Packing a Punch with Photos
By Nancy Wozny

Powerful images say as much about your school as words do.

Of all the arts, dance is probably the most photogenic. But many studios settle for posed, uninteresting photos. Dance is about motion—why not make the most of that fact through photography, a crucial part of the image presented by dance studios and companies?

If you leaf through magazines about dance you will notice one consistent feature: few posed photographs. Dynamic, well-composed action photography enhances print ads, websites, programs, studio decor, school handbooks, and anything else you can think of. It’s the best way to give current and prospective clients a sense of who you are and what your business does best. Good photography has the potential to interest new students, make your studio look distinct, draw audiences to your school’s recital, and get your publicity placed in the local media. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but high-quality professional work usually doesn’t come cheap. For those with smaller budgets and lots of gumption, an investment of time spent gaining know-how, plus money for equipment, can yield homegrown photography that’s a cut above what many schools produce.

Documentary photographs do serve an important purpose. Photographs of everyone in the same costume, posed against a plain background, are a good way to record everyone who performed in a particular number, and parents of your current students may love them. But they offer nothing that says what’s unique about your school. They are not the eye-catching pictures that will draw new people to your studio. But exciting images that depict the energy and personalities of your students and teachers will.

Photos have various purposes, so ask yourself what your photographic needs are. Do you want lovely, framed pictures that will make your lobby seem welcoming? An attention-getting image for the home page of your website? Is your goal to attract a new population with an ad campaign? Or do you want to document your best Nutcracker ever?

We asked professional photographers Theresa Smerud (www.theresasmerud.com)  and Amitava Sarkar (http://photographyinsight.com) for advice. Smerud is the mother of a dancer and consequently well acquainted with the needs of dance studios. With a background in art and visual display, she’s also equipped to deal with the marketing concerns of dance studio owners. Sarkar, a systems engineer turned professional photographer, has an instinct for capturing dance in performance. His work has appeared in Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit, Pointe, and The New York Times, and he photographs for Houston Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, and other Texas companies.

Interior photography

Nicely framed photographs add visual interest and a finished touch to your school’s lobby and studios. They also help establish its identity, so think about matching the images to the vibe you want to create in your studio. If tap is your school’s strong point, scratch the idea of lining the walls with Degas prints. If you are all about jazz, can someone tell by looking around? If you want to send an image of a well-rounded studio that offers many types of dance, are you using images to convey that concept? You can buy mass-produced (and thus overused) dance images, but they will not distinguish your school in any way.

Images can be used as teaching tools, as inspiration, or as a historical record of your school and dance history as a whole. “Visuals are great learning aids,” says Smerud. “Framed photos of the five positions [of ballet] not only look classy, but [they may] help the younger student learn.” Depending on the size of the studio, you might want to cluster some photos in a special area. Artsy, softfocus backstage shots work well in lobbies and studios; they have an evergreen feeling that makes them less likely to look dated as time goes on. Black-and-white photography works especially well on interior walls, but go for timeless images. Those photos of your students dressed as Madonna look-alikes from the 1980s will be out of fashion sooner than later.

Newspapers

June is recital time for many studios. How do you get the photo you send to the local paper noticed and selected for publication? The first step is to contact the paper and see which format they prefer. They will give you a few options; try to go with their top choice. Most dailies prefer highresolution jpegs via email. Submitting photos on DVDs and CDs is also acceptable. Very few publications still work with nondigital photography, but if all you have is a print, you can have it scanned to a digital file to make it easy for newspaper editors (and yourself). Then, with a click of the “send” button, the photo for your next recital goes to the editor of the town newspaper.

The better the photo, the greater its chances of getting published. Pay attention to the kind of images that get published in your area. Stay clear of creative crops, collage effects, or other Photoshop trickery. Make sure the photos are in focus and as professional looking as possible. You’ll also improve your chances of publication if you provide complete information along with each photo. Include a caption that describes who is in the picture (with a group shot, there’s no need to list everyone in the photo; just give the studio’s or company’s name and the name of the dance piece, if applicable) and a photographer’s credit. You’ll save them from having to make a phone call to get the information—which they might or might not make.

A phone call to the arts editor can make all the difference between being published or not. Also, timing is everything, so ask about routine deadlines and time frames for special editions.

Magazines

Again, that phone call or email can make all the difference. Magazines usually require higher-resolution photographs than newspapers do; 300 dpi (dots per inch) or higher is the norm. Ask about minimum dimensions, too, such as 4 x 6 or 5 x 7. Again, send each photograph with full captioning information: who is in the picture, what they are dancing, and who took the picture and when. More information is better than less. Include a photographer’s credit even if the photo was taken by your best friend or a parent. If you don’t know who took the photograph, find another one to avoid the chance of a legal dispute over using an uncredited photograph. Never assume you have permission to use a photograph; always check first. If sending large files via email is a problem, posting them to a file transfer protocol (FTP) site is another option; ask the publication you are submitting to if they have one. You then upload the photos to the designated site and the publications download them directly from there.

Websites

What makes a website sing? Fabulous photos. People don’t hang out at a website like they do in school lobbies, so you need to make an impression quickly. Drama is everything here. The actual size of the photo is quite small, so images of large groups generally don’t work as well. “Websites are a different kind of beast; these photos need a subject,” says Smerud. “Photos with one or two dancers work best.” A website is also a fun place to experiment with images. For example, photos of different kinds of shoes let the viewer know you offer a variety of classes without a word of text. Close-ups also work well. The home page is where you want to make your statement. If you want to include images of past recitals or competitions, do so in a gallery section. For faculty photos, straightforward head shots work best, but make sure they are relatively current.

Advertising

The question you need to ask yourself before selecting a photograph for an ad is “Who am I trying to attract?” Studio owners will want to attract the kind of student they want to teach. You may have an adorable photo of your tots, but it won’t serve you well if you have full preschool classes (unless you’re building up a waiting list). Target your audience with your ad and keep the photo in line with the  character of the studio. For example, if you run a relaxed dress code, don’t use a photo of girls wearing matching black leotards with pink tights. “The rule is to bump it up one notch for photos,” says Smerud. “Don’t fake it and show something you are not. So have the students dress just a little bit neater than usual, but not so much that it looks like another studio.” The photo doesn’t have to say it all; the text can help with that. Suggestive clothing doesn’t appeal to many parents, so keep midriffs covered for photo shoots.

A release form is necessary for any child who might appear in an ad or on a website. Smerud suggests including a photo release on the registration form. In her experience, few parents refuse to sign.

Your ad’s photograph should project an image that is consistent with your studio and the audience you want to attract. If you are going after recreational dancers, stay away from intimidating ballet photographs. Instead, show the dancers having fun. A smile tells a lot about the nature of your studio. The opposite is true, too. If you want to attract those who seek professional training, take a close look at what the photo reveals about your students’ technique. Play it safe in the technique department by portraying your dancers in movements that show their talents rather than their weaknesses. Photoshop can’t straighten a leg or point a foot.

The ad photo is a great place to show your studio in action and let its atmosphere come through. Smerud prefers natural light when doing studio work, which she says is more suitable than artificial light to capturing those slice-of-studio-life images. Her work has an intimacy, as if the viewer were just walking by a dance class.

Concert and recital photography

During recital time school owners need three kinds of photographs: a poster image, a press shot for newspapers, and photos of the performance. Performance photos can also be sold to parents as a fund-raiser or be placed on the school’s website or in the studio. When potential parents ask about recitals at your studio, you can impress them with a recital scrapbook that you keep at the front desk. DVDs of recital photos are easy to duplicate and have on hand as well.

Sarkar, who is largely self-taught, got his start in dance photography by attending dance performances and familiarizing himself with the art form. Fascinated by both dance and photography, he slowly started to merge his interests. His transition from systems analyst to professional photographer happened relatively quickly. He purchased his first professional-grade camera in 2003 and is now in demand all over Texas. He attributes his quick ascent to his ability to learn from his mistakes. “Different styles of dancing require different ways of framing the photograph. If you really observe, you will see where the attention is put in the body,” says Sarkar. “I learned pretty quickly that ballet requires full-body shots, while I can be much more creative in photographing modern dance.” He leaves studio work to others, preferring to photograph live performances. He rarely has the luxury of observing rehearsals, so he relies on his keen eye for picking out pivotal moments in the choreography.

Digital cameras allow a photographer to capture many more shots than with film. “I can take upwards of 1,000 images,” says Sarkar. “That would be unthinkable if I was using film.” He finds that the shoot works best when time is set aside to take special shots during the technical rehearsal. That way he knows for certain that he captured certain signature moments in the choreography. Bumping up the lights a bit during this designated time may be necessary, especially when a piece is performed in very low light.

When to hire a photographer

At various points in the life of their business, studio owners may find it necessary to hire a professional photographer. Is this your school’s best performance ever and you want to make sure it’s well documented? Did you just expand your space and need to increase your enrollment? If so, it may be time to call a pro. Photography fees may be a start-up or yearly expense.

Sarkar suggests contacting the local dance association or a professional dance company for referrals. “Fees are all over the place,” says the photographer, who works in Austin, Houston, and Dallas. “There is no standardization on how photographers charge; some charge a fee to shoot and charge for each photograph, while others shoot for free and charge only for photographs purchased.”

It’s best to interview several photographers before launching a photo campaign. Explain your needs and ask them what kind of experience they have. The price may seem steep, but consider the investment over a period of time—you may use these photos for years. One shoot could produce enough images to cover your needs for your website, a few ads, and interior images. Ask each photographer if they have experience with dance photography; if so, does their portfolio show work across a broad spectrum of applications, such as websites, ads, and performance? “Like most things in life, you get what you pay for,” says Smerud. “A professional will be able to create the type of imagery you envision in regard to the mood, lighting, and movement. With amateurs, it is always hit and miss. Time is money. Get it right the first time.”

In-house photographers

Look in your immediate circle for someone who can help you with photos. You might hit the photo jackpot and find a professional photographer/parent among your clients who would barter classes for services. Many professions require savvy photographic skills; insurance and real estate agents have been known to be pretty handy with a camera. If you don’t know of any photographers among your clients, keep in mind this surefire way to spot a shutterbug— you can’t tell a book by its cover, but you can tell a photographer by the camera. At your next open house, pay attention to the cameras that parents whip out. “Pointand- shoot cameras are not going to cut it. Check out the lens,” says Smerud. “A single reflex lens (SRL) camera that can be put on a manual setting is a must.” Strike up a conversation with a potential photographer and ask them to share some of their photos. If they can talk f-stops and light meters, they are a potential source of professional-quality photos. Also consider that amateur photographers often take great pride in their work and may enjoy this opportunity to help your business grow.

Start a potential contributor with a doable project like photographing an open house rather than overwhelming them with several projects or a performance, which requires skills that may be beyond them. Smerud advises not using an amateur for ad images, because much more than shooting a photo goes into crafting such images.

Let’s say your parent/photographer has just taken an astounding batch of photographs. Now what? After negotiating terms with the photographer, make CDs of the best images and either give them away or sell them for a set fee. Or post the images to your website and allow parents to download them from the site. If you want to make money with photographs, you can post them with a watermark so that they can be viewed but not downloaded. Factor in the administrative time to process orders and send out the photographs.

Do it yourself

Some people love learning new things. Digital photography can be a fun hobby, and ambitious school owners may eventually gather the necessary skills to document recitals and fill other photo needs. Experiment with class photos, where the lighting is forgiving, before trying your hand at performance photography, which is more challenging. Both venues allow you to use your dance knowledge to your best advantage. Play around, have fun, and don’t pressure yourself to become the next Lois Greenfield in three weeks. If you bought a digital camera two years ago and have not read the instructions yet, this is not the route for you.

Many camera stores offer free classes with the purchase of a camera. Community colleges regularly offer classes in digital photography as well, and several basic books are on the shelves. According to Sarkar, www. dpreview.com is a useful website for making a camera purchase decision.

Whether you decide to do it yourself, find a parent to help, or hire a professional, good photography is a sound means to build your business. Dance is a fleeting art form. Movement is there and then it is gone, and even your students come and go, but a photograph captures a moment in time. Great photographs can make that lasting image a powerful one.   

Photo captions (from top to bottom):

Bruce Wood Dance Company of Fort Worth, TX, in Harmony. Patience is necessary in making a great photo. Here, the photographer waited for the perfect moment to snap the shot. Photo by Amitava Sarkar.   

A strong diagonal livens up this shot of happy dancers. Photo by Theresa M. Smerud.  

Joyce Hu of J&L New Art Co. in Butterfly Lover, at the Tapestry of World Dance, Houston, in 2005. The swirling costume suggests movement while the dancer’s face and hair speak volumes about the work’s tone. Photo by Amitava Sarkar.  

Dutch National Ballet in Morning Ground at Houston’s Dance Salad, 2006. Every movement has a moment of suspension; here, the photographer’s timing was in sync with the dancers. Note how the dark costumes stand out against the medium-toned background. Photo by Amitava Sarkar.

Guest artists Denis and Anastasia Matvienko dance the grand pas de deux from Don Quixote at Texas Ballet Theater’s 2006 Majestic Ballet Gala. The gray marley floor reflects light up and helps fill shadows, enhancing the ebullient feel of such choreography. Photo by Amitava Sarkar.  Photo by Theresa M. Smerud.

As this photo of Olivia Chacón Flamenco Company shows, silhouettes convey an idea with a minimum of detail. This kind of evocative photo works well in marketing materials, where a mood or idea is more important than content. Photo by Amitava Sarkar.

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