Let Us Know You: A Study

Let Us Know You – Luke Brown – MAP Dance Company  

 

Living. Dying. Rebirth. 

 

 Inspired by Mihoko Ogaki’s Milky Way sculptures, Luke Brown has crafted the stunning Let Us Know You, for the 22/23 MAP dance cohort. 

In February 2023, I joined the ever so stunning MAP Dance, rehearsal director and choreographer Luke Brown, lighting designer Tali Rowland, costume designer Rosalind Noctor and videographer extraordinaire Mike Bignell for the Promo Shoot of ‘Let us know you’.  

This was possibly the most challenging shoot I had done to date. Beautiful lighting by Natalie made complex challenges for me to shoot. The bright colourful LED lights combined with the shadowy atmosphere created, meant that I was constantly having to change my alter my aperture, and even then it was a challenge to shoot even with my highest setting. The fast dynamic movement meant I kept my shutter speed as quick as possible, meaning I was able to capture the detail amongst the speed without blurring.  

As a dancer this piece was unbelievably engaging to watch, so much so it made me wish I was in it. So as a photographer it was dreamy to shoot from an aesthetic perspective for many reasons. One being of course the incredibly sparkly costumes crafted by Rosalind. Just like the sculptures the work was inspired by, the work is full of intricate structures and moments that are amazing to shoot. But also the life that the dancers gave the piece, meant that I was able to capture the life and essence of the work, eternalizing the movement within the structures. This allowed me to explore deeper than purely ‘aesthetic’ image creation.