Usually if I’m getting photos taken, I prefer to work with a photographer who is a belly dancer or regularly works with belly dancers, like my awesome pal Liora K, or the professional photographers at dance events, like Lee Corkett and Carrie Mayer. But when my beading friend Kate McKinnon said she was bringing Kyle Cassidy out to photograph beadwork again, and people could sign up for portrait sessions, I had to jump on it. Kyle’s kind of a big deal, and the photos he’s taken at Kate’s previous shindigs have been really awesome, so I thought it would be a lot of fun to work with him and see what a non-bellydance-photographer would do with a belly dancer.
As it turns out, it WAS a lot of fun! I have to admit, since I was caught up in Gem Show Madness I didn’t give as much thought and preparation to this photo shoot as I should have. I think I did my makeup in about 20 minutes, so it ended up being a lot simpler than I normally do, but I felt like it suited my costume and the outdoor lighting.
Many cool photos were taken. I posed in front of an Airstream trailer with my sword. I draped myself artfully on an outdoor bed. And I put on one of Kate’s vintage ball gowns and twirled around in the park. In some of the pictures, I look fierce. Others are quite playful.
I’m really looking forward to getting my images and sharing them all over the internet. I’m already making plans for which ones will be used for new blog features, or new FB profile pictures.
If you get a chance to work with Kyle, I definitely recommend it. He has a great eye for framing and an active imagination for poses, paired with a warm personality and a clear way of communicating his ideas. I hope that someday I’ll get to work with him again, during a less hectic time so I can come up with some really wild costuming, makeup and props!