Ballet Des Moines for dsm Magazine / by jami milne

I was honored last night to have one of my photographs chosen as the March/April cover of dsm Magazine — an opportunity only bestowed to an artist six times a year. It is amazing not only because of the ability to share my work in one of the most beautiful formats our city has to offer, but as I was thinking about it a bit more, because of the following:

1. As mentioned last night and in the story, I can't swim.* And spending hours being held underwater to try and get the shot was terrifying in the most thrilling way possible. Thank you to my water muses Brooks and Mae. And to my IRL life saver, Amy.

2. My dad always had "On the Cover of The 'Rolling Stone'" by Dr. Hook playing when I was a kid. And somehow, standing up on that stage in a packed hotel lobby to unveil that cover, felt like my Rolling Stone.** Thanks for all those years of motivation, Dad. I'm gonna go get five copies for my mother, but will send some your way, too. 

3. Hali was just one of the nine dancers I photographed during my residency, and I am one of three artists Ballet Des Moines welcomed into their studio this season. Please continue to support the arts. Buy a subscription to your favorite magazine or newspaper. Buy tickets to the ballet. Or contact me about purchasing a print (half of all sales of my ballet work goes back to Ballet Des Moines).

If you hadn't seen the underwater work I did with Hali Hutchison, during my residency, you can catch a glimpse below. A giant thank you to dsm, BDM and ABM. And thank you, Christine and Annabel for believing in my work and gasping alongside me at all the right moments.

*A shout out to Lisa Braden and the Urbandale Public Pool for the "opportunity" to take adult swim lessons last month. You guys: I can float! Treading water still TBD.

**It should be noted by anyone that knows this song, my experience couldn't be any more unlike these lyrics. I would perhaps instead put myself more along the lyrical lines of "Everybody's Making It Big But Me" and at the same age as Lucy Jordan.