The days are getting lighter
Janell Pepper takes a break a the 2018 Wisconsin State Dancesport Competition in Milwaukee.
“You’re either sucking air, or you’re sucking dirt. If you’re sucking dirt, you can’t complain, and if you’re sucking air, you’ve got nothing to complain about. — Robert Kunkel Jr., a Vietnam veteran who works with wounded soldiers.
It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything. I had rotator cuff surgery on Dec. 31. Recovery is going well, but slowly, as expected. I have been restricted in my use of my right hand. I never realized how cameras were designed for right-handed people until I could not use mine. But I have not let this “time off” go to waste. I have been studying photographic methods on YouTube and practicing my editing skills, slowly and painstakingly, on Capture One. I attended ImagingUSA, a three-day virtual convention put on by Professional Photographers of America, a group I joined last fall. I recently joined Praxis Photo Arts Center, a nonprofit in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and I entered one of its juried contests, this one on portraiture. I also will submit a photo for its members’ salon showing. And I recently joined the Pas de Deux dance photography group on Facebook. In short, I am making progress where I can.
The days are getting longer, which is bolstering my optimism and awakening my creative spirits. I am eager to get back to making photographs.
I just had my first physical therapy session and I can start using my right hand to type again, with minimal pain and accommodations (it takes practice to type while wearing a sling). I’m back on the dance floor, taking mostly private lessons and practicing my ballroom routines solo so that I don’t lose too much over my hiatus. And I am attending jujutsu classes once a week to observe from the sidelines and contribute where I can be helpful.
Skills have a shelf life; they require exercise, or they deteriorate and can be lost.
I am reaching out to some dance competitions to offer a relatively new service: Fine art portraits of the competitors. Every comp has floor photographers who shoot away furiously at everyone to create keepsakes for the competitors. My aim is to create wall art and storybooks dancers can use to answer the question: Why do you spend so much time and money on this activity? I will be contacting dance studios in Minnesota to offer this service as well. I also am trying to gauge interest in my services as a “personal photographer.” The idea is similar to a wedding photographer. That is, I would document an individual dancer’s rehearsals, dressing, performance and post-dance festivities for a fee. I would offer this service on a per-style, per-day or per-event basis, with the fees adjusting accordingly.
I’ve been noticing senior portrait advertisements on Facebook and Instagram recently. There are many photographers working in this space, with a wide variety of skills and prices. I have enjoyed making senior portraits myself and would love to do more as soon as my arm allows, probably in April.
If you’re interested in hiring me to make portraits, document events or create custom artwork for your home or office, please give me a buzz at 612-655-5020 or dan-browning@comcast.net.
Above all, stay well.
