Taking pictures at tango events - an intrusive practice?!

[opendoor]

...I'd concede that, in some future, that might become historically 'interesting'.

I still remember the balls in my BR time (70s-80s). From two o'clock in the morning on the photographers' mobile walls stood at the exit and we desperately tried to find the numbers of the best photos of ourselves. (You could use these numbers to order the individual prints.)

As mentioned above, many DJs now take photos themselves and publish the photos as advertising on their own profiles. I recently praised Igor el Espejero (who is certainly also well-known here, too) for his atmospheric black-and-white photographs.

 

[ardix]

And it also helps attack the public image of tango as wholly melodramatic passion and overly passionate drama, and demonstrates a more heartfelt, genuine image of two people giving the whole of themselves, accepting each other without any reservations.

Good point! But for whose benefit? For this to be valid it would mean that the photographed dancers have to have agreed to (explicitly rather than implicitly) or manifested somehow a willingness to contribute to this. Yet again, the real question is - whose agenda or rather who makes the agenda/the rules of this game? Also, does it really matter for you/ the ordinary tanguer@ what the public image of tango is? (Maybe it does, I don't know, no rhetorical question here).

 

[ardix]

@JohnEm ("My unasked for photo was amongst a group of pics
of the event posted on Facebook. ")

And then you find a photograph of you dancing on someone else's FB profile picture...

 

[ardix]

Sorry, that's crap. Each dancer (at least my cohort, and it's not small) consciously dances towards the camera and poses without end. Unfortunately, the last generation of tango photographers discards exactly these images. These self-forgotten couples, transcended in levitation, are pure social constructions from the desktop in Photoshop.

Ouch...Maybe your cohort consists of wannabes (wanna be teachers/performers/tango influencers...you name it)?!

 

[TTanguero]

Also, does it really matter for you/ the ordinary tanguer@ what the public image of tango is?

Yes, absolutely. It's key to drawing new people into tango – especially people who really want the real social dance, not the TV fantasy.

 

[Brummbaer]

Also, does it really matter for you/ the ordinary tanguer@ what the public image of tango is?

Actually, yes. I'd rather see the flame passed on than the burnt out ashes. Social AT needs to become more attractive to males as leaders and it needs to have a culture which is attractive and encouraging. Part of that is appropriate public imagery, which is not the same as random photos of the ego-driven (unless we all want more of them).

 

[ardix]

Yes, absolutely. It's key to drawing new people into tango – especially people who really want the real social dance, not the TV fantasy.

But maybe the other imagine would draw more people...?

 

[Brummbaer]

But maybe the other imagine would draw more people...?

It hasn't so far, and little sign that it will. But some marketing strategy might piggyback onto aspects (just ignore the fake tans, red dress, heels, spandex, 1930s). But, again, no one really seems to have even tried that strategy: You've seen the fantasy. Now be a real man and actually lead a follower. 'Strictly' is for wimps! Try social AT. I've seen people trying to couple AT with business management and 'leadership', but I see that as just branching out from AT into the 'wellness/mindfulness' realm.

More to do with marketing than random, intrusive, images from a milonga. But maybe, in our times, we need some realisable fantasy.

 

[Bailango]

I wonder, how/when did this start, taking pictures of the participants dancing at different tango events? Somehow I am guessing that it is a slip, that cameras shifted focus from the couples of maestros performing/giving shows to the humble, regular participants. Only that there is an unbalance here, a sort of inequality: while the performing couples are fully aware of this and have trained in posing, the regular tanguer@s (well, most of them) are at loss - being either unaware or unskilled in posing. They are so immersed in the dance, in their own feelings that they somehow feel like being photographed naked - which they are, in a way, emotionally naked.

What is your take on this?

I like street photography and I like photographing dancers. I will sometimes take camera with me. I shoot very discreetly and most of the time people may not be aware. It is no different than street photography. It is beautiful to capture dancers’ expressions.

When I have shared pics with people they have been delighted. Some have approached me to photograph them while dancing when they realize I am shooting.

I don’t post pictures publicly.

 

[Bailango]

This is an issue - I think a few photographers I know (of which I am personally acquainted with one or two) make it known that they will remove any photos of yourself if requested. I think some events do ask attendees to let them know if they do not wish any photos of themselves to be taken/made public.

Most events have standard disclaimer that you may be photographed or video recorded. At festivals when you sign up, that is one of the fine prints.

In USA anyone can photograph you in a public places and public space. There is no restriction. I think it is opposite in France for example. You need an explicit permission to take pic of someone.

 

[Bailango]

Yes, but my complexion is already bad, I have too much baby fat on my face, my hair loves to defy gravity and other assorted laws of physics despite copious amounts of pomade... So I always look bad, photo or not!

Don’t worry. There is AI makeover possible no need for photoshop!

 

[opendoor]

..again, the real question is ..does it really matter for you/ the ordinary tanguer@ what the public image of tango is?

You make too hard a distinction between the ordinary social dancers and professionals. We all have a symbiotic relationship with each other:

- the ordinary dancer determines the attractiveness of the event solely through his presence at the milonga;
- the ordinary dancer does not leave his favorite organizer alone when he offers workshops with traveling teachers;
- the ordinary dancer supports his favorite organizer and buys the drinks at the bar;
- the ordinary dancer supports the organizer alternately as a host at the entrance desk, behind the bar, and with assigning seats;
- the ordinary dancer djayes regularly in his resident milonga, receiving a tip or other benefits;
- the ordinary dancer sells high-quality dance shoes at the events of his favorite supplier;
- the ordinary dancer, if it is his profession, lays the sprung floor of the parquet and undertakes other services..

But maybe the other imagine would draw more people...?

No way, at all! I'm always ashamed when a certain Argentine couple of teachers (you know them) is posting their own promo, photos and films (too slutty, too embarrassing). I always have to explain that this is not the real Argentine tango.

Ouch...Maybe your cohort consists of wannabes (..teachers/performers/influencers...

That's clear, the ordinary tango dancer is the source of the next tango teacher. It's democratic, you don't have to be from a specific neighborhood in BsAs to start a professional tango career.

 

[pianistamediano]

Don’t worry. There is AI makeover possible no need for photoshop!

Yes, well, can I get an AI to make me over in real life?

 

[TTanguero]

Yes, well, can I get an AI to make me over in real life?

 

[Greybeard]

Also, does it really matter for you/ the ordinary tanguer@ what the public image of tango is?

Yes.

I want the public image to match the reality. If the public image is Dancing With the Stars (or Strictly...) then people who want to show off and do lifts and high kicks will show up and be disappointed. The people we want to encourage to try us out are the ones who will enjoy the ronda and working with the connection to the music, but would be turned off by high kicks.