Goddess of the Dance - Page 3

Aziyade · 02-27-2008, 05:52 PM

AWW!! I love the fairy one, Reen

Reen.Blom · 02-27-2008, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aziyade

AWW!! I love the fairy one, Reen

Thank you!! This is my teacher

Salome · 02-27-2008, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moon

Dear Michael,

Is the purpose of these pictures just to create beautiful pictures, or to be used as serious marketing tool for bellydancers? Because in the last case, people might prefer pictures of dancers actually dancing in a studio or restaurant. It shows what they look like while dancing and it shows they have some experience. Although your pictures are very beautiful, I think they might be not very suitable for a dancer to show what bellydance is really like. After all, everyone can pose in a costume. Please note I don't mean to offend you.

Sorry, I have to disagree here. An action shot in a venue is OK on a dancer's website perhaps but not as a PR picture. A promo pic is not meant to show what belly dance is all about. That is the role of a demo reel, or if online, your video clip. A promotional picture should be totally fab, well lit, clearly show your face and body and costume in all it's wonderful detail - without waiters and what not in the background.

lizaj · 02-27-2008, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Campbell

The nearest I have got to Egypt is the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas

Here is Ansuya as Isis. I see you are in UK somewhere, I used to have a house in Alvediston Wilts, it was a 200 year-old school that I bought from my neighbor exPM Sir Anthony Eden, ( I nicknamed it East of Eden and West of Suez ... that is an in-joke )
However I grew up in Pinner Middx and went to Merchant Taylors School and Leicester University where I got a Masters degree in geology.

You needed to remind a Brit about Eden and Suez!!!!!

'fraid I'm a Northern gal , nothing so posh as Pinner.
Although my sister went to our Merchant Taylors and we both went to Liverpool University!

Michael Campbell · 02-27-2008, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reen.Blom

Hey Michael did YOU take all this pictures? ( and edited them afterwards?) If so it is really great!

I personally do not get all that Goddess thing though.... I agree there is space for editing and making fairy-tale like beautiful pictures, fantasy as you say. Through power of imagination to disregard all the imperfections and bring it to a perfect beautiful world.

As for goddess thing- it is REALLY bad. You are going to have mixed feelings form the dancers who try really hard to break the misconceptions and stop people selling belly dance as some goddess worship.

I can envision belly dancer in a role of nymph or fairy, or whatever else, but goddess myth is really harmful imho.

Bravo for the pix thou, I did that type of stuff myself!

Fine no problemo! I had no idea it was such a touchy subject. I don't want to upset anyone. I shall scrap the Goddess idea and call it something else like Digital Dancers. Yes I took all the pictures, got to do something to pass the time...

Brea · 02-27-2008, 09:31 PM

My photographer is going to take photos of me in my Scottish costume standing in the snow, holding a sword. Obviously there is some fantasy about that!

Yes, as Aziyade so gently puts it, there is a problem with this being considered 'goddess' oriented. I want to stress here that I don't actually have a problem with people being pagan (or anything for that matter), but when it comes into something I study the history of, such as Scotland or bellydance, I take offense. The thing is, you may not be meaning 'goddess' in that way at all, but it's something that a lot of misguided people in the bellydance world have been writing very inaccurate books about.

And lastly, there are some fantastic men in this dance. They deserve equal attention to the women. You will be promoting another myth by including only women in your book: the myth that only women do this dance.

Reen.Blom · 02-27-2008, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aziyade

We can hook you up with male dancers if you wanted to add a "God" section.

Now THAT would do the reputation of the dance some service... LOL

Just dont forget to add "self proclaimed"

Michael Campbell · 02-27-2008, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lizaj

You needed to remind a Brit about Eden and Suez!!!!!

'fraid I'm a Northern gal , nothing so posh as Pinner.
Although my sister went to our Merchant Taylors and we both went to Liverpool University!

Not so POSH (Port Out Starboard Home ) any more. The Merchant Taylors I went to was 450 years old and all boys, I did not speak to a member of the opposite sex until I left school.
I used to go to Liverpool University from Leicester to compete in Track and Field, Cricket, Squash, Table Tennis and Chess when I was a student. Long time ago... I used to hold the UK record for the high jump but now can hardly get up the stairs. My 15 year old son has taken over in that department and represented California, Nevada and Arizona in Junior Olympics last summer.

Reen.Blom · 02-27-2008, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Campbell

Fine no problemo! I had no idea it was such a touchy subject. I don't want to upset anyone. I shall scrap the Goddess idea and call it something else like Digital Dancers. Yes I took all the pictures, got to do something to pass the time...

I applaud your talent

the pictures are realy nice and the editing as well, so I am sure it could be quite a hit, also if you make posters or cards!

I believe such a full color album could be really nice so give it some thought, since the pictures are really romantic! Maybe you could come up with some inspirational dance quotes and make a calendar or something....

Good luck with your efforts!

Moon · 02-27-2008, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salome

Sorry, I have to disagree here. An action shot in a venue is OK on a dancer's website perhaps but not as a PR picture. A promo pic is not meant to show what belly dance is all about. That is the role of a demo reel, or if online, your video clip. A promotional picture should be totally fab, well lit, clearly show your face and body and costume in all it's wonderful detail - without waiters and what not in the background.

Hmm, well I personally prefer dancer website who have both. A picture on which you can clearly see the dancer on her own (or troupe on it's own) and action shots. I would find it strange if the posing picture would have some kind of fairy wings or other fantasy aspects that has nothing to do with the dance. But oh well, just my opinion. I tend to like action shots better than the look-how-pretty-I-am model-like pictures

.
When people get to see you in real life you won't have perfect lighting to bring out the best of your features anyway

02-27-2008, 09:31 PM	#26 (permalink)
Brea V.I.P. Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: USA Posts: 1,283	My photographer is going to take photos of me in my Scottish costume standing in the snow, holding a sword. Obviously there is some fantasy about that! Yes, as Aziyade so gently puts it, there is a problem with this being considered 'goddess' oriented. I want to stress here that I don't actually have a problem with people being pagan (or anything for that matter), but when it comes into something I study the history of, such as Scotland or bellydance, I take offense. The thing is, you may not be meaning 'goddess' in that way at all, but it's something that a lot of misguided people in the bellydance world have been writing very inaccurate books about. And lastly, there are some fantastic men in this dance. They deserve equal attention to the women. You will be promoting another myth by including only women in your book: the myth that only women do this dance. __________________ www.breamorgiane.com

02-27-2008, 05:52 PM	#21 (permalink)
Aziyade V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Cornfields of Evansville Indiana. Posts: 1,049	AWW!! I love the fairy one, Reen