Culture Shock San Diego Dance Troupe 2009 Professional Headshots

After completing the Graffiti Life photo shoot in downtown San Diego, I was asked to create a series of professional headshots of the entire Culture Shock San Diego Dance Troupe. When scouting the location and meeting with Culture Shock owner Angie Bunch, we decided that the best place to this would at the Culture Shock Dance Studio on a weekend. Since I was shooting the portraits on location, I arrived early, allowing myself plenty of time to set-up lights, umbrellas, hang a light gray seamless backdrop, make test shots, as well as asking one of the dancers get some hip-hop music pumpin’. The dancers (approximately thirty) were instructed to wear black and show up early before their Graffiti Life dance rehearsal, to have their headshots done. Being that they were dancers, I wanted the portraits to be loose and unique to each dancer. So instead of asking them to sit on stool or positioning each person on the same mark, I asked dancers to use their hands and body to create a pose they felt comfortable with. In the end I was happy with how all the headshots turned out, but decided only to post a handful of the portraits in this post.

2009 Headshot of Culture Shock San Diego Dancer, Richie Prospal

It was a real pleasure meeting Richie. Judging from his sense of humor and willingness to work with me, I knew immediately that great photos were going to be made. It seemed like every “pose” that Richie produced was a winner. From serious to humorous. In the end I had a really difficult time choosing which image to use for the post. But since this was the image Richie chose as his final image, out of respect, I went with this image. Thanks Richie for making the shoot fun and keeping it real.

2009 Headshot of Culture Shock San Diego Dancer, Racheal Macario

After all the headshots were done, I was walking around the Culture Shock Dance studio and was admiring all the great wall murals created by graffiti writer Romali Licudan, and thought they would make for some great mural portraits. So Racheal Macario was kind enough to work with me to create a series of energetic and exciting mural portraits. You can see some of those portraits that I posted in an earlier post called Culture Shock San Diego Graffiti Life Mural Photo Shoot. Thanks Racheal.

2009 Headshot of Culture Shock San Diego Dancer, Keondra Young

As people came into the studio, I briefly explained to each dancer what I thought made for a good portrait. Things like, use your hands, tilt your body and head to create angles, try not to stand flat in front of the camera, avoid putting your hands in your pockets and be yourself and relax. But I could tell after the first few shots that Keondra got exactly what I was saying. I’d take a shot, then she’d change her pose, moving her body, arms and hands. She obviously knew what I was talking about.

2009 Headshot of Culture Shock San Diego Dancer, Jonathon Sison.

After the shoot while I was processing the portraits, I noticed that this dancer had a great way of using his arms and hands to accent his pose. I’ve always liked how arms and hands add to the overall look and feel of a portrait. I felt that Jonathon did a fine job doing just that in his portrait series.

2009 Headshot of Culture Shock San Diego Dancer and B-Boy, David Silvas

I first met David on location at the Graffiti Life photo shoot and was told that he was one of the Culture Shock B-Boys. After watching him and the other B-Boys break dancing in front of a graffiti mural, I had a whole new appreciation for break dancers. They make it look so easy, but I know that it really isn’t.

I was told that these headshots, among other shots from the Graffiti Life shoot, will be on a cast board which will be positioned in the lobby during the dance theatrical, Graffiti Life, The Color of My Soul which will be playing at the San Diego Repertory Theatre, May 28-31.