Boston Ballet / Don Quixote

[rutt]

I shot these on 18 October, but by the time I got them approved and post processed, it's three weeks later. All were shot with Canon 5D + 135mm f/2.0, except as noted. All were shot raw and post processed with essentially the same workflow (http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=206778&postcount=9).

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/107835812-L.jpg
Lorna Feijóo & Yury Yanowsky
f/3.5 @ 1/500 / ISO 1250

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/107835512-L.jpg
Lorna Feijóo & Yury Yanowsky
f/3.2 @ 1/640 / ISO 1600

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/107835687-L.jpg
Lorna Feijóo
f/2.8 @ 1/640 / ISO 1250

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/107835885-L.jpg
Lorna Feijóo
85mm f/1.2
f/2.5 @ 1/800 / ISO 1600

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/107839718-L.jpg
Kathleen Breen Combes
f/2.2 @ 1/500 / ISO 1250

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/107843287-L.jpg
Kathleen Breen Combes
f/3.2 @ 1/500 / ISO 1250

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/107835618-L.jpg
Sabi Varga
f/2.0 @ 1/640 / ISO 1250

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/107835764-L.jpg
Sabi Varga, Melissa Hough & Sarah Wroth
f2.2 @ 1/500 / ISO 1250

[alan_potter]

Outstanding! Excellent timing, wonderful natural-looking colour, great DOF. Tremendous exposure too, avoiding blown highlights.

Well done! I'm jealous, and now going to go and look at your workflow!

regards,
/alan

[alan_potter]

Okay. I've now read your workflow, and I feel very stupid. I know you're writing in English, but...

...I guess I'll be putting that book on my Christmas gift list!

regards,
/alan

[johnstoy]

The mastery of the art, lets the performer make it look so effortless...the faces of every single performer on these stage settings, is absolutely fantastic...

Congratulations on your success...and thank you for sharing a treasured experience...

[rutt]

Don't feel stupid. I've been working on this particular workflow for about a year and on Dan Margulis' techniques for 4 years and I have to struggle sometimes.

There is no substitute for giving it a try yourself. I think my tutorial is explicit enough so you can follow as a step-by-step with your own image.

Reading Dan's books is a great thing to do. If you can, buy both the LAB book and Professional Photoshop, 5th Edition (which will be available in a week or so.) I was a beta-reader for this last and learned a ton.

Okay. I've now read your workflow, and I feel very stupid. I know you're writing in English, but...

...I guess I'll be putting that book on my Christmas gift list!

regards,
/alan

[alan_potter]

I fear it's my background knowledge that's lacking.

As a couple of examples, I often find that people talk about using a particular belnding mode, but I need to go back to basics and understand the "why did you use this" rather than the "what did you do".

Another thing: in the section "Remove the blue cast with RGB curves", the graph seems to be boosting blue to me. Again, I realise that I am probably misunderstanding. I have learned very little other than the basics of Photoshop, I know that I have a lot of learning to do.


What I have seen is that the technique you recommend obviously works well, and I shall endeavour to acquire the skills I need to understand how to use it and, more importantly, how to adapt these techniques to my own requirements, picture by picture.


regards,
/alan

[rutt]

Man, there's nothing like watching the professional ballet dancers. They exist on a totally different physical level from the rest of humanity, even other fine athletes. A lot of work and sacrifice goes into this, but life isn't fair, and talent counts, too.

BB has quite a few Eastern European male dancers. Sabi is one. He told me that he was chosen by the state sports system for soccer when he was a kid. But it was too easy and not satisfying enough. He found ballet and something hard and artistically satisfying.

One afternoon, I was in the studio and it was quiting time on Friday. A soccer ball appeared. The men headed it back and forth effortlessly for about 10 minutes. No misses. No obvious effort at all.

The mastery of the art, lets the performer make it look so effortless...the faces of every single performer on these stage settings, is absolutely fantastic...

Congratulations on your success...and thank you for sharing a treasured experience...

[rutt]

Feel free to ask detailed question on the dgrin thread! I'd love to answer them. These are good questions and the answers are likely to help others as well.

I fear it's my background knowledge that's lacking.

As a couple of examples, I often find that people talk about using a particular belnding mode, but I need to go back to basics and understand the "why did you use this" rather than the "what did you do".

Another thing: in the section "Remove the blue cast with RGB curves", the graph seems to be boosting blue to me. Again, I realise that I am probably misunderstanding. I have learned very little other than the basics of Photoshop, I know that I have a lot of learning to do.


What I have seen is that the technique you recommend obviously works well, and I shall endeavour to acquire the skills I need to understand how to use it and, more importantly, how to adapt these techniques to my own requirements, picture by picture.


regards,
/alan

[johnstoy]

Man, there's nothing like watching the professional ballet dancers. They exist on a totally different physical level from the rest of humanity, even other fine athletes. A lot of work and sacrifice goes into this, but life isn't fair, and talent counts, too.

BB has quite a few Eastern European male dancers. Sabi is one. He told me that he was chosen by the state sports system for soccer when he was a kid. But it was too easy and not satisfying enough. He found ballet and something hard and artistically satisfying.

One afternoon, I was in the studio and it was quiting time on Friday. A soccer ball appeared. The men headed it back and forth effortlessly for about 10 minutes. No misses. No obvious effort at all.

Ballet has to be appreciated for all the effort, physically and artistically...additionally, to mature creatively, is a major undertaking and effort that requires diligent devotion over years of time...

It is one thing to achieve command of a subject physically...to incorporate artistry at it's highest level of interpretation as music and dance requires, is an accomplishment few attain...

I admire these theatrical ballet ensembles for what they accomplished...you certainly selected a tremendous subject for photographing...Kudos to you...

[alan_potter]

I went to ballet lessons for about a year in my early thirties. Every lesson I came away depressed, realising how much more I didn't know... I have so much respect for what these people can do.

I'm going to get the book, rutt, and you can be sure I'll join you on the dgrin thread once I have a clue what I'm talking about. Thanks for the invitation!

regards,
/alan

[rutt]

Man, do I ever know that feeling. At Boston Ballet, I have to remember, these are elite dancers in their primes who started when they were very young. Think of the sacrifice they have made! No college, paid like student interns, career over at 35-40. In return, they get to live on a higher physical level than most of us can even imagine. And of course, they get to be wonderful artists.

I went to ballet lessons for about a year in my early thirties. Every lesson I came away depressed, realising how much more I didn't know... I have so much respect for what these people can do.

[DwightMcCann]

Rutt, it is a real joy to see you here again with your stunning ballet images ... these are absolutely amazing ... I expect they make amazing prints. I have still not gotten shifted to PS CS2 of RAW ... I am just too busy to learn anything new ... but I still have the best of intentions.

[puddlepirate44]

Although I'm not a huge fan of ballet, I have always been impressed with the dedication that it takes to be at this level. Beautiful shots, you caught the feel of the opus.

However, I have to say, how in the world do you turn Don Quixote into a ballet? My mind's eye can't envision a ballet troupe storming a windmill. :)

[DwightMcCann]

However, I have to say, how in the world do you turn Don Quixote into a ballet? My mind's eye can't envision a ballet troupe storming a windmill. :)
So, Puddle, have you ever seen "The Fat Lady Sing!" She could rush a windmill, easy! :rolleyes:

[puddlepirate44]

So, Puddle, have you ever seen "The Fat Lady Sing!" She could rush a windmill, easy! :rolleyes:

Now, see, that's opera. 'Tho' I'm a Gilbert and Sullivan fan, I've been to some other nice operas, and yes, I've seen some pretty big singing women that could take on a windmill. I've even seen Quixote done in opera... but ballet? Obviously it's been done, and, as these pictures portray, done well.