dance

Ceren /  by Masumi Taguchi

I'm starting with a side thought, because this is my space. 

In this commercialized world, we are often pushed to think about what attire to wear on our bodies. Clothes can help accentuate who we are and also serve as an outward expression of us. Oftentimes it does. What I love about dance is that our souls with our bodies are at that podium. When it comes to dance and attire, in my opinion less is more. When shooting with somebody I want to have the dancer's core speak. I want their soul, working in unison with their body to whisper, shout, cry, mumble, rejoice. The clothes should not constrict the dancer unless it is particularly supposed to.

Moving onto movement. 

Make it Subtle.

When it comes to dance and modeling, I often see big, grand movements. Those are lovely in and of itself, but I prefer to ask the audience to notice the smaller, more subtle motions that are being displayed to have them really focus on the person, to listen to what they are saying.

When a viewer sees a photo, my goal is to have them ask, "why is that girl's hand flopping downward?" "Why is she looking at the hand?" "Why is she looking away?" This of course, all in attempt to have somebody be in the present moment, which is something I personally strive to do more often. As a person who has anxiety, my mind is always in the future, so I love moments where I get to be in the present. 

Cheers,
Masumi

LambaLena on 35mm /  by Masumi Taguchi

The Portland Zouk community is really grateful to have Lena join the land of evergreen, awesome food carts & weirdness. Lena specializes in Lambada, which is a lovely partner dance style that I hope to one day dance well. 

You can easily see from the photos that Lena has experience with ballet and contemporary dance, dance forms that amaze me always. What is best about having her as a new instructor here in Portland though is really, her silly personality. Anyone who knows her would most likely describe her as cute & silly. Quirky. Personable, & respectable. As a Japanese person, I'm happy to have happa Lena to speak Japanese with too!

Thanks for being here Lena ^^. 

Masumi

Nikki: Kindness /  by Masumi Taguchi

A few months ago I had the privilege of shooting with contemporary dancer Nikki Leopold. For those who already know my shooting style, we started off by dancing improv to some music. Many dancers have lovely movement but there was something extremely different with Nikki. Moments within her dancing, I started to feel emotional. Her movement demonstrated something that deeply moved me. It was unfeigned kindness. Accepting of pain that may be received, yet understanding of circumstances, still kind. 

That is what I love about improv - to me it is the open door to showing you who are. At least for myself when dancing improv, though my technique may often lack my emotions are expressed, putting heart into movement. I appreciated her demonstrating her genuine self. As a photographer it is my job to photograph the beauty of somebody's authenticity and to have viewers feel what I feel. To see the beauty that I see. 

The images from this session made such an impression upon me that I wanted to create a book of it for my photo show that came around the next month. Sadly it did not work out but I hope that you enjoy the photos. I hope that you can feel the kindness that I felt that day.

Masumi

Analog Moments: Moe /  by Masumi Taguchi

During these past few days Portland has been blessed with days of lovely blue skies. Did you get a chance to feel the sun rays? Here are some lovely shots I got to create with Portland dancer Moe Yamamoto

Due to gigs and meetings my trip to Australia has been pushed back to June, but this month I am planning on taking a little solo trip. Somewhere, sometime. For now I plan to keep it to myself until taking off. 

See you again, folks.

Moe Yamamoto: Rain Dance /  by Masumi Taguchi

Portland has been seeing a lot of rain these days. It's nothing to complain about, given that all of this rain is what makes this beautiful land it's lush green color. About two weeks ago I got to shoot with this ballet dancer Moe Yamamoto, and as forecasted, we had rain visit us. It helped us create such beautiful images. I hope the images speak to you.

We took some time to add a few accessories from fashion stylist Rei Rei Nguyen.

More dance and travel images coming to you soon.

Zouk Instructors: Marissa and Rinaldo /  by Masumi Taguchi

My Christmas trip back to California was luckily filled with family, friends and photo shoots ^^.

If you're ever down in Southern California, specifically Orange County, give Zouk dancing a try. It's actually my favorite type of partner dancing. There is a beauty about it that is just captivating. I started learning under Marissa last year and have loved it so much that I still practice it up here in Portland. 

Five Photo Shoot Tips for Dancers /  by Masumi Taguchi

Many dancers who have dedicated years of their life to the art of dance may have seen beautiful photos of others dancers and thought, "I want a photo shoot too!" If you have experienced that thought, regardless of the kind of dancer you are here are five tips to help you feel ready for your photo shoot experience. 

1. Attire

The most frequent question that is asked by dancers is a question that most clients in general wonder when going into a shoot; "What should I wear?" Keep it simple. If you were shooting with me I would tell you to come in a leotard, a simple dress, or a neutral colored shirt with dark bottoms. Unless this photo shoot is for a concept that requires a unique outfit or your dance style is one that calls for outfits out of those mentioned above then especially as a minimalist dance photographer I will tell you to again, keep it simple. 

2. Location

If you have a spot that you would love to shoot at, go for it. Having said that let me tell you what I have found throughout shooting the past years: where you shoot is not as important as who you shoot. What matters far more than the location is you as the dancer, your technique and style. When you see photos on dance magazines, Instagram and Facebook which photos make you go "wow"? You may be surprised to notice that the backgrounds may be a simple backdrop or a place that does not take attention away from the dancer. The highlight is you, not the spot. If you are looking for a specific place, pick one that you would mean a lot to you, or again if this is for a concept pick a place that compliments your theme. Besides that, I would love to tell you, don't stress about it. :)

3. Time  

If you are doing a photo shoot outdoors, go with the morning. What I appreciate most with my dancers is their willingness to take on the task of waking up early to shoot in the morning. Why? I firmly believe that the natural lighting for dancers is best at that time. I hold much respect to those who prefer to shoot during the afternoon, but I love the morning clouds and also would rather know that the lighting will be nice and even for the shoot even if you run late. The risk with afternoon shoots is that if the client falls behind on schedule, you may not have time or light left. Though I have had successful shoots during the day, I would recommend mornings.

 


 

4. When am I ready?

As artists, dancers often have something to express; a message they consciously or subconsciously convey through movement. The question as to when you are ready for a shoot is up to you to decide. As a dance photographer I feel that if you have found your dance style, if you have noticed that there are specific poses that you find yourself doing, you are more than ready to have your movement be photographed. The most beautiful shots I have been privileged to take are ones when the dancers have their own poses, their own movement. It is beautiful not only because of the technique but because it holds something precious to them. I want to shoot you of course as a dancer, but I want to shoot you as a person and what you have to share.

5. General Advice?

Lastly, here are a few notes of advice to you especially if you shoot with me.

If we shoot outdoors, you know it will most likely be in the morning. Bring warm socks. Bring extremely warm socks. Also if it is in the morning be ready to make the sacrifice for yourself of waking up early. If convenience is your goal then we are not a good match! I shoot mornings for the art of photography, not so much because I like the idea of making people wake up early for the sake of waking people up early. Now if we do a studio shoot or we are shooting in an area where there is even lighting throughout most of the day (like my new area here in Portland) things will be much different and we both may get better sleep :).

Prepare ahead of time. There is nothing like going into a shoot knowing that your signature poses are refined. I will definitely help your shots be as beautiful as can be, having the perspective of a dancer myself but as a photographer I always appreciate it when clients are prepared and ready for what they are investing in.

Be ready to do improvisation. Not only is it my favorite style of dance, but some of my most successful shots have been found while the dancer was doing improv. I truly love this style of dance because it helps me see who you are, and often the best shots are done through it. 


I hope that this has helped you feel more prepared for your photo shoot. These tips I wanted to share with you not so much to feel generous on this Monday morning, but for the art of dance and my love for it. If you have any more questions feel free to drop them down below.

M Kat