GALO: Why was powder the ideal choice for this groundbreaking photo series?

GL: To capture the movement, I needed a very fine, grained, powder-like material. I chose to use powder (talcum based) because it doesn’t carry the same explosive qualities as flour, and it is more pleasant for the models; they could easily wash it out of their hair and not end up having dough if water is added to it.

GALO: Oftentimes, photographers ruminate about the right lens that will rightfully and purposefully capture an object, movement or being. With capturing dance, given the kinetics and added powder element, this process might be more difficult. What camera lens did you use for this series and why? Any challenges with it in capturing the powder’s explosion?

GL: I’ve used a shorter lens than usually, i.e. a standard 18-55mm lens, to capture more depth in the image. It actually was not that easy to use the powder and the movement together. We had to test the dance motions a couple of times before we got the right amount of powder nailed down. After a while, we also had to take a break, so the powder that had filled the room could settle. Otherwise, it would have caught too much light from the flashes, and would have created a haze on the image.

GALO: The photos are full body shots that are not fixated on a focal point, yet the strong black and white contrast proves to be most effective and dramatic in feeling. Was the latter an intentional aesthetic decision, and what message were you attempting to convey with that choice, if any?

GL: The choice to use black clothes to the white powder was a conscious one. I wanted nothing, neither additional patterns nor color, to distract from the motion and its emotional impact. I wanted to offer the motion the maximum emotive space possible. The same can be said for the full body shots. Capturing emotions through facial expressions is a method that I often apply. But in this shoot, I wanted to focus on the expressiveness of the dance itself.

A dancer in motion in artist Geraldine Lamanna’s “Powder Dance” series. Photo Courtesy of: Geraldine Lamanna.

GALO: Some photographers look at composition as not a rigid set of rules to follow, but a loose set of guiding tools to utilize at one’s discretion when constructing a great image. These photographers rarely use all of those tools in their repertoire. Here, your photos masterfully show off the powder explosion patterns, and the shots have a substantial depth of field. How much and what specific widely-known photography tools play a role in your photos?

GL: To be honest, I have to admit that while photographing, I tend not to think about image composition consciously. I spy through the finder and choose a composition that just feels right to me, and then take the shot. I only rarely change the composition of the image afterward. Usually, the images already comply with the classical rules of image composition, but as I said, I don’t plan the composition consciously while shooting.

In this shoot the situation was different. I needed to make sure that the movement of the dancers is fully captured in the frame, so I had to plan for enough room. Concerning the depth of field, of course, I consider which lens to use beforehand based on the goals, and how I think I can achieve them. In this shoot, the whole movement and body should be clearly visible.

A dancer is surrounded by powder in Geraldine Lamanna’s “Powder Dance” series. Photo Courtesy of: Geraldine Lamanna.

GALO: In the series, another photo shows a dark-haired woman in an irregular, aberrant stance, with her outstretched arms at contrasting high and low levels next to her body, and her head arched toward the sky. It is rather eloquent and poetic, capturing one of the dancer’s unique cadences. She seems to be emanating this inner strength symbolized by the powder’s release from her hand. Give me your top three words to describe this series, and for you, what was gratifying and fascinating about this?

GL: Emotive, strong and surreal. I connect the shoot with an important time of my life because it was the first shoot after a longer break, in which I had to finish my diploma (master’s degree) in mathematics. It happened one or two days after my last exam, and was very liberating and explosive for me; those feelings fit the theme of the shoot wonderfully. The theme of expressing emotions through the body and movement is accentuated through the use of powder, which was something completely new and exciting for me.

Artist Geraldine Lamanna’s “Powder Dance” series. Photo Courtesy of: Geraldine Lamanna.

GALO: Any planned future series to accompany this one (perhaps a male Powder Dance series given that you only photographed woman for this one)? Or are you going to spread your wings in a new bemusing way?

GL: There are many themes that I want to realize in the future. I haven’t explored the topic of powder in its full depth yet; I want to make something in a different, more silent direction with it. Aside from the glamorous, sensual portraits I usually do, I plan to capture beauty in a more natural way, and also want to explore more mystical and fantastical themes. There are so many ideas.

Artist Geraldine Lamanna’s “Powder Dance” series. Photo Courtesy of: Geraldine Lamanna.

GALO: As a photographer, how much do you lend yourself to the process of picking and choosing venues for your work? Is it a daunting challenge where you consider the venue’s physical space, lighting, or the amount of people it may attract, or are you okay with just interjecting it into the public domain like the Internet?

GL: Until now, I have almost exclusively shown my work on the Internet. I haven’t really thought about how many people I reach with it, or how to get the attention of more. First and foremost, I do the shoots out of my own motivation because I enjoy the creative work and bringing –albeit in a small scale through the models — joy to some people. I never thought that my photos would have such a wide appeal, and of course, I am very happy about it. Meanwhile, I’ve been asked a couple of times if I wanted to make an exhibition with the dance photos. It is an interesting thought to present the images publicly to a wider, direct audience, and I think I will adhere to that idea.

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