Many ideas interested us, such as being immersed underwater or elevated by trampolines, and this is when the discussion with our wonderful photographer, Yazmany Arboleda, began. I had the pleasure of meeting Arboleda in 2012 when we traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa together as part of the artsINSIDEOUT team. With this team we taught the arts to children and mothers who have been affected by HIV/AIDS at the Nikosis Haven village. After seeing his work and passion for photography I knew he was an invaluable artist to have on board!
The production of the calendar was on a very strict time schedule. We needed them ready for sale in December, so finalizing concepts, shopping for feathers, balloons, flour, paint, requesting costumes, props, and the actual shoot, all somehow had to happen within a few days! The calendar team (Niall, Evan, Kristi, Daphne, Ashley and myself) then worked with the printing company, Accent Printing Solutions, on design and layout while Arboleda worked on photo-shopping the images.
A few weeks later Evan brought in to class this beautiful, pristine compilation of all of our work, which was the calendar. It was first released to the student body of Juilliard at a discounted rate to a wonderful response, and then to the general public throughout the run of Juilliard’s New Dances PLUS: Edition 2013, which closed on Sunday. | My inspiration comes from all of the incredible people that surround me: from the way they choose to live their lives to how they express themselves through the arts or otherwise. |
On behalf of the class of 2014 I would like to thank Arboleda for his energy, spirit and passion towards this project! Now let’s get to know a bit more about the guy behind the lens…
Q: Tell us about yourself.
A: I was born in Boston to Colombian parents. I grew up between Medellin and Miami and attended university in Washington D.C. where I studied architecture.
Q: When and how did your love of photography begin?
A: I have always been interested in the arts. From a very young age I looked at photography magazines for inspiration. I remember collecting the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog and marveling at all of the opulent photo narratives.
Q: Did you have any formal training?
A: Even though I am formally trained as an architect, I have studied various disciplines: fashion design, industrial design, and urban planning. I strongly believe that innovation in the arts often grows from cross-pollination of various forms of expression.
Q: Each of us has something which inspires our life and work. Can you tell us the true basis of your inspiration?
A: All of my work involves the creation of experiences through collaboration. My inspiration comes from all of the incredible people that surround me: from the way they choose to live their lives to how they express themselves through the arts or otherwise.
Q: From your experience, have your best shots come from perfect planning or accidents?
A: As one of my favorite teachers used to say, "Proper planning prevents poor performance." Which is to say, preparation is important, but capturing a truly memorable image comes into being through happenstance.
Q: Best piece of advice you have ever received about photography?
A: To shoot from your gut.
A: Working with Afghan artists and activists to give away 10,000 balloons to the citizens of Kabul earlier this year.
(Read more about this project in a May Huffington Post article.)
Q: What appealed to you about being the photographer for the Senior Production calendar?
A: I was really interested in creating an original and dynamic narrative and the 2014 class of dancers were equally interested in that goal.
Q: What has been a highlight of your experience with the Class of 2014?
A: Spending 10 hours playing with beautiful materials that were being activated by beautiful humans and their graceful gestures.
Q: What has been a challenge?
A: The toughest part of our process was the tight deadline. The project involved a great deal of post-production, and editing all the images in time for printing was a challenging process.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I am currently working on a few projects. One of the most exciting works involves the creation of visuals that will coexist with dancers and poetry.
YAZMANY ARBOLEDA
www.glasslessglasses.com
See below for behind the scenes pictures from the calendar shoot!