‘Divas Unleashed!!!’ by Tom Choinski

"For 31 years, the Boston Gay Men's Chorus has produced a Concert for Gay Pride Weekend. The theme for this year's production: 'Divas Unleashed!!!'. It was a musical tribute to Liza, Barbara, Whitney, Donna, and more.

Apart from singing, I also serve the Chorus as chief comedy writer. A year ago I was approached by the Music Director for production ideas. I wrote a two paragraph outline paying tribute to famous male divas. They loved it; however, they never went beyond the first two words of my proposal: Enter Liberace. It morphed into the show's centerpiece number, opening the second act. It climaxed with a duel between a grand piano and a marimba. The show closed with Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way', with 100 singers wearing fashion glasses and singing into hand-held mirrors.

My position on the creative team allows me to photograph our rehearsals a little more brazenly than the typical chorine. Shooting a live production has many challenges. No one is going to stop and pose. You can't get in the way. The lighting is a study in extremes: intense stage spotlights mixed with extreme darkness can drive an iPhone crazy. Focus and contrast were a constant struggle.

Because of the chaotic conditions, I selected Oggl to shoot with. While navigation and photo management were less than ideal, the ability to shoot now and apply filters later - mostly to counter exposure and contrast - was a godsend."
Tom Choinski

[button color="blue" link="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hipstamatic-New-England/215153518534085"]Hipstamatic New England[/button] [button color="blue" link="http://www.facebook.com/tomchoinski"]Tom Choinski[/button]

This post is also available in: French