Motion Studies: National Dance Company Wales at The Place

A few weeks ago National Dance Company Wales held an open rehearsal session ahead of their performance at The Place. 

It was a unique opportunity for artists and dance fans - either to take a peek behind the scenes and really admire a fraction of the hard work that goes into those physical and beautiful pieces, or to sketch, photograph, write about or just observe freely without worrying about disturbing fellow audience members or breaking any rules. 

As a theatre and arts photographer I'm privileged to see many of these behind the scenes moments while photographing rehearsals or shows; this was different in that I was only photographing for myself and therefore could be a bit more experimental. I played a lot with long exposures, moving myself or keeping the camera static, with what happens when you put the camera out of focus on purpose, and even tried freelensing for the first time (conclusion: the effect is beautiful but when your subjects are also moving it's even more difficult!). 

It was also a wonderful sensation to have creativity happening behind you in the stalls as well as in front of you on the stage. The air in the room was almost crackling with it and we all shared gleeful smiles as we left for the sheer pleasure of making something all together. 

Warm-ups for me

Warm-ups for the dancers

Moving camera on tripod to follow the dancers across the stage (above and below)

Free-motion capture (above and below left) 

I had time to play with the exposures to balance out tracking the dancers' movements with retaining some detail

The studio becomes like a cinema screen, each cell a fragment of time, movement, energy 

Winding back down, unfocusing, loosening muscles

Thank you very much to both companies, the choreographer and most of all to the dancers for the opportunity - head to The Place's website and sign up to the mailing list to find out about more such classes.

And of course I couldn't resist a few classic shots...so much grace, so much sinew

Satinder Chohan

Looking through my archives this week I couldn't believe that I'd never posted these images of writer Satinder Chohan. I love working with natural light and with my trusty 50mm f1.8 lens and this shoot was just the perfect example of why I think simple is best.

Shot on commission for Tamasha Theatre, they're some of my favourite portraits ever. Not to blow my own trumpet - much of this is down to Satinder's natural charisma and beauty - but there is also something a little bit Leibovitz about the lighting here. Just goes to show that ingenuity goes a long way, since Satinder and I had limited time together and we found a black builder's hoarding as a backdrop for our shoot in the Docklands! 

The light was that perfectly crisp yet refracted winter sun, bouncing off buildings to wrap and define her striking features (and her incredible hair, which reaches to her knees and shines like silk). 

I also shot promotional and rehearsal images for Satinder's powerful drama about modern motherhood and the politics of surrogacy, Made in India, which is currently touring and getting great reviews so do catch it if it's at a venue near you.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of my favourite plays and certainly one of my favourite Shakespeare pieces. The dreamy fairies, the rude Mechanicals, the play-within-a-play; all seem to inspire some extremely funny, lively, beautifully designed productions. I recently photographed a new version for Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and it was totally gorgeous. All the sets and costumes looked like a Vogue spread and the performances were on point! The show continues to run tonight and tomorrow but looks like it's sold out!

Director: Steven Grihault
Set and Costume Designer: Susannah Henry
Lighting Designer: Adam King
Pictured: Rikké Haughem as Puck

Jack Rooke: Good Grief

Jack and I met at Bang Said the Gun much earlier this year and got to talking about dead dads and malt loaf. As you do. All of this chat lead to an extreme photoshoot which required me to dangle myself off a balcony over a concrete floor some ten feet below while Jack reclined in a flowery cardboard coffin full of junk food. Once we'd nailed his poster shot (above) and some general portraits we also took the coffin for a little walk outside, much to the surprise and amusement of the good denizens of Shoreditch. 

Jack's gorgeous show Good Grief is opening at the Underbelly in Edinburgh in just a few days time and you'd be an absolute tit to miss it if you're there. RUN AND GET YOUR TICKETS NOW OKAY.

Thanks to Rich Mix for hosting the shoot, to Conor Jatter for the graphic design, and to Soreen for apparently being legends. 

Clean Break on location in Hackney

More publicity images; this time for the brilliant theatre company Clean Break's new production Pests. Shot at a fabulous / scuzzy / stinky / dream location - an abandoned block of flats in Hackney. I ran up and down the stairs looking for good spots for photographing and there were almost too many to choose from.

Writer Vivienne Franzmann.

Sinéad Matthews as Pink and Ellie Kendrick as Rolly.

Director Lucy Morrison.

Ellie Kendrick as Rolly.

Ellie and Sinéad.

Sinéad Matthews as Pink.

I joined the trailer shoot to take these photos; the design was by Joanna Scotcher with lighting design by Fabiana Piccioli.

The play opens today and runs until June: for tour stops and to book tickets visit the Clean Break website. 

Ipswich sunset

I was in Ipswich last week for the Spill festival of performance where I experienced the brilliant work of my pal's company 11:18. Check them out won't you?

An exhibition of photography oh my!

Exciting news guys...I'm having a little exhibition of some recent photographs! See below for all that slightly-weird-third-person info. Would love to see you there.

Photographs by Katherine Leedale

Katherine Leedale, performance photographer for The Yard, will be exhibiting recent work at the theatre from 30 October - 11 November.

The Cabinet of Smash and Grab

A hive-like hum, marble veins running through the floor; a man sits in contemplation or to rest his bones; a girl stretches to lay her hand on an obelisk; a woman reaches her camera above her head to steal a shot. An ongoing series of photographs taken in museums.

Local Shift 

A new piece, created especially for this exhibition, exploring Hackney Wick and the surrounding area.

Opening 31 October 7.30-9.30pm. All welcome. 

The Yard Theatre
Queen’s Yard
Hackney Wick
London
E9 5EN 

Kate Tempest at Frank's

I try hard not to play favourites among photoshoots and to love them all equally. However there are those shoots where location, subject, lighting, (or maybe just the stars) align and I particularly like the results. A month or so ago I shot the poet, rapper, soon-to-be novelist and all round brilliant Kate Tempest for her forthcoming show Brand New Ancients (at Battersea Arts Centre in the autumn). We went to the top of the multistorey car park in Peckham, now reincarnated as the brilliant Frank's Cafe and shot at dusk, as the lights were beginning to spark and the twilight lay luminous violet across the city. After shooting there we scampered down onto the streets, surprising the good shopkeeps of Rye Lane with Kate's rhymes. Below, the top image is the one BAC chose, plus a few of my faves.

And here's one of me in action - I wasn't trying to match my trousers to her top, it's purely accidental!

Recent work

A small selection of shoots for various clients...

 

Production photography for Battersea Arts Centre (above, the company is Forced Ents), and The Yard in Hackney Wick (below).

Below: documenting the opening of the permanent installation of Peckham's Peace Wall, initiated and curated by Peckham Shed inclusive theatre company. (You'll see more of my shots on their website).

Below: Poet Michael Rattigan, shot for independent press Rufus Books.

Below: the brilliant Samantha Mann (this became publicity for creator Adrian Gillott's Edinburgh show).

Some of these shoots happened a ways back but I get quite behind on posting work images; many of them have a lead time of several months and I can't really upload them until they've been released by the client.

The Red Room

Love a Lynchian corridor.

Return to The Yard

If what I hear is true is on now until 19 May.

Hackney Wick

I'm back at The Yard theatre photographing in the next few months and as a prelim went to the Hackney canal a few weeks ago to capture some of the residents at play in the sunshine. Previous shoots from The Yard are here, and their website here. Shows are on again now. *Photo note: I've been applying my new-found tilt-shift knowledge to the image of the canal boats and of the little girl playing in the traveller park. I know it's overdone but it looks so lovely.*Fashion note: the crimson, mint green, buttercup yellow, deep purple, and aqua in these shots would be great touchstones for clothing. Clashy goodness.