Spring dance recital - FINALLY! Dance season is over.

[DVC Jen]

Never thought we would make it through this year. Saturday was the annual spring dance recital. The studio is so large they break the recital down from one large long recital into two smaller shorter (still 2-3 hours) recitals. Well Emily had to perform in both since she is in both the opening ballet production and jazz finale routines.

Here are some photos from the recital/s on Saturday. Most of these were taken from the 2nd recital. She had 5 routines in that one and the lighting was better (theater students were doing the lighting).

Ballet Production

Jazz

Lyrical

HipHop

Jazz Finale

I am having a major proud Mom moment. She did great. I cried a few tears. We are all looking forward to a small break. We leave for WDW this Friday and dance starts back up for the summer session a few days after we get back.

 

[dr_zero]

Looks great!

My daughter takes dance and its never easy to get good shots they are moving so fast and poor lighting really hurts!

How far where you from the dancers when you took those?

What kind of lens and camera?

 

[blestmom]

Yes, I'd like to know what kind of camera you used as well, and maybe the settings? I bought a camera last summer that is supposed to be good for low-light photography, but I still don't know how to use it very well. I tried to take a few pictures at my daughter's dance recital, but they look pretty bad compared to yours...yours are fantastic!

And...from another 'dance' mom...CONGRATS to your daughter! She is beautiful, and looks like superb dancer.

 

[DVC Jen]

thanks

Since we had to be there an hour and a half before the first recital - for practice I was able to get a great seat in the front row. I was maybe 12-15 feet, 20 at the most from the end of the stage.

I have a canon 30D and used my canon 28-135IS lens. I had my ISO up to 1600 with the camera in shutter priority mode - it was set at 1/125. I did run the photos through noise reduction software. I also shot the photos in raw mode and lightened SOME (not all) of them up a bit (about one stop) when I was processing them.

If I would have been any further back I wouldn't have gotten photos nearly as good - not that these are perfect by any means - but they are passable.

Blestmom - thanks. This was Emily's 12th year in dance. She started when she was 3. I have a feeling she is going to feel a bit lost when she is finished with high school and leaves the studio. No idea if she will continue dancing in some way after high school or not. I can't imagine her just stopping.

Good luck to your daughter/s as well.

 

[Gdad]

Great work Jen- I am shooting at my daughters recital this weekend. I hope I do as well.

 

[DVC Jen]

Great work Jen- I am shooting at my daughters recital this weekend. I hope I do as well.

thanks. I am sure you will - if not better. Good luck to her.

 

[blestmom]

thanks

I have a canon 30D and used my canon 28-135IS lens. I had my ISO up to 1600 with the camera in shutter priority mode - it was set at 1/125. I did run the photos through noise reduction software. I also shot the photos in raw mode and lightened SOME (not all) of them up a bit (about one stop) when I was processing them.

Thanks...that helps a lot. I didn't know what settings to use, so (don't laugh!) I put it on "museum mode," with light and sound off. But by the time it focused on a dancer, they moved! I have got to get myself into a photography class or something. I don't have a DSLR...yet...but I did get a Fuji Finepix s6000fd (from recommendations here!) and I know I can do a lot more with it than I am. I'm still confused about ISO, aperture, stops, etc.

This was Emily's 12th year in dance. She started when she was 3. I have a feeling she is going to feel a bit lost when she is finished with high school and leaves the studio. No idea if she will continue dancing in some way after high school or not. I can't imagine her just stopping.

If she loves dance as much as my daughter (and it appears she does) I'm sure she'll keep dancing in some way after graduating. Your daughter obviously has lots of talent.

 

[Suburbanmom]

Nice job, Jen!
I have no experience with theater photography, but to me these look more than passable and you have many reasons to be proud...not just of your fabulous daughter, but your photo skills too. The first "Lyrical" shot is my favorite...nicely composed. Enjoy your vacation. Can't wait to see what shots you bring home.

 

[Merrywheather]

Very nice, Jen . I always enjoy looking at your shots. My dd's recital is tonight, and I can only hope that my shots will be half as good as yours .

 

[NostalgicDad]

Those are very nice shots, Jen. Thanks for sharing!

 

[jann1033]

nice job jen...i like the silhouette. if emily is one of the right three you could crop it there even...( not that anyone would know except you anyway )