This image was a mistake.
I made this image while standing at the top of a 10 foot step ladder with a 4×5 camera clamped to the very top. I grossly over exposed this image. When I went to look at the negative I was disappointed at first because it was by far the best composition but had extreme contrast.
I was only 19 years old and had just started doing photography with Christopher Aponte’s ballet company. I had started out by trying to impress a girl by taking her to a ballet performance. After watching for just a few minutes I became so engrossed with what was being communicated to me through the lines, shapes, and forms of the dancers that I practically forgot all about the date and made it my absolute mission to do photography with this dance company.
I left that concert inspired with ideas for photographs I wanted to make. I tracked down the choreographer and pitched my ideas. He put me in contact with his manager and I was set!
I spent a year working with Aponte & Company and from that experience I learned that art was so much more than formulas. Coming out of a technical photography program I understood the alchemy of film exposure and development but I wasn’t an artist. This one experience taught me that I needed to pursue more than just the craft of photography.
This image has continued to teach me lessons about composition and tonality. I now have a word to describe what I am talking about, NOTAN which is a Japanese term that describes the light and dark values as well as the irreducible shapes of a composition. Because of this one image I have spent the last 29 years studying composition and visual communication. One mistake led to a lifetime pursuit. Thank you Christopher Aponte for opening my eyes!
Camera: 1987 Calumet Cambo 4×5 Monorail View Camera
September 1989
I happened to be searching for a video of Christopher Aponte of his interpretation of Ravel’s Bolero and came upon this. I love it. Christopher is my brother and I am thrilled to come across this. I will let him know.
Thank you