I posted an audio slide show about Tango in Buenos Aires….I think NG Traveler will have it up on their site too, but not sure where. This was originally going to have an interview narration with a Tango anthropologist and was going to be more educational, but then my editor said just do it a lot of dance pictures and snappy music, and I thought, why not?
Ordinarily, I HATE going out and shooting nightlife. First of all, it all starts too late (don’t you people have something to do during the daylight hours????). Secondly, everybody’s having fun, and you’re the nerd with the camera and the lightpole and no life and everybody would just prefer that you go away….
But…I loved documenting tango. I actually looked forward to getting up in the middle of the night to go out. It’s such a beautiful, passionate dance, and the Portenos were so warm and welcoming to my presence. I was blown away by the artistry of the dancers, whether the pros on stage during a show, or folks at a neighborhood milonga. It’s the real deal, it’s a lifestyle.
And I was privileged to have been a close witness to it. That’s why, despite all the bullsh… about our business lately, it’s just so cool that this camera gives you entree into so many different worlds.

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It’s perfect. And FWIW, I love the caption on the screen grab. Which I should have read before clicking on the photo. Great job. Required geek question, was audio recorded by you or another source. It’s outstanding.
thanks.
Jack, It’s a track from the band Fernandez Fierro—they’re the guys playing behind the chain link fence in the one shot. I just had to shorten the track by a verse. cheers, Bob
Bob-
As a regular contributor to http://www.ice-dance.com I “feel your pain”. Although I don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to photograph couples, I do stand in freezing cold ice arenas to photograph ice dancers, sometimes all day long. Unfortunately the only real challenge is the poor lighting. In most rinks, its mercury vapor with its flickering and color shifting properties. Flash is verboten in figure skating so that option is not even a consideration.
Howard: The sacrifices we make for our art. Although it sounds like you’re making a few more than I am! Love photographing dancers though, on the ice or the dancefloor! Bob
This is great … now I have to put on my tango shoes and cart all my photo gear back to Buenos Aires at the same time … if I could find a way to earn money over there at the same time, I’d be back in an instance.
Wow! You are really, really good.
Clark: I wish you were an editor! Bob
Did you use Soundslides as usual?
Hi Jacques: Yes, I did.
I keep trying to use FotoMagico, because it can incorporate film clips and has many more output options, but there are so many glitches and just plain user-unfriendly quirks with that program that I keep going back to Soundslides Plus.
I’m never quite happy with the smoothness of the Ken Burns effect in Soundslides Plus, but it’s infinitely easier to use than Fotomagico, so I keep going back. Bob
Beautiful Bob.. Loved the dance sequences. Great work as usual.
Thanks Dave. I’m having fun learning the multimedia stuff. Bob
Bob,
I just read the spread on Buenos Aires in Traveler. Did you use your D90/16-85 D90/70-300 kit on this assignment? I love the library shot and the dusk shot of the city.
Thanks,
Matt
Hi Matt: Those were my two go-to lenses for the story, although the bookstore might have been the 12-24mm. cheers, Bob
Bob
Loved the Tango story and video – my wife and I are off to BA in three weeks and then on the Casa Wine Lodge for the harvest – we also did the trip last year on the La Amatista caught and ate a piranha on my birthday- got some great IR pics – seems like our bucket list matches your travels – are you by any chance heading for the Great Migration – we will be in Kenya in August! trying to get video with my D3s
keep posting great pics
best
Bill White
Bill: Enjoy the migration….it’s still on my list. BK
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