Sofia and I got together for a shoot in San Francisco, California. We photographed at SF City Hall, and then various parts of Golden Gate Park. (We also got extremely lucky and happened across some cherry blossom trees right as they were in bloom)
We had a blast creating and really lucked out this entire shoot with the lighting and environments.
You can follow Sofia on social media here.
Till next time,
-Oliver
Back in 2010, when I was still starting out, I began experimenting with a concept I called “Asteria”
(In Greek mythology, “Asteria” was the goddess of stars, astrology and dreams.)
“Asteria” was basically me using a tutu that my sister Lilith and I had placed 5 packs of LED lights through, so it would glow in the night.
To achieve these shoots, the plan was usually the same. I would wake up around 3:30 in the morning, drive into San Francisco and meet up with a dancer. We would then shoot from 5-7 AM. (Usually in the extreme cold) There were a few shoots where we shot after sunset, but those were rare.
The dancers were absolute troopers to shoot so early, and in such cold conditions. Reflecting on it now, it was a really pure experience. At that moment in history, influencers weren’t a thing yet. So everyone who collaborated with me, they did so purely because it was fun, new and exciting.
Something I kept an extra eye on for this series was the tone of the shots. I had only recently stopped dancing myself, so my state of mind was much deeper in the industry/much more self conscious of my work. Social media was still brand new then, so no dancers were really posting any content there yet.
Every photo I posted was put under the microscope of the ballet industry. Lots of eyes were watching, and I had to be very careful not to create/post anything that could be viewed as “corny, cheesy, tacky, lowbrow,” etc.. (Today, there is an endless variety of ballet centric photos and videos out there. There really is no more scrutiny of what is and isn’t “acceptable”, but back then, 14 years ago, it would have been a faux pas to post something that wasn’t considered “high brow”)
There was also a technical challenge in creating these shots because the cameras I used back then (I believe I was using a Canon 50D when shooting these) didn’t have the night capabilities that modern cameras do today. Capturing any quick movement was especially difficult since the camera was already hitting its technical ceiling. I enjoyed the challenge though, and learned a lot about photography from these night shoots.
I am very proud of these images, and the execution of the concept.
Till next time,
-Oliver Endahl
This summer one of my creative outlets has been making digital art pieces using a photo I’ve taken as an inspiration, or as a base for the piece.
My process for creating a piece is usually a few hours of trial and error. (Testing out a color, shape, line, placement of an object, placement of where the dancer is, etc… Trying something and then deleting what I tried and continually experimenting again and again.)
I find it simultaneously exciting and also very therapeutic. My mind gets into a flow state and the joy of trying something and being happy with the result is very satisfying.
Here’s a few of the pieces I’ve created so far;
Jenna Skipworth - @JennaCarara
Ariana Emnace - @oh_nana143
Ahna Greener - @Ahna.Greener
Bradley Denniston - @BradleyHD
Cassidy Kurowski & Kate Huntington - @FizzBam3 & @K8Huntington
Kayla Incontro - @KayinContro
I’ll definitely be creating more pieces. Keep an eye out for them in the future.
-Oliver Endahl
Elseana Skowronski and I got together for a photoshoot in the San Francisco bay area earlier this year.
We began our shoot in SF just outside the Exploratorium near the Embarcadero. When we arrived, there was a small bridge that started spraying mist everywhere. We weren’t sure how long the mist was going to last, so we had El jump in and snapped a few photos of her on the misty bridge.
Turns out, the bride mist is an art project from Fujiko Nakaya. I snapped a photo of the information on the project;
After we shot at the fog bridge, we decided to head south outside of the city towards the Pacifica/Montara area. The weather was surprisingly warm for the bay area, and the scenery was absolutely beautiful.
Then we headed towards “The Devils Bunker” which offered massive views and a cool large structure.
Then we drove back into the city and finished our shoot at Bernal Heights.
