...dancing about.

Shane up close and personal.....

 "Take a Bow" show has closed ....reasonably well attended and my demo's on performance photography had a small but enthusiastic audience over the four session on two weekends. 

Jana

Rachel

Fulsome thanks are due to Laura,  Mariah, Jana and Rachel for their sterling work on the weekend demo's.

The finalists' images will be getting another outing at a new venue.....
 Gallery Eleven40, at 1140 Malvern Rd, Malvern North 3144. 
The show will run from Friday November 30th until Friday 21st December with thanks to the Take a Bow sponsor, Gallery Eleven 40 who are responsible for the superb printing job done with the finalist images. 
Gallery hours are Monday to Friday 9am - 6pm, weekends 10am - 5pm. www.eleven40.com.au

It's satisfying when people reckon they have learnt something from you........ particularly when they work in the business, too.

 
I had the nagging suspicion after the last BIFB and it has now been confirmed from "Take a Bow", that there were two types in this medium: those who are professionally minded and involved and those who only have cameras and cyber-egos!

 
Invitation to the Dance" has also finished and I would deem it, (by comments left and offered personally), very successful.

The gels...

the fellows....

checking cossies...

 I have been attending ballet rehearsals and there are two gigs (Dance) soon... and then off to King Island to stay with film -maker friends.... rugged landscapes or limpid skies? 

L and M on the stairs at the Minerva Hall

Politics
It's a bit hard to ignore the American personality poll results. 
It's also difficult not to notice the bitter similarity's of the American conservatives' vituperative comments about Obama's win and our own conservative pollies attitudes.
One interesting observation was that for all the venom the Murdoch press had spat at the Democrats, people took little notice and it would seem that the power of the loony right-wing press may be much over-rated.
Poor Rush Limbaugh.... apoplectically useless to the last
Some disgruntled Americans sounded off (on facebook), that they would emigrate to Australia if Obama won only to be assailed by a torrent of rejection that ranged from a simple "F..k Off. We're full"!  ...... and "They would probably end up in Austria"!.......to a list (by a Felicity Ryan) of why they would not like it here:

Our Prime Minister is a unmarried woman and avowed atheist who lives with her B/F.
Her Finance Minister is a Lesbian who's just had a baby and there are other Gays openly in Parliament and in the Judiciary.
We have Universal Health Insurance (since 1975)
We have few guns and no death penalty and are pro choice for contraception and abortion,
we believe in evolution, which is taught in schools.....
...and voting is compulsary.
 It was also suggested that those who did arrive, declare their pitchforks on arrival at Tullamarine.

 Locally, 
Tony (the rabbit) Abbott's old University College, St Johns (Catholic) is copping a lot of bad press for it's endemic misogyny and appalling behaviour. 
Abbott giggled and excused it as "undergraduate fooling around"... 
Prime Minister material?.. not-on-yer-Nelly!
We've had The Melbourne Cup:.... and State of Tardis (where all goes backwards) Racing Minister, Dennis ( what's a backhander?) Napthine extols the quality and honesty in the Victorian racing scene/business/industry/take, only to have the press reveal that three senior jockeys are being investigated for being "on-the-take".  One does get the feeling that when this incompetent lot say it's BLACK, you know it's really WHITE!
State Govt. enquiry into Catholic abuse of children recieves thumbs down as it's underfunded and too like the manner in which the Church handled it's own enquiry.
Boom gates get the blame for drivers running into trains. 
Conflict of Interest is not a concept that "Big-Bird" Baillieu (Genus: Silvertail Incompetens) recognises.
Only in the Tardis State!  Sigh!

cheers Possums,
Shane.

and...Takes a Bow.

G’day Possums, 

....here we are at “Take a Bow” an interim exhibition of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale and a competition themed about performance photography.

It was held in the “Minerva Hall” a refurbished Victorian space in the Mechanics Institute in Sturt St, Ballarat.
Apart from the thirty finalists there were works by Ponch Hawkes, Ben Searcy and Jeff Busby.
These were interesting in their diversity of approach. Searcy's Rock and Roll images showed an intensity of a shared experience, whilst Busby's images from the MTC had a cool, almost disinterested observational distance to them. Ponch Hawkes' Circus Oz performers, on the other hand, as with Searcy, showed "the shared experience" not as an observer but "as one" with the performers. Particularly moving were the dense images of cuts, abrasions and rope burn marks on the performers' limbs. It was the humble "seeing", which gave these a gravitas, I felt, that in the hands of many photographers, would have only yelled, ".... look at what I've seen... look at my photographs of pain"!
I liked these pictures' sensibilite'. 

Eric making the place presentable.

Aldona cleaning and hanging works

Jeff with "Courier" 'tog.... (winning work on far right.)

Opening night

Opening night was a successful event and being a photographic one, a "Bus-men's Picnic"

some of the 'togs at the opening.....and the opening..

There were good performances from an actor, a dancer and a singer which gave the photography on the walls a deal more relevance because, I think, you tended to view the performances in a more visually aware mannner which then flowed through to responses about the exhibited images.
I found the finalists stuff a mixed bunch as it ranged from some very imaginative and skillful advertising type work right through to some pretty plain, and well, ordinary work.
Which in its own way is all to the good, as it did make you think about the subject, performance... and what it is. And how and why you photograph it.

I understand that some-one was interested in buying one of my images.... must chase that up, at least, to thank them for their interest......

Performers and comp winner Patrick Boland with judge Jeff Busby

Laura and Mariah sashaying around the Minerva

And on the weekends, yours truly, presented demos of performance photography to interested audience members with assistance from Aldona, Kristen David and Eric;
and hard work from Laura, Mariah, Jana and Rachel.
We couldn't link our camera to the "big screen", so when there were some interesting questions we would perambulate around the exhibits to clarify a point apropos the demo or a technical question; which was a good way to de-construct some of the finalists works and re-inforce the the point of the exhibition.

L and M

L and M

 The stage area of the Minerva is still being renovated but it had a really nice ambience in its old peeling painted brickwork.
 Lighting was from three 500W tungsten work lamps ( one rear OP, two DS,P) which gave pretty adequate light, albiet with a lot of blur in the images and due to the high ISO's used (3200 - 4000), plenty of noise.

Jana

Rachel

 Apparently Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), performed on this stage as part of his world speaking tour in the C19th..... which might be a fun thing to replicate if there is a record of his raconteuring and with a costume dinner ( from a C19th menu ) all candelabra lit with tables of white Damask... Ballarat Society as a performance piece... a'la Crewdson
That would all have to be recorded on Full Plate in a hand tinted image.....
.....Oops, off on a tangent.

David shooting with his 17mm shift. Multiple images to be stitched later.

Nice young couple soon to be returning to her home country, America to be wed...Good Luck.

 ...and yours truly working with L and M.

Shot by Kristen Diemer

politics......
seems that "Big Bird" Baillieu (genus: Silvertail Incompetens) and his Liarbrils are "on-the-nose" in the Tardis State (Where All Goes Backwards) and are running 10% behind Labor... one can only speculate as to how much further down they will be after the fraudulent Geoff Shaws' obscene outburst and gesture in Parliament t'other day and Baillieu's pathetic "....it was inconclusive....." response.

Unplanning Minister, Matthew (What's a Green Wedge?) Guy has announced the resurrection of a Brumby Labor plan for the development to the City Square linking to Jolimont. Baillieu (ex architect) was scathing in his criticism of Brumby's plan and stopped it after $1,000,000 had been spent on feasibility, design etc....this sort of partisan-political waste is why pollies are so distrusted.

Under-age Indigenous offender ends up spending quite some time in solitary in a adult prison.... three Baillieu ministers invited to front and report to media, hide!
Another reason trust in our systems is eroded.
Postscript: There are at least three others in similar circumstances... ruling party is "mum" on it all.... 

Mary (Ya-wanna-have-a-go?) Wooldridge can only offer a imperious Canute like, "...we will not tolerate.....etc" as Tardis State Health Dept residential services continue to implode from lack of funding.

Peter (I-Know-Nuffin) Ryan, Police Minister still maintains he knows nuffin about what goes on in his office.... and with the Justice System in this State a shambles why should he?

Federal Labor's coolest head and "best-in-show" parliamentary performer, Penny Wong has been dropped to No2 on the Senate ticket in a backroom deal to promote a right-winger who would probably be rejected by the Liarbrils as being too extreme.... Labor's death-wish knows no end!
Postscript: No 1 has decided he's really a No2 and "for-the-good-of-the-party"  Wong is back-on-top ...though damage has still been done!

Tony (the Rabbit) Abbott is in a dark place ...unable to suffer more excoriating criticism of his stupid sexist asides, comments and rants, has nothing to say...he has no policies, so...nothing to say!
You get the feeling that now when the Liarbrils try to mount an attack " ...oooh look, three months in and there are no taxes from the miners.......failure, failure, failure..doom, doom, doom....", people are giggling and looking away in embarrassment at the lack of substance in their performance and demeanour.
It's almost as if a veil has been lifted and the public's awareness that governing must have substance and that honesty is again belatedly coming to the fore as a prime political quality.

Which leaves Craig T in a un-enviable place.

Which also begs the question .... who organised the Victorian Police to liaiase with their NSW rozzer colleagues and at the same time, "tip-off" the media to document the raid on Craigs place?
All when fraudster, Geoff Shaw is being shielded by Baillieu.
What's Shaw "got" on "Big Bird" apart from a one seat majority?
Hmmmmmm, sniff the Smell of the Tardis State!

...and I've just come away from the most appalling piece of propaganda on ABC 7:30 report. Chris Uhlmann and Leigh Sales delivered a researched set-piece, 15 minute "free-Kick" to the Liarbril Party via Clive (the biggest miner) Palmer. It was the most obvious unpaid propaganda that our "8 cents-a-day" has paid for since the IPA decided that climate change was a myth and that tobacco is good for you.... with standards like that, Sales and Uhlmann would be better suited to work with Alan Jones.

Cheers Petals,
Shane

..to Flamenco and move...

G'day Possums,

Dates for the exhibition have been finalised and the title, too.
"Invitation to the Dance".
We are exhibiting at "The Bean Barn", 217 Sturt St Ballarat

from September 19th till October 28th
(dates which were picked in December last year) to co-incide with the Royal South St. ballet and calethenics competitions presenting at Her Majesties Theatre during those times.
There will also be the "Take a Bow"  performance photo comp running around this time
http://takeabow.ballaratfoto.org/
at which ( I'll also be entering the comp ) I'll be doing demonstrations of performance photography on the two weekends: 2 sessions each on Saturday and Sunday.

Below is some recent dance stuff ... the Flamenco shoot is potentially for some advertising for a performance in November / December and the ballet as part of the exhibition at Bean Barn.
Many Thanks to Ally (ballet) and Mariah (Flamenco) for their efforts and time, it was much appreciated.....for the the technically minded; ballet stuff was shot on a 5D Mk2 with either a Canon 50mm prime or a Canon 85mm prime  at 160 ISO. Four mono-blocks were used and exposure on the "sharp" stuff was 1/125 @ f16 and the blurred stuff 1/2 sec @f16 with power turned down by 2/3..... ambient light was good so the blur is real, NOT photoshop!  Shanes new portrait was from a 350D w/ a 28-75 Tamron in available light

Mariah, Flamenco.

Mariah, Flamenco

Ally, Ballet

Ally, Ballet

If any reader happens to be in Ballarat for either "Invitation to the Dance", South Street or the "Take a Bow" shows leave a note or say hello after the demo.


Politics

"Big Red" Gillard has re-vamped the oppositions' policy on offshore processing of asylum seekers and making it more draconian ... but at least she hasn't yet deported or locked up Australian citizens as did the Liarbrils' last Immigration Minister, Amanda Vanstone.

Egalitarian Australia?  Now there's a nice myth.

"The Australian" newspaper is running a new campaign against Gillard ... and it  reminds me of the sustained attacks on Whitlam and his ministers back in '74-'75.
I was living as an Art student in a share house in '76  and on the anniversary of "The Dismissal" one of the household brought out his folio collection of "The Australian's" daily front pages that dated from 74 - 75. It was extraordinary. It was like reading a piece of music; the rise and fall of invective, innuendo and half truths, the selective reporting, the adding of another "scoop" each week and watching it all reach a crescendo by the Saturday edition. By the time Whitlam's mob were devastated in the election it was positively orgasmic in its vileness.
It was shameful stuff and it still is. "Mr Rabbit" and his rabble are still using the same tactics.
They have few policy's, just tactics.
"Mr Rabbit" thinks private schools are hard done by and that public education should be payed less to balance it all out. Some private schools actually make a profit and overall cater to only 35% of school population.

Egalitarian Australia? 

Funniest moment: The Coot with queer ideas from the IPA was utterly silenced t'other day on radio by a comedic football commentator!
Football commentator did what a decent journo should have done long ago and called Coot's bluff by asking why he was always trying to mislead the public and literally telling him he talked "merde"!
The unusually long silence emmanating from the Coot with queer ideas made for surreal radio. Lovely stuff.
Cheers Echidna's,
Shane