little Becky', Carrie created a dirty, loathsome little wretch that (forgive me) still managed to be very hot. Weird, I know.
I look forward to her stage appearances next season.
Crimes of the Heart
Rosa Gardner - Chick Boyle
This is another example of a super nice person portraying such a magnificent (rhymes with Witch) on stage. Rosa was with The Playhouse in The Secret Garden and is now in Hairspray.
We kept the portraits simple in keeping with the early 70s look and feel of the play but Rosa, especially, managed to make the viewer (or at least me) feel like her portait was about to say something snotty and rude.
Hairspray
Kass Ortiz - Tracy Turnblad
First, a confession ...
I didn't like this show before The Playhouse did it. I won't get into why but I'll state very clearly that this production won me over. It's the biggest cast I've seen on this stage and everyone of them moves with purpose and energy. No wasted moments.
THIS kid is front and center for almost every moment of it and for every moment, she is a radiant ball of fire. I suspected that would be the case when we created these portaits and Kass didn't disappoint.
Kettel Bells
Hairspray - Portraits
'Hairspray' opened up this weekend at The Playhouse. Their season closer, LOTS of folks have been waiting for this gem to arrive!
When the CEO/Artistic Director, George Green, and I were discussing what to do with the portraits for Hairspray, the word that he said that struck me most was "loud".
We had some back and forth with a few different proofs but some of my initial ideas were not loud enough. After a few tweaks and a few more proofs sent, I got the go-ahead and started working in earnest.
I'll say that these were the most intense images that I've created in a long time. Each one took about an hour just for the final editing and all the shooting, reshoots and batch editing took several days on their own. Well worth it though. I truly love helping a show and its team succeed by getting the patronage excited with these portraits.
Based on the packed houses and standing ovations that they received at all three shows this weekend, I know for a fact that the patrons were pleased.
Congratulations to Director Omar Leos and his team for ending The Playhouse's 2016-17 Season with a smash hit!
As the 2016-17 Season is on its last show, very soon I'll be posting my favorite portraits from each of the 9 shows in the season and another post with my favorite show images. Stay Tuned!
Loud enough for ya? I think so.
Hairspray runs at The Playhouse San Antonio through Aug 6. Tickets and info can be found HERE!