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Dancing through Colombo

For my CAS Project, I collaborated with Ashvini and Matthew to do dance-related photography around typical spots around Colombo. Initially, in the planning stages, we were going to shoot a dance video to a motivating speech but then decided to do a series of pictures which Ashvini got inspired to do after Jordon Matter, a famous dance photographer.

Our goal was to take pictures doing various poses at multiple places in Colombo of which most people view as ordinary and regular and do not take time to enjoy the beauty of the place and indeed, the beauty of the city. We then planned to edit the photos and post them on an Instagram account that we made so that we would be able to share our photos with the community.

Once we decided exactly what we wanted to do, now came the planning process. We spent many days doing extensive planning, choosing locations of which we thought reflected common, everyday spots. We then plotted routes and decided if we needed any additional props while Ashvini decided which poses and costume changes were going to be done at each location.

It was then discussed that Ashvini will be posing for the pictures while Matthew and I would be the photographers. Matthew’s focus was more on taking behind-the-scenes photos and helping Ashvini while I took the dance photos using a Canon EOS Rebel T3i. Partner shots were taken with Andrew who joined us to help and Ashvini was tasked with teaching him how to do poses since he had no background in dancing. On March 14th, we went to the following locations:

• Arpico Supercenter Hyde Park
• Diyatha Railway Station
• Old Cargills Building
• Green Path
• Arcade Independence Square

Along with the blazing heat, going to different locations and taking the photos took much longer than anticipated and we ended up spending the whole day completing the shoot. Following the shoot, we ended up with hundreds of drafts of photos. Matthew and I did an initial scan of the photos focusing on how well the lighting was and taking in other factors while Ashvini chose the final set of photos that were to be edited. Matthew, Ashvini, and I then edited the pictures using Lightroom and BeFunky.

We then posted the pictures daily for a period of about two weeks on the Instagram page called the ‘cmbdanceproject’. A link to the Instagram page can be found below: https://www.instagram.com/cmbdanceproject/?hl=en

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Learning Outcomes

• Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

As I had never done photography of this scale before, I was nervous about my skills as I am only an amateur photographer. During this experience, my skills and knowledge of photography were put to the test. I received help from a friend who video called me when we started taking photos and he walked me through the features of the camera such as the ISO. Editing the pictures was another challenge as I was not familiar with the platform that I used but I improved over time.

• Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience

Extensive planning was done for this project. Each location and props along with the route and the estimated time spent at each location were discussed. After taking the pictures, the editing was done by Matthew and me, and photos were then sent to Ashvini for final approval. The responsibility of posting photos and overseeing the account was collectively distributed among us.

• Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

The skills that each of us brought to this project made it a great success. A blend of Ashvini’s dancing abilities and mine and Matthew’s photography and editing skills allowed us to create a series of photos with a solid concept. In addition, we worked well collaboratively and were actively communicating with one another throughout the process.

• Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process

In the initial stages of the shoot, I did not take into consideration many aspects of the camera and the picture. However, with further practice and help from a friend, I learned and improved as the shoot continued. I also watched videos on tips for editing dance photos where I also learned new features of editing and was also fascinated by how much we could alter a picture with this technology.