Performing Arts
“For out of what we live and we believe, our lives become the stories that we weave.”
Preserving More Than a Performance
Every production begins long before the curtain rises. It starts with auditions, rehearsals, missed cues, inside jokes, nervous excitement, and countless hours of dedication from performers, directors, teachers, volunteers, and families. By opening night, a cast has become a community. My goal is to preserve not only what happens on stage, but the heart and hard work that brought the production to life.
A Place to Belong
For many performers, the stage becomes more than a place to perform—it becomes a place to belong. Theater, dance, and the performing arts have a unique way of helping people discover confidence, creativity, friendship, and purpose. As a drama teacher, theater mom, former performer, and photographer, I understand how meaningful these experiences can be. I'm always watching for the moments that matter most: the child who finds their place, the friendships built through rehearsals, the performers who discover they are capable of more than they imagined, and the stories that bring audiences to laughter, tears, and standing ovations.
Photographing live performance requires more than technical skill. Stage lighting changes constantly. Movement is unpredictable. The most meaningful moments often last only a fraction of a second. Years spent both on and around the stage have taught me how to anticipate those moments and capture them without disrupting the performance. Whether I'm photographing a dance recital, musical, play, showcase, or concert, my goal is to create images that honor the artistry, energy, and emotion of the production.
When the costumes are packed away, the set is struck, and the final applause fades, photographs become part of a production's legacy. They help families remember milestones, provide organizations with valuable marketing images, and preserve memories for performers long after the show has ended.
More than twenty-five years later, I still treasure photographs from my own time on stage. Recently, I rediscovered an old photo album from my time in high school theater, and found myself grateful that we had Gary Ezell there to preserve those moments. The show closed decades ago, but the memory remains.
As the storytellers in Once on This Island remind us, "For out of what we live and we believe, our lives become the stories that we weave." It is my privilege to help preserve those stories for generations to come.
