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ChameleonChamberGroup

Story + Photographs by J R Compton

Strings and Reed

A sample of their music at http://www.myspace.com/chameleonchambergroup is the ideal soundtrack to these photographs. If you use tabs, set up another one there, click to play their samples near the top right of their page, then return here to see the photographs.

Anna found out on Facebook that Paul Slavens' group was doing a photo shoot / interview / filming upstairs at Hal Samples Space on Main Street in deeper Elm near downtown and that people were invited to bring cameras. I didn't really bring my camera so much as to go back and get it when I saw the pre-performance drama (people milling, children being children, musicians talking and commenting, in beautiful soft light that I nearly missed except to enjoy.

By the time I got back with the cam with the right zoom range — wide to short tele — the illumination had changed to a challenging crosslight with splotches of intense light with comparative darkness around, but strangely costumed people were wandering and playing oddly anachronistic musics in it, so I photographed what I saw and wondered what the camera would make.

Red and Stripes

I didn't really check out anybody else's cameras, but I suspect mine (an elderly Canon S5 ISwas) was the least expensive one there, and I know I got disaproving glances from the other photogs, although I brought that one, because I hadn't used it in a while and was tired of lugging my heavy Nikon, and it looked like — and turned into — fun. And a challenge unlike any in years.

I kept changing the camera settings and modes minute by minute as the light and scene changed. Some photographs here are what they are and not else. Others are attempts to exclude all the other photographers hovering so close to their subjects I often felt like pushing them out of the way, except of course it was their shoot, I was just a great unwashed invited to watch.

Clarinet Doctorial Student

I ISOed from 250 to 1600 and shot anything that didn't move for a couple seconds. Some exposures longer. As I post-produced these images I followed my instincts for dense coloration and rich colors. I'd never done that before, but here it seemed appropriate and useful and pretty. Shooting all this music happening was a gas.

Piano

I'm not sure, but I think the clown was just wandering down the street, when she was invited up. She seemed reluctant to be there, normal in movement, and not very funny but added to the color and wigginess. There were only maybe twenty people there, most of whom seemed to know each other. Anna had communicated with the flautist.

I didn't know anybody, but have been a big fan of Paul's Sunday night show on KERA FM, of which I've got full MP3 recording of 67 shows — albeit with the ads edited out, over the last three years. Great, ecclectic musics, not unlike what we heard in that big room that bright day.

Clown Wonder

Tamara Cauble - Violin
Audrey Easley - EWI, Flute
Buffi Jacobs - Cello
Paul Slavens - Piano
Rachel Yoder - Clarinet/Bass Clarinet

These images are presented in no particular order, although I will probably rearrange them eventually. - J R C

The Room

Talkin' After

Pillow

Flautist

After

Three Quarters

The Whole Group

Bring in the Clown

Paul

The Shoot

Hands

Violin

Horn

Shoes

Wig

Window

might be a couple more good shots.  later.  but this is most of them.  –J R C

All Contents of this site are Copyright 2009 or before by publisher J R Compton.
All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction in any medium without specific written permission.

 

since July 16

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