“Ummmmm, Nichelle… It’s October!”
Yeah, yeah but as the air becomes crisp with the cooler days of autumn, it’s fun to look back on summer. This capture of a young woman bursting through a water feature is just full of exuberance.
Photographer Russ Rowland says that he has always flirted with photography but really only became a serious student in the last year or two. “I’m trying to become less of a tourist,” he jokes.
“Dance is a fascinating subject for me because it mixes the lines and sensuality of human form and beautiful movement (most times). It offers endless possibilities for experimenting and learning.”
Though Russ describes his friend, band-mate, and photo subject, Becca Ayers as “an amazing actress and singer/songwriter,” I’m willing to wager that she’s got at least a little dance training in her background too. Of the shoot, Russ says, “We were in Brighton Beach and found this playground with a wonderful spraying fountain. We just started shooting and having fun. It was very spontaneous.”
Oh, and the band-mate thing? Russ and Becca are the musical duo behind Baby Goes Bang, an indie act with some really sweet tunes. I would encourage you to check them out. You can find the album on iTunes, or head to the website for a listen.
I asked Russ to title his work and he offered this delightful heading which is sadly a little long for our purposes, but it reads like a song lyric. He says,
“To me, so much of life is a dance, I’m just trying to trade in one of my left feet.”
About the photographer: Russ Rowland really just photographs the things he can’t paint or put into words. You can see more of his photos at www.rrsnapshop.zenfolio.com, or on his Flickr profile. He loves meeting and seeing the work of other photographers and hopes people will make contact.
Nichelle Suzanne is a writer specializing in dance and online content. She is also a dance instructor with over 20 years experience teaching in dance studios, community programs, and colleges. She began Dance Advantage in 2008, equipped with a passion for movement education and an intuitive sense that a blog could bring dancers together. As a Houston-based dance writer, Nichelle covers dance performance for Dance Source Houston, Arts+Culture Texas, and other publications. She is a leader in social media within the dance community and has presented on blogging for dance organizations, including Dance/USA. Nichelle provides web consulting and writing services for dancers, dance schools and studios, and those beyond the dance world. Read Nichelle’s posts.
