Another 52 Weeks — #11
Waving the white flag after a week of entertaining extremes
I started the week shooting my first dance show in several months and ended it by driving three hours to Delaware with my son-in-law and granddaughter to watch my daughter willingly get into a fight.
In the middle of it all, my wife went on a 48-hour cross country business trip, during which I spent several hours mailing out copies of my new photo book that had been preordered.
That’s one reason — not an excuse, but an explanation — why the 11th version of “Another 52 Weeks” is later than usual. The week, a good week, has felt like a month.
Photographing “Lux: The Company Project,” Metropolitan School of the Arts’ annual show featuring its three pre-professional companies and guest artists, was an interesting challenge. It felt good to be behind the camera shooting a fast-paced event after several months away.
Typically, I don’t shoot much dance during the winter months because MSA’s performance and camp schedule is weighted toward the spring and summer. Because I was sick last December, I didn’t shoot “The Nutcracker,” so with the exception of a single alumni showcase, it’s been months since I’ve photographed dancers in action.
On show days, I usually shoot the dress rehearsal so I can move around and not be in the audience’s way. At the end, I look quickly through the photos and determine whether I need to stay for the actual performance.
This year, MSA decided to experiment with new lighting — bright, colorful rear spots that rotated, as well as numbers with dark silhouettes that forced me to rapidly change and adjust settings. Due to delays, the dancers were not able to run the final two numbers during the dress, so I stayed for the show and looked for new angles while trying to avoid the crowd.
Highlights from The Company Project
A 1 minute, 20 second video featuring stills taken last Sunday for “The Company Project.”
By the end, I had overshot — 2,000 images, later culled down to 225 — and was waving the white flag. I finally finished editing Friday afternoon and immediately got in the car to go see our daughter, Kate, fight in the 2025 USA Muaythai Grand Nationals event in Wilmington, Del.
Kate, in her first sanctioned match, lost in a decision to a much more experienced fighter, but she more than held her own and left determined to improve before her next match. Afterward, we had a lovely dinner with her husband Matt and our 2-year-old granddaughter Marley, who was a trouper throughout the day.
Watching Kate fight also was a fun experience, as much as one can be when your adult daughter is — voluntarily mind you — in a ring with someone literally trying to kick her teeth in. But, my queasiness aside, it has been a joy to watch her find an outlet and passion that brings her joy.
Thanks, as always, for visiting and supporting my work. I promise to be back on a regular publishing schedule soon.
Man, a fantastic image selection this week and an even better write up! I can't imagine the fortitude it must take to see one's child voluntarily get into a ring like that. But that's what we do as parents, right? Point them in the (hopefully) right direction and let them find their own path.