Let’s Talk About Photos

A friend asked me today if I had written a post about the importance of good photos, and while I know I’ve touched on it before, I don’t think I’ve dedicated an entire post to it. I got so excited about the idea of all the facets of this subject that I decided I didn’t want to wait until February’s Professional Ambitions post, so consider this like a secret bonus entry to the series. Let’s get started.

Why do I even need photos?

Dude you guys, photos are so important, especially if you want to be professional, semi-professional, or just a really dedicated amateur performer. Good photographs are key for self promotion. You need them for your website and social media presence, your dance resume, event fliers, class advertisements… Some events will require you to include photos when you apply to teach or perform. You may even want them for your business cards. They also make a nice gift for your sweetie or family members! Plus, personally, I find a photo shoot to be a really fun ego boost. I get to dress up, put on my makeup, and strike pretty poses for an hour, then I have beautiful images of me at my best that I can look at whenever I’m feeling dumpy.

But do I really need to pay for a professional?

Please, for the love of glitter, do yourself a favor and work with a professional photographer. Look, we all have at least one friend who has a decent camera and enjoys taking pictures and who will offer to do a photo shoot for free. By all means, do that if you want. Do it for fun, to help your friend practice, and to maybe get a couple of pictures you really like. But when it comes to getting the photos that you’ll be using for your promotional materials and teaching applications, you should work with a professional. Ideally, you should work with someone who already knows how to photograph dancers, but if you don’t have access to that, at least find somebody who does beautiful, unique portraits.

So what kind of photos should I get?

That’s a good question, and the answer depends on what you want your photos for. In general, here’s the photos I think you should have, in a general order of importance.

• A head shot. If this is all you can afford, just find a photographer who’s running a deal on professional headshots. Do your hair and makeup and get it done. You’ll use this for your social media profiles and resumes and you can also use it for any events you’re teaching and promoting at.
• 3/4 and full body studio shots with a neutral background, in your favorite costume(s). These give potential clients and students a good idea of what you look like and what your style is, and they’re really versatile for making fliers and other promotional materials. They’re also great to post to social media and your website. If possible get a mix of posed shots, and action shots of you dancing. My first photo shoot with Liora K Photography was a mix of headshots and action shots and I still get a lot of use out of those photos.
• Artistic shots. This can include beautiful outdoor photos like the one above, or photos in a special setting or with special (non-dance) props. These photos may be too “busy” to use in your promotional materials, but they are great to use on your website and on social media, as they convey a certain mood and help establish your brand.
• Performance shots. Obviously these don’t happen as part of a photo shoot, but it’s really worthwhile to invest in a photography package at a major belly dance event. Like artistic shots, you’ll primarily use them on your site and social media. I find them especially useful for blog posts about the event. They’re also good as a way of showing people that you travel for your dance, and recording where you’ve been. Plus sometimes the photographer captures a really beautiful moment that you want to share! You’ll also find that others like to share these images (especially on Pinterest) as a way of remembering their favorite performances.
• Just-for-fun shots. These are the silly photos that just sort of happen during a shoot, or that you squeeze in at the end when you’ve gone through all the shots you had planned and you still have a few minutes with your photographer. These can be photos with your pets or kids, photos with a silly prop, photos of ridiculous poses. You probably won’t use these for self-promotion, but you might share them on social media or use them in a light-hearted blog post. And if you ever do a comedy show, or a benefit related to pets or kids, those themed photos may actually come in handy after all.

Is there anything else I should keep in mind?

Just a few things!

• Your photos should reflect your personal brand. Don’t just copy what you’ve seen other belly dancers do in their photos, do something that is authentic for you. Your photos should convey a good sense of who you are as a performer and what your skills are, which is why I have a lot of photos of me with fan veils and none of me with zils.
• Your photos should be an honest portrayal of what you look like. Don’t go overboard with the Photoshop! And if something major changes about you — weight, age, hair color/length, style of dance performed — book a photo shoot to reflect those changes. Let me tell you, I can’t WAIT to book my first post-braces shoot later this year!
• If you’re in a troupe, your photos should reflect your current line-up. Obviously you probably can’t afford a new shoot every time someone leaves or joins, but try to budget for new photos every year if your troupe makeup changes a lot.
• You should work with a photographer who makes you happy. Don’t settle for “that guy with a camera” if he gives you the creeps. Don’t work with anyone who body shames you, or who takes unflattering pictures. Find someone who helps you feel beautiful, who makes photo shoots fun.

Photos in this blog post provided by two of my favorite human beings, Carrie Meyer of The Dancer’s Eye, and Liora K Photography.