About c.c.wolfe

On this Page

• Work Cycle
• Artist Bio
• Questions and Answers
  • Where do you operate?
  • What sorts of dance companies are you looking for?
  • How much do you charge?
  • Seriously?
  • Do you do video?
  • Can you help my dance company with a website?

Once contact is established between the director or choreographer and myself, we will discuss the terms of the work. Generally, I'm interested in polishing my craft, building my portfolio of dance images, and helping struggling companies. Your dance company may want documentation of their work, an artistic collaboration, or images to be used in promotional materials. I'm comfortable with all of these uses.

Once the quid pro quo is established, the artistry can begin. We discuss the rehearsal schedule and pick out a couple of good days for me to visit.

I prefer the first visit to be very informal. I'll take snapshots of the group rehearsing, talk with the performers, and get a feel for the piece. Both dance and photography are highly rythmic; having a chance to sync up is important to me.

As opening night approaches, we'll choose a dress rehearsal at which I will photograph the performance. This will be my main shoot. Ideally, we'll have full costumes and lights at this point. My goal is to shoot as much as possible, without needing any interaction from the director or choreographer on this very busy night. All work is shot with stage lighting; for the safety of the dancers, no strobes are used. I may bring an assistant with a second camera.

Depending on the venue and the circumstances, I may wish to shoot from backstage during a live performance. Both backstage work and shots from the wings gives a dancer's-eye view that can be very compelling.

Finally, I'll grade and edit the photos and give several copies of the resulting CD-ROM to the artists.

First of all, I'm not a full-time photographer. At my day job I'm a web developer, making websites do interesting things. But I have a passion for dance imagery; translating movement into still images is a great artistic challenge.

I'm originally from Hazleton, Indiana. I've always been drawn to photography as a hobby and as a profession. While I was attending Indiana University in Bloomington, I was exposed to ballet, modern, and other forms of dance expression. Suddenly I knew I had to get behind the camera more often.

I was also busy getting a degree in Mathematics and becoming a Perl programmer.

Throughout the 12 years I spent in Bloomington, opportunities to photograph all sorts of performances presented themselves, and I eagerly clicked away. In 2003 I purchased a digital SLR, and I was finally able to get out of the darkroom for good (I'm not one of those people who gets nostalgic over an open pan of stop bath - I very much prefer bits to film!).

Today I live in central Maryland. I'm very much interested in continuing to photograph dance performances pro bono - especially struggling companies who can't afford a "real" photgrapher. If you're interested, contact me and we'll see what we can do.

Primarily in Maryland; a triangle bewteen DC, Baltimore, and Frederick. If the job interesting enough, I might travel farther.

Especially ballet; modern, ethnic, hip-hop, break and so on are all welcome, too. I'm also interested in performance artists, improvisational movement troupes, and mimes. I'm especially eager to work with newly-formed groups, with few funds or established audience. Non-profits only, in general.

Nothing. I photograph your rehearsal or performance in exchange for various rights to the photos (for example, using the photos on my website, or creating art prints). It's always negotiable. Protecting the choreographer's work and crediting the artists whose work appears in my images is always a high priority for me.

That's right, I don't charge to photograph. I'm mainly interested in expanding my portfolio and building my skills, not charging dance companies money they don't have.

No, I have no experience with video equipment (other than tripods, I suppose). Also, consider this from the choreographer's perspective: it is much easier to release still photographs than to release video while still protecting the intellectual property of the work.

Possibly. I'd want to do at least two photo shoots to establish a relationship. I would not be able to work for pay or work on a dance school's website under any circumstances.