Last week, I was honored to be photographed by an amazingly talented photographer, Agnes Muljadi, owner of
artsychameleon. Agnes is not only a skilled artist, she is also a classical ballet dancer which means she knows just what the camera (and the audience) wants to see.
There are lots of reasons to have a pro take your dance pictures. A quality photo serves so many purposes: Agnes took mine for promotion of my classes so I would have a sophisticated image for flyers, websites, etc. I wanted my students to be able to point to my picture and say, "That's who I take class from" and be proud. And I wanted it to be current. I can't tell you how many times I have taken a class and expected to see the teacher whose fab photo was used to promote it - and then that person turns out to be about fifty years older! Ha!
As a choreographer, you might want a photographer to take pics of dress rehearsals or shows or workshops. Studios and dance teams want portraits or group photos for promotion or yearbooks. Young dancers need headshots for auditions and applications. As an older dancer, you may simply want to show off your hard work. And what better way to do it than with a high-quality photo?
When Agnes and I were in the studio, she asked me to pose in various ways that I felt comfortable in, yet showed off certain aspects of my body or abilities. She also asked me to do some movement that she could capture in a still shot. As a skilled photographer, she knew when to snap the camera while I was moving. From my point of view, it was very easy - and felt very glamorous. There's nothing like having a person tell you how good something that you're doing looks!
Here are three of the photos Agnes took last week. She edited them, of course, to enhance the lines and angles of my body within the frame (and in some cases, she Photoshopped out things in the background that she didn't like).
And now, the contest! As a special bonus to all of you, Agnes is offering two specials through my blog:
1. One free photo session. In order to qualify for the giveaway, first "like" Agnes' Facebook page (listed below) and then leave a comment letting her know you found her through my blog. Example: "Leigh sent me," "Found you through Leigh's blog," etc. On
Monday, April 4th, Agnes will do a random drawing and 1 person gets a photo session and about 3-5 retouched images for
FREE.
Please note, the session does not need to be dance-related. Take a look at Agnes' work on her website and you'll see the variety of subjects she shoots. And just try to tear your eyes away from the pictures!
2. 20% off session fee for any kind of session, exclusively for people who heard about Agnes through my blog. For those of you who enter the contest and don't win, here's a great alternative. But be sure to mention my name when you contact her.
Here is her info for the contest:
Agnes' Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/artsychameleon
Agnes' website: http://www.artsychameleon.net/
