Tango
The world lost two great souls in the past week. Of course, it lost many more than that, but I’m referring to two people I know who built a legacy through character. One is the Rev. Zenko N. Okimura shihan, seventh dan. The other is Prof. Jane Carr, tenth dan. The terms “shihan” and “professor” in this case are synonymous honorifics, indicating a certain level of mastery in the martial arts. The term “dan” means step, and it refers to their ranks in their respective arts, Aikido and Danzan Ryu jujutsu.
The late Rev. Zenko N. Okimura shihan, 7th dan.
You might be wondering why I am writing about them in my photography blog. It’s because each of them left an impression on my life. I won’t list all of their accomplishments here or explain what they mean to me. It’s irrelevant to anyone other than myself. But with their passing I turned to my photo archives to find what images I might have of them. Shortly after they passed over the threshold to whatever lies beyond, I stepped through the photos, pulling up memories that connected me to their spirits. I am so grateful to have those photos, even the blurry ones.
Photography serves many purposes. It creates keepsakes, ranging from snapshots to portraits. It creates art, pointing behind the image itself to provoke reflection in the viewer. It offers documentary evidence of a time and place, a historical record, if you will. Best of all, it offers communion.
The late Prof. Jane Carr, tenth dan.
At the end of February I went to the Pas de Deux Photography Conference just outside of Austin, Texas. The name of the conference derives from a ballet term that refers to a dance duet. In this case, it refers to the interplay between the dancers and the photographers. The conference drew together some of the best dance photographers in the world with hand-selected dancers ranging from youth to adults. The masters of this genre shared their techniques with those of us who came to learn. They demonstrated their skills in live shoots and talked openly about their motivations, their goals, their failures and their successes. Dancers were paired with photographers for photo walks inside the hotel (it was freezing and wet outside). On the last day, when the sun finally broke out, we got some photo walks around the beautiful grounds of the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa. I left the conference invigorated, feeling that I had tapped into a community of creators — dancers and photographers alike — who seek to explore the connection in the pas de deux that can make photography meaningful.
When you select a photographer for your portrait, look for that connection in their work. Did they capture the interaction between the subject and the viewer? If there was more than one subject in the image, did the photographer explore their connection or did they simply record a flat record of the shoot? Interview your prospective photographer. Ask what they are looking for in a portrait. Ask to see examples of images where they hit the mark, or came close to it. Leave time at the end of your shoot for the photographer to explore some creative ideas that may or may not work for you. Take some chances.
Remember, it takes two to tango. When the time comes to rummage through photos of you or your loved ones, you will be glad that you hired a professional photographer who took the time for a pas de deux. Savor the interaction.
