JAMES CRAIG PHOTOGRAPHY

b&w images • blog • project journal

Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Lorelei

Saturday, February 14, 2026
Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Lorelei

Lorelei’s performance was quite active, lots of opportunity to catch slight edge-blur movement that I like so much. She made me decide to do something about the whole heavy lens hand held thing, expecially with verticals. When zoomed close enough there is...

Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Moonshine Troupe

Friday, February 13, 2026
Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Moonshine Troupe

Short, second posting today. Just one shot of April Monique’s Moonshine Troupe, her bellydance students. When one has a shot this good, this much fun, you don’t bother with more. It says it all. They all flowed together at the end for a well choreographed...

Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Kalayla

Thursday, February 12, 2026
Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Kalayla

Kalayla is another one of the regulars. However this show was a little more frustrating to shoot – she performed the first half of her set facing away from the front of the stage. Then, when she turned around, I had time to grab one transition shot before...

Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Naimah

Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla 2026 – Naimah

The Moonshine Mardi Gras Hafla was held at the renovated State Theatre this year – and attracted a pretty good crowd. That was even though it was fast approaching 8 degrees Fahrenheit outside. I’ve given the color jpegs over on Flickr to the dancers. Bellydance...

Something Wicked – Rogue Swan Theatre Co 2025 pdf eBook…

Saturday, January 31, 2026
Something Wicked – Rogue Swan Theatre Co 2025 pdf eBook…

This is the free pdf eBook version, includes all my favorite shots from the performance. Since this is a pretty large collection, even the optimized file is pretty large – so I am posting the file in two sizes. The main one is labeled (Med) and is about...

Something Wicked - Rogue Swan Theatre Co 2025 video…

Friday, January 30, 2026
Something Wicked - Rogue Swan Theatre Co 2025 video…

The Something Wicked - Rogue Swan Theatre Co. 2025 video is on YouTube. You can access it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL3iZG9TGHU or from the Rogue Swan page on this site. Temporarily I will keep it on the home page. The pdf eBook will be up shortly....

Scottish Pub Night with Rogue Swan – at the Vandiver: annual Bonnie Knees contest and more performance shots…

Thursday, January 29, 2026
Scottish Pub Night with Rogue Swan – at the Vandiver: annual Bonnie Knees contest and more performance shots…

Finishing this up in order to get to posting the October Vaudeville pdf eBook and video slide show – next. OK, the annual Havre de Grace Bonnie Knees competition is more of a Knobby Knees show, but it’s fun. The winner of this one was Kirk, the felow on...

Scottish Pub Night with Rogue Swan – at the Vandiver: a few singles…

Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Scottish Pub Night with Rogue Swan – at the Vandiver: a few singles…

These individual close-ups are a fun challenge. But they do sport possibly over-smoothing of faces due to the process of bringing in details and structure when shooting in low to no light at 1/250 of a second. The intro shot shows Amy on violin. She sings...

Scottish Pub Night with Rogue Swan – at the Vandiver

Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Scottish Pub Night with Rogue Swan – at the Vandiver

Rogue Swan at the Vandiver pretty much always sells out. It was a fun evening, complete with the local Bonnie Knees competition (those pictures come later). Since this show featured a new, young member on drums – Gabriel Fazzino – I decided to start with...

Rosie Jack and the Bangtails – Christmas at the Vandiver III

Sunday, January 4, 2026
Rosie Jack and the Bangtails – Christmas at the Vandiver III

Rosie Jack is a sepearat entity, but made up of Rogue Swan members. We try to attend most of their performances, partly because they are fun and there is an opportunity to dance with my sweetie. Not all that much opportunity for pictures, but it IS just...

Rosie Jack and the Bangtails – Christmas at the Vandiver II

Saturday, January 3, 2026
Rosie Jack and the Bangtails – Christmas at the Vandiver II

Well, this was going to be just two postings but has turned into three. I need to include a few cool shots of Rogue connected people in the audience – I’m tagging those on at or near the end of the postings. Most this time are a little brighter, barely....

Rosie Jack and the Bangtails – Christmas at the Vandiver I

Friday, January 2, 2026
Rosie Jack and the Bangtails – Christmas at the Vandiver I

The Vandiver has the advantage of being, for the audience, a great place for these shows. Plenty of room for dancing and good food. It also has the disadvantage of being a very awkward venue for getting shots of the the Bangtails. What light there is is...

"Something Wicked – am umexpected image / Dand and the Spell Book…

Thursday, January 1, 2026
Something Wicked – am umexpected image / Dand and the Spell Book…

Slow slogging putting the book together – the best Vaudeville yet, both to experience and for the pictures. While working on Jabberwokie I was reviewing the exposures and couldn’t figure out how I missed this one – right at the intro for the number, Dane...

"Something Wicked" – Fear the Reaper / Finale…

Thursday, December 18, 2025
Something Wicked – Fear the Reaper / Finale…

Oof all the vaudevilles Rogue Swan has put on over the last decade, this was by far the most fun, and photographable. But it took attending months of rehearsals to get to the point where I come close to catching all the moments I wanted. The final two numbers...

"Something Wicked" – Wild and Untamed (MORE COW BELL!)…

Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Something Wicked – Wild and Untamed (MORE COW BELL!)…

First of all, this is what happens when I have to make final selections without Nan to help – I give up and leave far too many in. Weeding out on this number will have to come later (plus it means more work for me to work them all up). There is a fair amount...

"Something Wicked" – Thriller-2…

Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Something Wicked – Thriller-2…

Wide stage shots are needed for some numbers. The problem is that, with stages as large as the Star Centre, everyone becomes so small in the image that the images have to be viewed larger to see much. And since so many people use phones or pads, that gets...

"Something Wicked" – Matt on his guitar and Thriller-1…

Monday, December 15, 2025
Something Wicked – Matt on his guitar and Thriller-1…

Odd post in that “Thriller” is getting split up between four close-ups, here, and five wide stage views next posting. But I’m opening up with a shot of Matt playing guitar in the background – actually taken during the “Black Mamba” number. Just discovered...

"Something Wicked" – The Devil Went Down to Havre de Grace…

Sunday, December 14, 2025
Something Wicked – The Devil Went Down to Havre de Grace…

Simply changing Georgia to Havre de Grace in “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”, with Jeremy on guitar competing with Will on viola, had a great effect on the audience. Matt, who I’ve never seen sing before, had just the right voice for it. The sequence here...

"Something Wicked" – Bring on the Men - 2

Saturday, December 13, 2025
Something Wicked – Bring on the Men - 2

These finish up “Bring on the Men” – Halloween style. The intro shot is possibly my favorite image from the show. Truly, in Katie’s words, wall worthy. I can’t wait to actually print  it – the only question being how large I can go. After all, I am exposing...

"Something Wicked" – Bring on the Men - 1

Friday, December 12, 2025
Something Wicked – Bring on the Men - 1

NOT your ordinary production of “Bring on the Men” – another number that requires two postings. It’s also a number that Rogue Swan has done before, albeit without the Halloween theme. That sure added some nuances to things. Lilli (Director) selected these...

"Something Wicked" – Total Eclipse of the Heart…

Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Something Wicked – Total Eclipse of the Heart…

As aggravating as this song is when on the radio, Rogue made it work – Amy, the vampiress frustrated in her efforts vs Jesse, the only not-whammied member of the crew. This is the last number where selections have been made so far, the four most difficult...

"Something Wicked" – Black Mamba…

Monday, December 8, 2025
Something Wicked – Black Mamba…

With every Rogue Vaudeville April does a bellydance. It includes varying degrees of interaction, depending on the overall plot. In this sequence, Dane is controlling her with his wand (final shot here). At the end Jesse will “rescue” her (that one will have...

"Something Wicked" – Hell-2…

Friday, December 5, 2025
Something Wicked – Hell-2…

More scenes from the chaotic number “Hell”… Nan helped pick these, unfortunately leavig about eight more good shots that will just have to be skipped over. Raucus performance. My camera got a little warm working to keep up with this number....

"Something Wicked" – Hell-1…

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

The number titled “Hell” was totally unfamiliar to me. But hey, I’m just to worry about getting the shots. Again choreographed chaos – constant movement, stuff going on simultaneously across the stage. These five shots were selected by Lilli (Director of...

Ron Furrow

Monday, December 1, 2025
Ron Furrow

I just spent the morning working up a shot of Ron Furrow playing trumpet for Rogue Swan – had to be sharpened too much for comfort, far too enlarged, but I like it for some reason. He just succumbed to heart problems after months of serious operations and...

"Something Wicked" – (Death is) Just Around the Corner…

Saturday, November 29, 2025
Something Wicked – (Death is) Just Around the Corner…

This was interesting – Arianna doing ”Just Around the Corner”. Just a somewhat uncomfortable, if entertaining, reminder to us all – the flip side of Halloween. The intro shot here, an inteesting way to walk on stagge, is one of my favorites from the show...

"Something Wicked" – Bre IS Witchy Woman…

Thursday, November 27, 2025
Something Wicked – Bre IS Witchy Woman…

Bre is fun to shoot while she is singing – hardly an awkward exposure. The only problem is deciding which one to use. Here I’m including four from the number – along with one with April. In her spare time, Bre is a nurse in the maternity ward at Johns Hopkins…....

"Something Wicked" – Screw Your Card…

Tuesday, November 25, 2025
Something Wicked – Screw Your Card…

What’s a vaudeville without a magic act? Andy, the tie is to die for, entertains with a very fun trick. The fact that it’s a little obvious actually adds to the humor, using a phillips screwdriver to stab through the selected card out of two decks thrown...

"Something Wicked" – Black Widow and Children of the Night…

Sunday, November 23, 2025
Something Wicked – Black Widow and Children of the Night…

These two numbers run together – Lilli is the “Black Widow” and then her dad sings his own “Children of the Night” from “Silver Scream”. Again, there are a couple more shots that may make the pdf eBook that I’m working up. This is their most recent, and...

"Something Wicked" – Ya Ya Ya…

Friday, November 21, 2025
Something Wicked – Ya Ya Ya…

OK, the title of the number isn’t Ya Ya Ya – it’s “I Enjoy Being a Girl”. What Rogue does with this grating, irritating song is make it fun. And be assured, these three ladies are quite charming the rest of the year, not so much for Halloween. First a couple...

"Something Wicked" – House of Wolves…

Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Something Wicked – House of Wolves…

This was a fast moving, chaotic number with the four “wolfes” each working the stage their own way. The intro shot was the closest I came to a group shot in two performances. There is another shot that will be added later – a transition from the pervious...

"Something Wicked" – The Gun, the Gun, and the impossibility of choosing…

Saturday, November 15, 2025
Something Wicked – The Gun, the Gun, and the impossibility of choosing…

“Both Reached for the Gun” (The Gun, the Gun) was a sequence of quick frozen moments interrupted by fast action. There are enough good exposures to make up far, far, far more than what can be included in the pdf eBook or the zine. For here I’m forced to...

"Something Wicked" – Drumming Song, the very zombified final number in Act I…

Friday, November 14, 2025
Something Wicked – Drumming Song, the very zombified final number in Act I…

Yay, the half way point. With so many players in the shots, it got tricky. But the worst was two of these – good catches on stage views with Lilli’s lyra spun in an awkward direction. I had to pull very close exposures of the lyra to move over for both of...

"Something Wicked" – Weird Science…

Thursday, November 13, 2025
Something Wicked – Weird Science…

Rogue Swan vaudeville isn’tsimply someone coming up with skits and numbers, they fuse it all into a grand plot that stretches back to their first presentation years on now. At the same time, they are all completely new shows – just a tad extra for fans who...

"Something Wicked" – Keep the Wolves Away…

Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Something Wicked – Keep the Wolves Away…

One of the best lines in the show, looking very depressed: “I ate Caleb”. The plot takes a very Rogue Swan Halloween turn. These are posted in order here – all of the action after the song ends. This leads into what’s next – “Weird Science”. Still working...

"Something Wicked" – Sword of Damocles…

Sunday, November 9, 2025
Something Wicked – Sword of Damocles…

“Sword of Damocles” number is from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, but the phrase has a well known meaning – if unfamiliar, look it up. Makes it a lot more interesting. The number starts off with Jasper, Amy and Jess singing, during which it turns into...

"Something Wicked" – Dark Lady…

Friday, November 7, 2025
Something Wicked – Dark Lady…

By now it’s obvious that I’m putting these together by musical number, as listed in the program – I’ll include that program in the pdf eBook at the end of all this (along with some not-shown images). In a Rogue Swan vaudeville, a lot of the number overlap,...

"Something Wicked" – Providence…

Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Something Wicked – Providence…

Three of the images in this posting are share an obvious difference from others to this point. They reveal the distracting front-stage lights and speaker feedback boxes on the front of the Star Centre stage. While the eye-brain combination learns quickly...

"Something Wicked" – Beetlejuice and a couple of background shots…

Monday, November 3, 2025
Something Wicked – Beetlejuice and a couple of background shots…

Talk about some tricky selecting in Photoshop, wow. The material was that they used for spider web, gauze, whatever, had to be left out of pretty much all adjustments – every inch. Even though we followed through rehearsals, working towards being familiar...

"Something Wicked" – Lilli, you didn't get away with it…

Saturday, November 1, 2025
Something Wicked – Lilli, you didn't get away with it…

Lilli, Something Wicked’s Co-Director and cast member, is always right there to give me a list, taken from posted color jpegs, of exposures she considers important to work up. The four images here, in my opinion one of the best sequences in the show, never...

The Hushdown at the Star Centre in September…

Thursday, October 30, 2025
The Hushdown at the Star Centre in September…

I worked up about two dozen of these. I didn’t choose between similars, wanting to give them a choice if they want to use any. One of those situations where, like the belly dance if there get to be too many, I have room to trim this batch down to my favorites....

"Something Wicked" – KT•N A BOX…

Thursday, October 30, 2025
Something Wicked – KT•N A BOX…

The number was “Skeleton Sam” – while on the box was written “KT N A BOX”. There, having selected her new legs (the others had “run off”), they were being sewn on. Images in order here. I’ll add in a couple of leg-shopping shots when I do up the pdf eBook...

"Something Wicked" – Wack a Rogue…

Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Something Wicked – Wack a Rogue…

Ok, I cannot hold my silence any longer – who spelled Whack without an “h”? On purpose, accident, what? Anyway, this occurred down in the corner just off stage – they did manage to get a little spotlight on it. I was surprised I got anything from zooming...

"Something Wicked" – Sandman…

Sunday, October 26, 2025
Something Wicked – Sandman…

Three of shots taken during a very creepy “Sandman” number. Again, there are a couple more that will be done up for the eBook at the end. Bre sings “Sandman” – the intro shot here is my favorite – it was kinda there in the mist. The second one here occurs...

"Something Wicked" – Some Folks…

Friday, October 24, 2025
Something Wicked – Some Folks…

In “Some Folks” Nate leads a troupe of cane dancers who turn on him – uling their canes to fence him in. He emerges a howlong wolf. lI only held back two of these, both promising to be ridiculously difficult. Images appear here in order…



Might...

"Something Wicked" – "Jabberwokie"

Thursday, October 23, 2025
Something Wicked – Jabberwokie

Jabberwokie is an original rock song from The Hushdown. They join with Rogue Swan for "Something Wicked" – the intro shot here showing Kali singing with Jeremy on guitar. James is in the process of being “whammied”. This posting is four of the nine or ten...

"Something Wicked" – "…we're watching you!"

Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Something Wicked – …we're watching you!

I’m approaching images of “Wicked” one number at a time. There are actually too many for even reguar postings, and I’m so backed up on other photo projects, so I’ll hold it to one posting per number. For example, this number was the intro number to the show...

"Something Wicked" – Audience participation, two (otherwise( very charming ladies…

Monday, October 20, 2025
Something Wicked – Audience participation, two (otherwise( very charming ladies…

Especially for Friday’s performance, there was some audience dressing to fit the occasion. In the intro shot here a very young lady brought along her chainsaw and enjoyed posing. She’s a grand niece – Chainsaw Izzy. While I don’t have a name for the lady...

"Something Wicked" – Cast Photo (real and posed)

Sunday, October 19, 2025
Something Wicked – Cast Photo (real and posed)

Rough week, going through just short of four thousand exposures. The couple of hundred that remain, color jpegs, have been uploaded to Flickr where Rogue Swan has access to them. Here I’ve worked up the “real” cast photo, and added in the more formal, posed...

"Something Wicked" – One Quick Dress Rehearsal Show Shot…

Friday, October 10, 2025
Something Wicked – One Quick Dress Rehearsal Show Shot…

There are simply not enough hours in the day. I spent the last two days doing up the Monster Cards for the show. So I picked one shot – moving to a random place in the show on my camera card and selecting one of a sequence of five. Hey, this show moves fast…...

"Something Wicked" – "Wack a Rogue"…

Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Something Wicked – Wack a Rogue…

I was going to entitle this as just a few stage set-up shots while I work on Monster Cards. But I couldn’t resist the sign in front of one of the skits: “Wack a Rogue”. This one is pure genius. In the second shot here Caleb is hanging the spider web that...

"Something Wicked" – ok, so I'm enjoying the no-background series…

Monday, October 6, 2025
Something Wicked – ok, so I'm enjoying the no-background series…

I started doing these simply because, it not being enough that there was no light and exposures had to be processed to the hilt, the construction background mess was atrocious. Then it became fun. Nan picked these – and a couple more in case I need them....

"Something Wicked" – two more from the no-background series…

Sunday, October 5, 2025
Something Wicked – two more from the no-background series…

Admittedly these were as close to torture as I wanna get, but at the same time a little fun. Today, the last rehearsal with crappy light and crappier background, I’ll try and shoot a few with this in mind. It might make it a little easier and better. I’d...

"Something Wicked" – what to do with crappy lighting and crappier background…

Saturday, October 4, 2025
Something Wicked – what to do with crappy lighting and crappier background…

Sometimes, especially when you call none of the shots, even when you figure out how to do something withe the lighting, the background throws too darn much at you. That was the case with the most recent rehearsal at the, under reconstruction, State Theater....

"Something Wicked" – Lilli (Wicked director) has her eye on everyone…

Saturday, October 4, 2025
Something Wicked – Lilli (Wicked director) has her eye on everyone…

Under Lilli’s “Wicked” eye the show is slowly coming together. In the end it’s synchronized, organized, choreographed chaos – it’s really something to watch it start to click. Lilli selected these four – with a daunting number of individuals to separately...

"Something Wicked" – New Trumpet and a couple of fun shots…

Thursday, October 2, 2025
Something Wicked – New Trumpet and a couple of fun shots…

I can’t wait to see all this on a stage, with enough room and almost enough light. The first shot here has Arianna, ballet girl, on her toes – there will be a lot going on around her at this point. The next shot below I ran by Katie first – not exactly flattering,...

"Something Wicked" – More cast/band portraits…

Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Something Wicked – More cast/band portraits…

From the beginning I’ve done cast portraits. Designed primarily to provide up to date images (maybe an inch and a half tall) for the program. I use it as an opportunity to get some nice shots, taken outdoors, in the shade, at a garage rehearsal – with a...

"Something Wicked" – Final 3(?) Monster-card pics and two more cast portraits…

Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Something Wicked – Final 3(?) Monster-card pics and two more cast portraits…

The first two images here are Kali and Jeremy, singer and lead guitar from The Hushdown. Jeremy has always played for Rogue Swan, while Kali joins this show – who can resist taking part in a Halloween show. They will be performing one of the numbers from...

"Something Wicked" – Who let the monsters out?

Monday, September 29, 2025
Something Wicked – Who let the monsters out?

OK, the rest of the “monster” shots for the show cards are taken. Here are the next five. The open shot is of Jimmyo – he’s the drummer and at one point sings his own work – "Children of the Night”. He doesn’t get painted up so wanted to shine a flashlight...

"Something Wicked" – Synchronized zombies and other rehearsal moments…

Saturday, September 27, 2025
Something Wicked – Synchronized zombies and other rehearsal moments…

While I’m readying myself for another session of shooting monster and cast portraits, Lilli tagged a few images to do up – they get the color exposures on Flickr. Who but Rogue Swan synchronizes their zombies? Then, below, a couple of practiced individualized...

"Something Wicked" – "Normal" Cast Portraits: Jessy G, Matt, April – and a Grand Experiment……

Friday, September 26, 2025
Something Wicked – Normal Cast Portraits: Jessy G, Matt, April – and a Grand Experiment……

Three more cast photos in the run-up to the October, Halloween vaudeville. Possbly overkill in that the primary use will be inch and a half images in the program, but an opportunity to get good shots of some great people. The intro shot is of Matt – band...

"Something Wicked" – "Normal" Cast Portraits: Moxie, Caleb, Jess, Will, Amy…

Thursday, September 25, 2025
Something Wicked – Normal Cast Portraits: Moxie, Caleb, Jess, Will, Amy…

Opening shot is of Marion (Moxie). Her very strong voice will be put to use in this performance. One of my favorite t-shirts has her screaming out “Howl” on the front. She showed up dressed like this and let me know, in no uncertain terms, that it is a priority...

"Something Wicked" – "Normal" Cast Portraits: Katie, Andy, Melissa, Jesse, Arianna…

Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Something Wicked – Normal Cast Portraits: Katie, Andy, Melissa, Jesse, Arianna…

It’s that time. With every major show comes updated cast portrait sessions. Wherever they happen to be rehearsing, with anywhere from two to three minutes to get the shot – then they’re back to rehearsing. Good darn thing these aren’t “normal”, camera shy...

"Something Wicked" – Caleb, Jess & April…

Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Something Wicked – Caleb, Jess & April…

Trying to get the “monster” pics out so Rogue can design the cards they go on. There will be a second shoot to get the rest of them taken soon. In the meantime, I’ll be working up this year’s “normal” cast portraits. The opening shot here is Caleb (notice...

"Something Wicked" – Bre, Amy & Jessy G…

Monday, September 22, 2025
Something Wicked – Bre, Amy & Jessy G…

Having to switch between taking card (monster) pics and updating program portraits, on the fly. Did three up for today, finally with a backlog. With every show this is the stage with a lot of gentle reminding. Half of any group of people like to wait until...

"Something Wicked" – Melissa and Moxie…

Sunday, September 21, 2025
Something Wicked – Melissa and Moxie…

Fy first thought when working on Melissa’s card picture was “First verified picture of a middle-school principal in the wild”. How does one go from being sweet Melissa to this – definitely a Hyde style conversion. I can imagine her husband and kids wanting...

"Something Wicked" – "Monster" pics, shades of Wolf Man and Snidely Whiplash…

Saturday, September 20, 2025
Something Wicked – Monster pics, shades of Wolf Man and Snidely Whiplash…

The only two guys so far – Nate and Dane. Nate looks like this and howls, evidently a wolf-man. Dane, below reminds me of Snidely Whiplash – that goes back a ways, look it up. Again, these will grace the fronts of new Rogue Swan cast cards for this performance....

"Something Wicked" – "Monster" pics…

Friday, September 19, 2025
Something Wicked – Monster pics…

For the first time Rogue Swan is going to featuree “Monster” pics of the cast on cast cards. The backs will sport more information about them. Cards will accompany whatever the low-price edible is this time. In addition – after the performances, I will offer...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – from the last rehearsal, some cute poses…

Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – from the last rehearsal, some cute poses…

Most of these, excepting the brother/sister shot, were in what I call a gray area – images I like for some reason but worry that the subjuct might not want it used. Usually only an issue with single-subject exposures. The intro shot is the best example of...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – three "Wicked" ladies…

Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – three Wicked ladies…

I liked all three of these, so decided to make a post out of them. Three “Wicked” ladies at different stages of one of the numbers. Moxie, Katie and April pull this one off so well. In costume it should make one wonder where their caldrons are…


I’m...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – first tentative lift and gettin' in sync…

Monday, September 15, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – first tentative lift and gettin' in sync…

Intro shot is of Arianna and her expression as she is lifted in a number for the first time. Katie choreographs while Lilli is spotting behind. A few changes and adjustments, a little practice and it all looks much easier than it is, expecially as things...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – I think we're gonna need a bigger bucket…

Sunday, September 14, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – I think we're gonna need a bigger bucket…

The skit depicted in the first shot here is gonna be great. The table doesn’t have holes in it yet – and, not that Andy has that large a head, I keep thinking, like in “Jaws", you’re gonna need a bigger bucket… 
In the image below Nate is being coralled...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – Halloween begins early for the Rogue troupe…

Saturday, September 13, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – Halloween begins early for the Rogue troupe…

I think what I enjoy most about doing show pictures (even rehearsals) in b&w is the insane difficulty involved in taking what is inevitably a problem exposure and making it work (or come close anyway). There is a practical, useful aspect to the work that...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – Smiles, more smiles and evil laughter…

Thursday, September 11, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – Smiles, more smiles and evil laughter…

Bre has a great smile – and she flashed one as I was taking this rehearsal shot. Somehow Rogue worked into the plot their own take on the press number in“Chicago”. I’ll have to be well rested to keep up with this performance.
In the second shot here James,...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – Ouch, Good Witch (!?) and Son of a Witch…

Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – Ouch, Good Witch (!?) and Son of a Witch…

Ouch, Marion bites a terrified Dane (not so terrified here in rehearsal). Work at this point is pretty much split between perfecting some pretty complicated dance numbers and adding plot action. Rogue Swan vaudevilles are a series of adventures, especially...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – some rehearsal moments make you smile…

Monday, September 8, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – some rehearsal moments make you smile…

Three moments from the an evening rehearsal, with everyone already tired, that made me smile. First, Katie is practicing for a scene where she gets sawed in half – yes it happens, sort of. Dane is supposed to be zombified but is losing it here.
In the...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – shootin' in the dark-2…

Friday, September 5, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – shootin' in the dark-2…

Two more from the shootin’-in-the-dark effort. Fortunately, some (mostly guys) can look cool with exposure pushed beyond all recommendations. The intro shot is Jimmyo, the drummer sitting far in the back behind a plexiglass sound buffer wall. Every year...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – shootin' in the dark-1…

Thursday, September 4, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – shootin' in the dark-1…

Rogue band rehearsals in the “garage” are an exercise in shootin’-in-the-dark. ISO settings more like 25,600 and 56,200. At the same time most of it involves holding the camera up or over at arm’s length to get the shot. But I always come away with something....

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – focus on Katie…

Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – focus on Katie…

Everyone in Rogue Swan works ridiculously hard, starting with Katie. In the first three exposures here Katie is choreographing scenes in the upcoming “Wicked” vaudeville. Lilli (Director) selected one of these and I added two more in order to show how much...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – some are good at wicked!

Sunday, August 31, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – some are good at wicked!

While the Coffee shop, after hours, isn’t ideal, there is a lot more room than most available rehearsal venues. Most dance rehearsals (all dances are part of the plot in this show) are semi-organized chaos at this point – the goal being choreographed, organized...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – are you following me?

Friday, August 29, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – are you following me?

My gosh these numbers are getting complicated. I’m pretty sure I won’t be comfortable with what to expect, and be ready for it, until late dress rehearsal week. In the meantime, I just got the schedule for both the cast portraits, always one of my favorite...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – from the basement…

Monday, August 25, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – from the basement…

Occasionally, mostly on Saturday mornings, the only venue available for rehearsal is the basement of one of the cast members. Terrible lighting, no real vantage points, less room. In a three hour period, I can shoot over eight hundred exposures and wind...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – they're coming to get you…

Sunday, August 24, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – they're coming to get you…

It doesn’t matter what the musical number, Rogue Swan can color it Halloween. In this Vaudeville, they veave a tale of “terror” for their fans. Just four shots from Thursday’s rehearsal, after hours at the local Coffee Shop. At this stage I’m always worried...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – the first Howls…

Friday, August 22, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – the first Howls…

The entire process of putting on a production like this is amazing. For most rehearsals everyone is fresh out of a day’s work, aleady exhausted, and warming up for two to three hours of intensive show work. In both the intro shot and the next, the Wolf howls…

Moxie,...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – includes couple of return faces…

Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – includes couple of return faces…

Includes a couple of faces of important troupe members not in the more recent production, returning for “Something Wicked”. In the intro shot: Jessy Gordon Bortell. She’s actually been on hiatus for a couple of years while she and her husband added a couple...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – tackling the vocals…

Friday, August 15, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – tackling the vocals…

This rehearsal was not supposed to provide any opportunity for pictures – mostly coordinating complex vocals. I managed to submint twenty,  a fraction of the usual. But Lilli (the Director) surprised me by singling out the five in this posting. In the end,...

"Something Wicked" (rehearsal) – faces in the dark…

Thursday, August 14, 2025
Something Wicked (rehearsal) – faces in the dark…

Here’s the rest of what I eked out of the dark garage. The intro shot was taken from the doorway – in full wide-angle, making it all look much roomier than it is. The back end is walled off with plexiglass to keep the drum sound under control. The other...

"Something Wicked" – Voices and Band in the Garage…

Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Something Wicked – Voices and Band in the Garage…

"Something Wicked" is coming in October…2. In the “garage”, the band and voices work to get in sync. Tight, dark and loud – but fun. In the intro shot Caleb, James and Nate get ready for the first number on the agenda. The show is billed as “a night of mischief,...

"Something Wicked" is coming in October…

Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Something Wicked is coming in October…

Something Wicked is coming in October – Rogue Swan’s Fall Vaudeville rehearsals have begun. And it will take a lot of work on my part to bring ready for it. They have had a few gatherings up to this point, but yhir was the first real rehearsal – concentrating...

Artists sketching and one of the bands…

Friday, August 8, 2025
Artists sketching and one of the bands…

Finishing up what I managed to eke out of our first First Friday in a looong time – but the new streets are grand. And I assume the new sub-surface infrastructure is working as needed. The intro shot shows a young budding artist attacking the open to kids...

Three Shots of People Enjoying First Friday again…

Thursday, August 7, 2025
Three Shots of People Enjoying First Friday again…

I have no idea what was going on in the intro shot. We were being pushed along in a crowd surge, mid street when I looked over and caught this. In an instant it was behind us – with me having just manage two unblocked exposures. Maybe someone could explain...

Ezra at Harmer's Town Art Center on First Friday…

Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Ezra at Harmer's Town Art Center on First Friday…

Just the one shot because it stands alone. Ezra Berger, the artist who led the painting of the murals adorning the walls around and surrounding Harmer’s Town Art Center (they are awesome and seem to never end having something interesting to see), is shown...

First Friday is BACK…

Tuesday, August 5, 2025
First Friday is BACK…

Havre de Grace’s First Friday event, on hold for the better part of a year for tearing up the streets to replace ancientt water and sewage lines, is BACK. Heck, we lived with a gravel mountain right out our front door for months at one point – with very...

BLOG INDEXsee PDFs above for complete collections older than January 2025

Easter Island Journal

2006 thru 2020.PDF

Zipped file…

2013-2016

2017-2018

2019

No results

PDF

BLOG ARCHIVES

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025 thru July