Thread: Professional Photos

I've searched the threads on here but I couldn't find one on this topic. When should you get professional photos done? I have a photographer in my area that is having a great sale and is very well respected by the dance community. I'm just now getting into performing and I know I need a good picture for resumes, cards, etc but I'm wondering if I can get away with non-professional photos right now. Or should I just give in and get them done? The more I think about it, the more pros and cons I come up with. For instance, what poses should I do? ACK! I'm tired of questioning myself so I'll ask you all. I know you have some wonderful answers for me. ..g.:

I got professional photos done several years ago and I have *never used them*. Why? Well, first of all, I lost a lot of weight after they were done. Second of all, my makeup was done by the photographer (it was one of those glamour shoot packages) and I didn't like it at all. Thirdly, the photographer retained rights to all the images and technically I had to ask him for permission every single time I used them. And now, of course, I have radically changed my look.

They were a very nice set of photos of a fat woman and I got a few of them but they weren't really "me". The makeup was wrong.

I do think professional photos are a great idea provided you establish up front that you will have the rights to use them - I got my session done as a kind of freebie-pay-for-the-prints deal, and it was not until *after* the shoot that they brought out the contract, which means that technically the photographer can sell photos of me looking fat and a bit orange to anybody in the world, and I have no rights to the images. It's a sneaky set-up. Beware of such things.

I would also recommend trying to work with a photog who knows BD and knows what BDers want. You'd want to see their work first. Another time, a photographer was engaged to do portrait shots at one of our shows, which we could purchase. Every BD enthusiast wants a nice photo of themselves in costume, so I got a few of them done. There were some nice ones, and the photos looked lovely in thumbnail, but in reality they were out of focus - deliberately so I think to create "softness" - and once again, orange/yellow to create "warmth". I adjusted the colour on mine so they are not too bad, but I still don't love them. All the dance photos I have that I actually like are candids, taken while performing. I'm not particularly photogenic or pretty and I accept that, but I *do* have some good photos and they are all live.

I agree with Zumarrad. If you don't know what kind of picture you want, don't spend money on professional pictures.

I would like to ad that the experiences that Zumarrad mentions are valuable to learn what you like in a picture and how you want to promote yourself.

You could try to do some TF-cd shoots (check the contract first!). These are shoots were photographer and model donate their time, skills and equipment. As a result, the photographer gets to practice and you might end up with some nice pictures. When you like them, you can always ask the photographer if you can buy the copyright. If you don't, you're not loosing money over it.

They were a very nice set of photos of a fat woman and I got a few of them but they weren't really "me". The makeup was wrong.

As a relative novice, I've never had an official photoshoot of me as a dancer but I have modeled a few times (apparently the photographer liked my scowl -hah!)

Anyway, whatever you decide to do I really think you will be happiest with the results if you can pick a photographer who you feel really gets 'you', as opposed to just a nice shot of you in a costume. As a result, time shopping around is probably time well spent.

You could try to do some TF-cd shoots (check the contract first!). These are shoots were photographer and model donate their time, skills and equipment. As a result, the photographer gets to practice and you might end up with some nice pictures. When you like them, you can always ask the photographer if you can buy the copyright. If you don't, you're not loosing money over it

I second this advice. Also, if you are looking at a photographer's existing work, try to look past the 'that looks nice' aspect and think 'Is this a style/way of presentation that is right for me and that I can relate to'.

I agree with the above advice, however: if there's a Raq the Camera event near you, go! You won't have to worry about your make-up looking weird (Azhia is a genius) or having icky stiff poses (Cassie is a genius too!). I can also say from my experience and my students' experiences that once you have a shoot, you will learn a lot. The second shoot is when things really start clicking.

I third (fourth?) checking on if you will be able to reproduce the photos for promotional uses. If this photographer is they type that shoots weddings, senior portraits and babies, it is extremely unlikely that you'll have permission to use the images.

As for poses, I troll other dancers websites and photo galleries for ideas. My last photo shoot, I brought a couple of pages worth of pose ideas and it was very helpful.

Originally Posted by laura 2

As for poses, I troll other dancers websites and photo galleries for ideas. My last photo shoot, I brought a couple of pages worth of pose ideas and it was very helpful.

This is such a great idea. One of my troupe members did that for her first Raq the Camera shoot. For the one we hosted here, I grabbed about 50 group poses from online pages and then we narrowed it down to about 20. We popped them on the flat screen TV in my studio, which is where we were posing, so that everyone could see the kind of look we were going for. Very helpful....

I'm with the others who've suggested a TFCD shoot. I've had one VERY succesful shoot, and the photographer gave me a copyright release to ALL of my images (not just dance shots), only asking that if I use them commercially that I let him know.

Also...just because I'm paranoid, if you DO go to a shoot...bring an escort/assistant. Many photographers out there are legit, but there are some who are just creepy GWC (guys with cameras.). Please look out for your safety. :)

good luck!

There's some really good advice here. As for the photographer, they're nationally acclaimed and have worked with local belly dancers as well as some supa stars such as Rania. So I'm not really worried about their reputation. I've also seen the make-up they've done and it's amazing! I'm just worried about jumping the gun and ending up with crappy photos due to my own inexperience at posing. Like Zumarrad, I'm not very photogenic. It takes a lot of pictures to find a couple of good ones. Maybe there should be a class on how to pose like a super model! lol

Originally Posted by sweetie_1916

It takes a lot of pictures to find a couple of good ones.

Don't worry, this is always the case, whether it's with Linda Evangelista or someone standing in front of the camera for the very first time.


Latifa, so what you're saying is that everyone should have at least 2 Raq the Camera sessions??
..g.:

At least!! Those of us who are going through our proofs are already planning the next one!!

I had some guy with a camera take some shots of my troupe and learned a lot from the horrible poses. The next time we had pictures taken (also not professional) they were much better because we had some ideas of what didn't work. Next time will be even better.

My point here is that I agree that it might take more than once to get good shots.

I've had a lot of success with moving shots rather than posed shots. I put on some music I liked and danced to it during the shoot.

Go ahead and get them done if you can afford it. I recommend using someone who does glamour portraits and models. I just found a great one! Miami photographer, Miami photography studio, Miami photo studio. He gave me all rights and was very reasonable.

If you have someone who is willing to point & click, it's worth it to take lots of photos on your own and try out different poses and expressions. Look at them right away on a computer, then take some more. Repeat again and again! You will learn a lot about how turning your shoulders, hips, etc. just a little can change the image dramatically. You will feel more at ease when it's time to work with the professional photographer.

I needed a photo for something and didn't have enough time for a professional shoot, so my husband took almost 100 photos and we did find at least one we were happy with. (It's now on my profile pic, which is my business card.) I think like anything it takes practice and the more you do it, the more comfortable you will be, which really shows in the photos.

Originally Posted by sweetie_1916

There's some really good advice here. As for the photographer, they're nationally acclaimed and have worked with local belly dancers as well as some supa stars such as Rania.

Photographers will give you direction - if the photographer is used to working with belly dancers, then I don't see posing as much of an issue. I do suggest getting a collection of photos that you like together and having a friend play photographer so you can get used to hamming it up for the camera. (You can also ask to bring a dance friend for support during the session.)

But remember that photographers will also help you to get the best shot and ask you to bring your chin forward or lower your shoulder, etc. They will also ask you to dance and not pose at all. Too often, poses look too, well, posed.

My recommendation - don't worry about posing, take advantage of an awesome opportunity in your area, take a deep breath, and go for it!

There's an article on my web site about getting promotional photos taken for your professional use: Promotional Belly Dance Photos: Get the Most for Your Money

To answer your primary question of whether to go with amateur photos for now or pay for a pro, here's my take....

Do a dry run with a non-pro friend to test out your costume, pose ideas, etc. Pick out the photos you think are best, then ask an experienced dancer (preferably your teacher/mentor) to help you evaluate the ones you like best. What's good about them? What's not? What should you do differently "next time"? If you receive a lot of input on stuff to change, do another dry run with your friend before hiring the pro.

It's a rare amateur photographer whose artistic eye is up to the job of portraying the dance in a way that's up to the standards of professional photography. They do exist, and I've actually had two recent photo sessions with such an amateur who aspires to become a professional in the future - I really like some of the resulting shots! But most amateurs just don't "get" stuff like artistic composition or shooting at just the right instant. It's the same as hiring dancers, you get what you pay for, y'know?

A couple of tips:

1. Instead of preparing poses, take a boombox with a song that really, passionately inspires you, and dance to it. If the photographer is worthy of professional status and accustomed to shooting dancers, he'll be able to catch you at just the right points in time.

2. Avoid putting on a forced smile. It can look like a snarl, or it can look half-hearted. And besides, some of the best pictures for our dance might be mysterious or introspective. Again, if you're dancing to music that really inspires you instead of doing static poses, your face will probably assume some beautiful expressions on its own.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

There's an article on my web site about getting promotional photos taken for your professional use: Promotional Belly Dance Photos: Get the Most for Your Money

Darnit! I look on your site for half an hour looking for this! I don't know how I missed it. As always, that's the first place I look when I have a question...g.:

Dont waste money on professioal fotographers. What i do is take a fotograph of myself at a white wall. Fotoshop it with great style. I even design my own namecards. Smtimes we spend so much money on these fotographs they can give u the result you achieve from camwhoring in your room. This is just what i feel. Any pic can look fotoshop if you haf da skills. You can save time n money!

Originally Posted by mickeyxena

Dont waste money on professioal fotographers. What i do is take a fotograph of myself at a white wall. Fotoshop it with great style. I even design my own namecards. Smtimes we spend so much money on these fotographs they can give u the result you achieve from camwhoring in your room. This is just what i feel. Any pic can look fotoshop if you haf da skills. You can save time n money!

I'd love to see some examples!

Originally Posted by ozma

I'd love to see some examples!

me too

Here is an example; this is the frist picture i took of my self, a few weeks ago. It not perfect but i think with time I will get better at it

Originally Posted by mrsnj20

me too

Very nice. Love the costume too.

Thanks! but its a little dark this weekend i am going to try my new lens that is a 28mm f/2.8 (which lets in more light) this was taken with a lens that is a 55- 200mm with a f/4-5.6. And I will try to play with mu ISO better to reduce the nosie (grain) in the picture

Originally Posted by KelsNasim

Very nice. Love the costume too.