RFdesigns Stage Photography, Dance Photography

10/31/2025

Some Creepy mostly derived Theatre and Dance Photography for this Halloween season. BOO!

07/07/2025

So last week's adventure was to photograph a magnificent Opera produced hy the Haymarket Opera Theatre in Chicago on behalf of my good friend Wendy who served as the Scenic Designer. I took over 1700 photos of the one 4-hour Dress Rehearsal. Haymarket is one of a small handful of companies that specialize in presentation of 16th and 17th century operas. Here are the credits of the company and piece.
Artaserse
Haymarket Opera Company
Composer: Leonardo Vinci
Libretto: Pietro Metastasio
Opening: June 24, 2025
Jarvis Opera Hall, DePaul University, Chicago
JARVIS OPERA HALL
Photographer for these Photos: Richard Finkelstein.n
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Cast:
Artaserse: Kangmin Justin Kim, countertenor
Arbace: Key’mon Murrah, countertenor
Mandane: Emily Fons, mezzo-soprano
Semira: Elijah McCormack, male soprano
Artabano: Eric Ferring, tenor
Megabise: Ryan Belongie, countertenor
Supernumeraries: Rowan Foley and Elliot Kovitz
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Creative Team:
Stage Director: Drew Minter
Music Director: Craig Trompeter
Conductor: Craig Trompeter
Set Designer: Wendy Waszut-Barrett
Costume Designer: Stephanie Cluggish
Wig Designer & Lead Makeup Artist: Megan Pirtle
Lighting Designer: Brian Schneider
Assistant Director: Hannah Zizza Stanfield
Creative Producer: Chase Hopkin

04/22/2025

Some samples of recent Dance Photography tessellations.

04/03/2025

Branching off into Museum Photography. This is my second year working at The Madison Art Collection and Lisanby Museum.

Madison Art: Photography

12/31/2024

Loads of anniversaries as usual and lots of theatre history in the photographs

12/02/2024

Dancescapes 2024Featuring VA Rep.
James Madison University
School of Theatre and Dance
November 1, 2024. Forbes Mainstage
Photo by Richard Finkelstein

Under the Wolf’s CloakCo-directors: Imelda O’Reilly and Joe FoleyChoreographer: Tara Lee BurnsPoem: Imelda O’ReillyGreek Chorus: Molly O’DonnellMask Maker: Karen BoyerCinematographer: Joe FoleyProjection Design: Tara Lee BurnsAssistant Projection Designer:Ryan Matthew MichalowiczCamera Operator: Kassidy Hudson, Lexie Riley Burns, Harrison Woodley,Chloe Cameron, Jaden Wolfe
Rehearsal Director: Kiley FlahertyLive Cast: Jordyn Butts, Sireena Dunford, Alexis Fauscett, SophiaStevens, Selah Stevenson, Hailey ThompsonUnderstudies: Emily Arlotta, Kiley Flaherty

11/30/2024

From a few years ago (2017) but I just discovered this spread of my photos in Mississippi Today from then.

One hundred ballet dancers from approximately 40 states and 25 nations will compete in one of the world's most prestigious dance events

11/04/2024

I haven't posted here in quite a while so I hope to make amends. Here is a sample of my last Dance Photo Stint, from just last week.

Dancescapes 2024Featuring VA Rep.
James Madison University
School of Theatre and Dance
November 1, 2024. Forbes Mainstage
Photos by Richard Finkelstein

Artistic Director: Matt PardoCostume Designer: Jenny McNeeLighting Designer: Gretta DaughtreyAssistant Lighting Designer: Aaron HobbsStage Manager: Isabella DeemAssistant Stage Manager: Jessica Scanlon

05/19/2022

I have so many thousands of dance photos but there's more. After every piece that I shoot I then create a series of additional fine arts photographs that I largely keep to my self. Most come in the form of 4 related treatments, my: Dance Kaleidoscopes, Warpages, "orbs", and "Rooms". I also have a satiric series making fun of the horrible fashion tese days which takes a classical ballet dancer on pointe and in tutu, plopping her into the midst of an urban distorian scene, snow drift, or the middle of a Manhattan street intersection at rush hour. My own lambasting of these is called my "Anachronistic Dancer Project" also making fun of the way people plop the word "project" onto something and call it "art". I haven't posted any of these in a while so here are a few examples from the kaleido and the "rooms" realm. Some day I would love to publish sets of these, turn them into fashion items, or to exhibit the best of the collection. Feel free to share.

04/10/2022

Revisting a project I designed and photographed right before COVID struck.

04/10/2022

Photographs I took yesterday of 3 of the 4 members of the Brubeck Brothers Quartet. The brothers are the sons of jazz legend Dave Brubeck. The quartet includes other musicians as well, all excellent. Here are the three band members at the master class demonstration arranged for our music students.
Dan Brubeck (drums)
Chris Brubeck (bass, trombone)
Chuck Lamb (piano)

The photos were taken in work light with the mucicians wearing their street clothes. This was an informal presentation (which was quite wonderful I must add)

03/17/2022

Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore.