I love to welcome Portland musicians to the calm and bright creative photo studio in Sherwood, Oregon. As a trained musician myself, I know enough about the art to understand on a deep level the years of dedication and learning it takes to be a performing artist. And as a musician who hasn’t practiced in decades, there is always lots to learn from my friends the high level working artists.
It was an honor to have cellist Diane Chaplin visit the Sherwood portrait studio this year. Diane is a headliner with The Cello Project (previously known as the Portland Cello Project), one of the first ensembles I read about in popular media when my husband and I moved to Portland in 2010. She is also the founder of The Cello Refinery, an online resource for learning cello.
One of the things I admire about Diane is that she is a conservatory-trained musician who is not afraid to cover popular music and hold a stage for a diverse audience who might not otherwise attend a classical performance. Diane brings a meticulous practice regimen and a structured personal schedule to maintain her sought-after cello teaching studio and keep a touring schedule with The Cello Project.
I’ve been following Diane for years and years, but it all came together through Resonance Ensemble. Katherine FitzGibbons’ excellent musical group uses their stage to promote meaningful social change – and they have been doing it for more than a decade now leading the charge to evolve our expectations from what we traditionally promote from the classical stage (the work of dead white guys we like because we have always heard it). Resonance has emerged as a leadership example for choral groups around the nation – encouraging others to make different programming choices to promote the work of living composers that centers marginalized voices.
Together, Diane and I created more than a headshot – she had some wonderfully creative and awe-inspiring images with her red performance dress. We also did some promotional images with some funky artisan accessories, and some slightly more conservative photos in traditional musician black as well (not pictured).
Learn more about Diane here. (as of 11/23 photos not mine)
More about The Cello Project.
Inquire about your own press photo update with Oregon photographer Rachel Hadiashar here.
