Montreal Dancers: Andréanne

January 1, 2018 Morgan Petroski

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

ballet dancer reflected in pool in montreal

Dancer: Andréanne

Location: World Trade Centre Montreal and surrounding area

Want to schedule a shoot? Contact me here.

Montreal Swing Riot 2017

December 7, 2017 Morgan Petroski

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

November 12, 2017 Morgan Petroski

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.

alice reads a book as the white rabbit peeks from behind a carrot

dancers in 1920s red and blue inspired costumes do charleston

woman dressed as queen of hearts with cards and dragon

queen of hearts with cards flying in the air

three girls in purple top with leg raised to knee

cast of alice in jazzland around table of flowers

Yjastros Flamenco Company

May 16, 2016 Morgan Petroski

In April I was able to shoot some of Albuquerque's professional flamenco dancers. Below are just a few of my favorite photos from one of their rehearsals before a performance. This recent shoot for the Albuquerque Journal of Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company ended up being the cover of the Life in New Mexico section for the week.

Read the full story by Adrian Gomez here: Dancing a way of life for Yjastros members

Enjoy!

Swingin' Denver - Promo Photos

June 26, 2015 Morgan Petroski

What happens when you have 21 amazing dancers and you have under three hours to photograph them? You move fast and have them on their feet and in the air as much as possible! (And making the occasional silly face.)

If you've kept up with my blog you might remember I photographed the Steve & Chanzie Denver Workshop back in December that Swingin' Denver put on. So when Kenny asked me to shoot some promotional photos of Swingin' Denver's instructors and new dance troupe (The Ladies and Gentlemen) I couldn't wait! I knew this was going to be a fun afternoon!