The Photogenic DJ Choupin

I have a confession to make:  I am a HUGE fan of the discerning eye of DJ Choupin. That is the reason her work appears on the covers of all 7 roadkill opera-related books published in 2013.  Her work at Artomatic 2012 is stellar. See djchoupin.com for more.

DJ CHoupin's photograph "plain" shows bison at a distance in Yellowstone National Park
DJ Choupin’s “plain” is one of her most popular–and enduring–works. It serves as the spine and back cover of the piano/vocal score for A Roadkill Opera
Photo of the back cover to A Roadkill Opera: Piano/Vocal
The back cover to A Roadkill Opera: Piano/Vocal
Photo of DJ Choupin's Columbia River "gourds"
DJ Choupin’s Columbia River “gourds” capture the light and the season
Photo of bison on the road in Yellowstone in winter
DJ Choupin’s “boys” captures the mood of Yellowstone in winter
Photo of a zig-zag fence in front of a red barn-like building in a snowy landscape in Yellowstone National Park
DJ Choupin’s “zag” is her best-selling photo of a snowy landscape in Yellowstone National Park

I had fancied myself a photographer at one point, so I felt I knew a superior talent when I saw DJ’s work.

Self-portait photo of Stephan Alexander Parker in 1981 in Branson, Missouri
Stephan Alexander Parker photographed the cast of Good Times in the Country: Opryland USA on the Road in Branson, Missouri, in 1981. Self-portrait, above.

It was while working on mounting an exhibit of DJ’s photographs in Artomatic 2008 or Artomatic 2007 or Artomatic 2009 –no, it was 2008– that I found that Ferdinando Paer’s Leonora was being staged in London and (at last) I would have an opportunity to get a copy of the score.  While the 200-year-old manuscript would eventually come into my hands in digital form, I was interested in a performance copy, updated for modern use.

Photo of the 1804 manuscript for Ferdinando Paer's Leonora
The 1804 manuscript for Ferdinando Paer’s Leonora

Fortunately, the Bampton Opera production led to the creation of a modern score. But I digress…

Photo of DJ Choupin hawking If You See Roadkill, Think Opera, at the 2014 Gaithersburg Book Festival.
DJ Choupin hawking If You See Roadkill, Think Opera, at the 2014 Gaithersburg Book Festival. 22,000 people were estimated to attend the May 17 event. Note the viola cases book-ending the table display.
cover of if you see roadkill, think opera
DJ Choupin’s “flecked” serves as the cover of If You See Roadkill, Think Opera
Photo of DJ Choupin in a red cape by a high mountain lake in 1980s Jackson Hole
DJ Choupin in 1980s Jackson Hole

Thanks for everything, DJ–the best is yet to come!