Do ballerinas say “Cheese”?

James McDougall photographing a set at the Royal Opera House, London

My neighbour James McDougall was a gifted photographer. He recorded for posterity the nearly all the sets used by the Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera between 1962 or ’63 and the early 2000s.

I used to bump into him at a local pub sometimes, but I feel as though I’ve got to know him much better since his premature death.

So why mention him today? Three reasons. As a photographer, he seemed an apt person to talk about for this week’s Loose Bloggers Consortium topic – focus. Another reason is that the Royal Opera House in London has just recently put a collection of his photographs online. You can see them here.

And thirdly, as James’s passing reminded me, “you know not the day nor the hour” – so why not focus on that which brings satisfaction. Like he did with his photography.

James also photographed more informal scenes and celebrities. I hope to delve into his private archive for you in the near future. (He also left a vast store of British, American and German photographic magazines. If anyone is interested in having them, let me know.)

In the meantime, here’s one of James’s technical pics.

Marguerite and Armand 2002 – Royal Ballet – photographed by James McDougall

According to the notes – This 2002 production of Marguerite and Armand with Sylvie Guillem and Nicolas de Riche, was a revival of the ballet originally performed on 12th March 1963, with Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev in the title roles. (There’s more information at the website.)

While we’re focussing on the topic focus, you might want to check out what the other members of the Loose Bloggers Consortium have come up with on the subject. You’ll find them listed in the links column a bit further down on the right hand side of your screen.

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