Monday, May 23, 2011

Placido Domingo in Pagliacci

Placido Domingo as Canio in Pagliacci


This portrait was made backstage at the John F. Kennedy Center during the dress rehearsal of Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. I had photographed Plácido Domingo in several roles prior to this session but he was so quiet and subdued on this occasion that I thought perhaps I had offended him. It was not until I photographed him in the next costume that I realized that he was totally consumed in the role he was playing.  This photograph was selected as the DVD cover for the Washington National Opera's upcoming release of Volume Four of Plácido's "My Greatest Roles." 

Plácido was accompanied by Verónica Villarroel as Nedda, Gregory Yurisich as Tonio, Manuel Lanza as Silvio, and David Cangelosi as Beppe.  The performance's opera orchestra and chorus were conducted by Leonard Slotkin; the Director and Scene Designer  was Franco Zeffirelli.


An enlargement of this image was also printed sixty by sixty inches to hang in the lobby of the Washington National Opera's headquarters.


Friday, May 6, 2011

Springtime and Mother's Day Portraits

This last week I had the pleasure of photographing Channel 9's Angie Goff for the cover of the Georgetowner.  
It was a beautiful day outside, Spring in full bloom, and I took the opportunity to capture Angie and her daughter, Adora Kate, surrounded by the colors of the season.    


This second portrait was a chance to show the happy nature of both mother and daughter, focusing on their beautiful smiles.  


Angie has a fantastic blog you can follow, called Oh My Goff.  You can also catch her weekday mornings on on the local CBS affiliate, WUSA (Channel 9).

It's not too late to get your own Springtime or Mother's Day portraits! Contact the studio at 703-827-5957, or at katherine at philipbermingham dot com, to discuss a session, or purchase a gift certificate.