Let’s get personal

Rob Peterson and Shauna Dodge demonstrating tango artistry.

Anyone who spends much time as a photographer will tell you it’s important to have a personal project going. It refreshes perspective and creativity and reminds you of why you love this artform. A personal project can free up your mind because you don’t have to please a client; you can just play.

I recently started a project photographing Argentine tango. I went to a few parties, called “milongas”, and made some images. Next, I asked some friends to pose for me in the studio. This is just the beginning. I plan to shoot many more dancers, both on location and in the studio, before I’m done. I expect to pursue this project through the end of the year, when I plan to go to Buenos Aires, the birthplace of Argentine tango.

The dance has a few different forms. When you ask anyone to describe Argentine tango in general they offer adjectives like sexy, intimate, passionate, intense. “Show tango” can be flamboyant, and in a way, it’s easier to photograph because the dancers often come apart and you can see both of their faces. Traditional tango, by contrast, is done in a close embrace, making it hard to get both faces in the shot. Show tango travels across the floor in sometimes dramatic fashion, with climactic dips and lifts. Whereas traditional tango travels around the edges of the dance floor in smaller, constrained moves punctuated with elegant flourishes, foot play, and embellishments.

I’m looking for models. If you can embody this dance and want to pose for me please let me know. I cannot pay you but will exchange digital images for your time and your release allowing me to publish the photos.