Liezl Austria

This summer just... sped by!  We moved a few weeks before school started and the entire summer was pretty much about purging and packing... and more purging and packing.  Then after the move came the unpacking!  Moving is not fun... and I'm so happy to be done with our move!!

So now I'm back!!!  I'm so glad I was able to get a little vacation in San Francisco at the beginning of summer (before all the fun purging and packing).  One of the highlights of my visit is this photo shoot with Liezl Austria at the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts.

Liezl and I met over 20 years ago during my ballet dancing days in San Francisco.  She became one of the first dear friends I made when I moved to the Bay Area from Manila.  Liezl is one of those people blessed with a naturally flexible and graceful body... as you will find in the images below.

As with any photo shoot, the first half hour was spent on getting comfortable and figuring  out some cool ballet poses.  Liezl started off with the more traditional poses...

  

Here's a pose showing Liezl's flexibility...

Liezl has lovely, clean lines...

Then I asked Liezl to go for more avant garde poses...

The image below was actually one of the first shots taken but I played with it until I got the final effect I want.  The shadows worked in my favor because it appears as if she has very long hair.

Liezl, I enjoyed this photo shoot tremendously with you.  I've wanted to have a portfolio with a beautiful dancer for a long time-- Thanks for helping me make it happen.  It was wonderful to see you again after so many years!!

Liezl Austria is a faculty member of the ODC Dance Commons in San Francisco.  Liezl also teaches at Alonzo King Ballet Dance Center and will begin teaching the Teen Ballet Workshop at Lines Ballet School on September 20th, 2011.