I’ve been going to dance showcases at the University of Maine for years. They’re a lot of fun to shoot as a photographer; there’s amazing lighting, lots of expressive movement, and, of course, some really wonderful dancers.
I try not to play favorites when it comes to the dance shows, but my camera always seemed to find its way to Hillary. It doesn’t take long to realize that she loves dance – but until recently I didn’t understand just how much she loves it.
I finally asked her if she’d like to head out for some photos that didn’t involve stage lighting and pre-planned choreography. We decided to do our first shoot at what seemed like an appropriate spot: the UMaine campus.
I’d gone into the shoot consciously aiming to do something that didn’t involve dance. But after spending a few minutes with her face-to-face, I noticed she always moved her feet instead of standing in place. When we walked, it seemed like she was moving to a beat. I wanted to capture that. She started playing a song on her phone, and, well…
I think it’s easy to say that there’s so much about Hillary that most photographers would absolutely love: the way her hair flows, her smile, her lines… but for me, her self-awareness and desire to have fun tops the list.
I hope this will be the first of many shoots with Hillary!
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