Promotional Photos:

Get the Most for Your Money

By Shira

This article describes how to build a portfolio of photographs that you can use to promote yourself as a dancer. It includes:

Why you need promotional photos
How to choose a photographer
Where to hold your photo shoot
How to prepare for your photo shoot
What to take with you for the session
Doing the photo shoot itself
Viewing the proofs
Future photo sessions

It can be expensive to build a portfolio of promotional photos, but good pictures do enhance your professional image. This article offers ideas on how to ensure you get the most for your money.

PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

Why You Need Promotional Photos

Once you decide to become a professional dancer, it's a good idea to build a portfolio of promotional photos. Prospective employers will usually want to see what you look like before they make a decision on whether to consider you for a job or not. Pictures are generally more compelling than generic artwork or plain text in drawing attention to your business cards or flyers. If you contribute articles to the dance magazines, including a photo of yourself with each article will draw attention to it and also to you! Sharp, high-quality pictures convey a professional attitude that shows you are serious about doing business as a dancer.

Once you have some pictures you like, there are many great things you can do with them to promote yourself! Here are some ideas:

The restaurant where you dance may post an 8x10 photo of you to advertise your classes, or include your picture as part of their display ads in the newspaper.
The adult education program that sponsors your classes might want to include a photo of you in the catalog, or display it in the building where your classes are held.
You might want to use a picture of yourself on flyers promoting your classes or performances
Workshop sponsors who have hired you to teach a workshop may ask for a photo of you to promote the workshop and show.
If you ever create a web site to promote your classes and performances, it's nice to have a variety of photos of you on the site.
Business cards featuring a photo of you are often more dramatic (but also more expensive) than those with just text or simple artwork.
Belly dance magazines that feature articles you have written are often happy to include your photo with the articles.

The trick is to have the right photos of the right quality to promote you successfully. Poor-quality photos may do more harm than good, because they may suggest you don't care enough to invest in building your image.

How to Choose a Photographer

Choosing the right photographer can make a big difference in your satisfaction with your pictures. The cheapest option, of course, is to ask a friend or family member to take pictures of you in costume. However, if the friend or family member doesn't have professional equipment and training in how to use it, the resulting pictures may just look like snapshots taken by an amateur.

There's more to good photography than just aiming the camera and clicking the shutter. You need a photographer who has a good eye for "composing" the picture, which means determining how to choose a suitable background, light it appropriately, arrange you at a pleasing angle against that background, and organize the picture so that your pose and the background work well together. The picture to the right, taken by John Rickman at one of my restaurant performances, is an example of a photographer with a good eye. The dancing and costume came out well, but also note how he captured the archway behind me, providing an attractive but subtle background.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

Let's pretend that you do decide to use a professional photographer. The next challenge comes in choosing one. Here are some ways to find someone:

If you know another dancer with great promotional photos, ask her who her photographer was.
Sometimes photographers will donate a photo session to a silent auction for a non-profit fundraiser. Typically, what you pay for at the silent auction includes the "sitting" where the photographer shoots the pictures, and then you need to spend additional money to purchase the photos themselves.
Look in the Yellow Pages of your phone book and take your chances.
Some belly dancing events will include a photographer among the vendors. This person usually offers a promotional deal in which he takes 3-4 pictures of you right there at the festival for a low price. If you like the resulting pictures, you can follow up with him/her for a full photo session later.

I have tried all of the above, and I've had good results in every case. The key to finding the right person is to ask the right questions.

Do not waste your time (or your money) on the photographers in department stores like Sears or JC Penney who specialize in taking pictures of children. I also don't recommend the mall chains that claim to do glamour photos of you in which they help you with your hair and makeup. I've tried both, and in both cases the results were so disappointing that I threw away the pictures. The problem with these big chains is that they don't pay their staff much money, and consequently the only people they can find willing to work for them are ones with minimal skill and experience. As soon as someone becomes good enough to freelance, that's what he does.

Let's say you're looking through the Yellow Pages to find a photographer. Often, there are many people advertised. Here are some thoughts on how to narrow the list:

Look for ads that mention that the photographer does "model portfolios" or "artistic" photos. Those that do "boudoir" photos may have some interesting mood lighting options that could look attractive with veil or floor poses. Although I warned above against the chain stores in malls that do "glamour" photos, a freelance photographer with his own studio who does "glamour" photos might be a good choice.
Look for someone who isn't located very far away from you. It's a nuisance to drive a long distance for the sitting, then drive it again to see the proofs, then drive it again to pick up the finished photos.
Be wary of someone whose ad focuses almost entirely on photojournalism, product photos for manufacturing companies, passport photos, or wedding photos. They may be fine at what they specialize in, but some of these people work from a formula and as soon as you ask them to do something outside their formula you risk disappointment with the results.
Does the ad mention a web site? If so, visit it to see whether it shows examples of his work. You'll want to choose someone whose portfolio includes at least a few pictures with an artistic flair rather than solely the typical posed portraits that are bread-and-butter for weddings and family pictures.

The picture to the left by Bill Corwin of San Jose, California was taken in my very first dance photo session and is still the one that my husband carries around in his wallet many years later.

I chose Bill because his wife Phyllis was a fellow belly dancer and one of my classmates. Bill was planning to try his hand in business as a professional photographer, and had set up a studio in the garage of his home. Because he was up-and-coming, he offered his wife's dance colleagues low introductory rates on photo sessions. For my photo session, his wife provided coaching to me on which poses looked good and when I needed to adjust slightly, such as straightening my rib cage. Phyllis' role is known in the trade as "styling", and it's valuable to have someone assisting in this way.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Bill Corwin, San Jose, California.

Once you've picked 4 or 5 photographers who have passed my suggested criteria above, pick up the phone and interview them. There's a wide range of skill out there, and some photographers are easier to work with than others. If you spend a little time asking questions, you'll stand a better chance of finding someone whose artistic vision and business practices are a good match for your needs.

Here are some good questions to ask:

What are their sitting fees? What do they charge for a pair of 5x7 photos? (I'll explain more later about how photographer pricing works, but to make initial comparison easy, if you ask everyone what it costs for a pair of 5x7 photos you'll be able to determine whose price ranges are most attractive.)
How many years have they been working professionally as photographers?
How many years have they been doing model portfolios or glamour photos?
What kind of experience do they have in working with the performing arts, particularly with taking pictures of dancers in motion? (If someone has done a portfolio of ballet or jazz dancers in motion, maybe he will be experienced to catch some great action shots of you spinning.)
If they don't have experience working with performing arts, what kind of experience do they have in photojournalism or sports photography, particularly with capturing subjects in motion?
What kind of guarantees do they put on their work? (For example, one photographer guaranteed that I would find at least a couple of photos I wanted to order from a sitting, and if I didn't, he would do a follow-up sitting for free.)
What is the photographer's policy about letting you post the pictures he shot on the web or publish them in a magazine? Most will give you permission free of charge, as long as you include a photo credit, which means identifying them as the artist who took the picture. If the one you're talking to wants to charge you extra for it, or tells you he doesn't want to give permission, find someone else.

Let's say you narrow the field down to 1 or 2 candidates based on the above telephone interviews. Before handing over money, make an appointment to visit them at their studios to see examples of their work. Most good photographers will have a photo album showcasing pictures they are proud of. If the one you're talking to doesn't, look for someone else.

Page through their album and look carefully at the photos. Do you find your eye drawn to them? Are the photos as artistic as you want the ones of yourself to be? Is the lighting flattering to the people in the pictures?

Explore the studio. Is there a suitable spot for you to put your costume on, with a good mirror you can use for make-up, or would you need to get dressed and made up at home? Look at the room where he actually takes pictures, and ask him to show you the backgrounds he has available. Some photographers have only one, usually some sort of a solid color. Others have multiple to choose from, such as dark blue, light gray, etc. Some may have something a bit fancier, such as the gold foil that one of my favorite photographers has. How would you and the costume you want to use look in front of the available backgrounds? Is there at least one you think would look good?

Thank about the style of pictures you want. If you want action shots of you dancing, is the studio large enough to accommodate your dance steps, your flying costume, your veil (if you use one), and the photographer's equipment, or is it too tight? If it's too small, you may still be able to use this photographer, but you might need to go somewhere else to shoot the photos. Ask about it, and ask whether you'd need to pay an extra fee for going elsewhere.

Pick up a copy of the photographer's rate sheet, and make sure you understand what the costs mean. Typically, there are two kinds of costs: the cost of the session, which is the time the photographer spends snapping you, and there's the cost of printing the finished pictures. Find out what each includes. For example, for the sitting some photographers charge according to how many rolls of film they shoot, while others charge by the hour. If you want the session to occur somewhere other than the photographer's studio, there may be a surcharge to cover the travel and hassle of lugging equipment around. For the finished pictures, the price is usually quoted in terms of "piece of 8x10" or "piece of "10x14" paper. For example, you could purchase a single 8x10 picture, a group of four 4x5 shots, or a group of 9 wallet-sized pictures, or a pair of 5x7 pictures, but you probably couldn't purchase a single 4x5 picture by itself. If you don't understand the pricing, ask questions. If you have a particular requirement in mind such as business cards with your photo on them, ask about that requirement.

Once you've found someone that seems right, go ahead and make your appointment!

Where to Hold Your Photo Shoot

Before your actual sitting, you and the photographer will need to agree on a place to hold the photo shoot. The simplest plan is to use his studio for your very first session. In that environment, he controls the lighting and the background, and has all his equipment close at hand. Nearly every photographer can produce excellent pictures when he is working in his own environment, but not all versatile enough to work effectively in other locations.

Some photographers charge extra for photo sessions that occur in locations other than their own studios. That's because it's a real nuisance to haul around all the equipment, and if you want them to travel some distance you have to consider the cost of transportation and the time it takes to get there. But still, your photographer may be willing to consider an alternate location at no extra cost as long as it isn't too far to travel.

Nature can make an attractive background for your pictures. If you shoot outdoors, the best light is about 90 minutes before sunset because earlier in the day the direct sunlight causes unflattering shadows. You might consider whether there is a park or a beach in your area that would work well for your pictures. Ask the photographer whether he can recommend an outdoor setting that he has used successfully in the past. Remember, if you choose a place that he is already comfortable using, you'll improve your chances of producing pictures that look great.

The photo to the right (taken by a friend who is not a professional photographer) shows what happens when you make the mistake of shooting outdoors in bright afternoon sunlight: a wonderful action shot was ruined by the fact that my face was mostly in shadow.
Shira Outdoors

Another option is for the photographer to come shoot you while you do a live dance performance, but this is the riskiest because it requires a more highly-skilled photographer with the ability to produce great pictures in spite of less-than-ideal working conditions. Often, restaurants don't have optimal lighting for such pictures, and the photographer will need to work his way around waiters carrying food and tables of diners. If you do want the photographer to shoot one of your regular shows, provide him as much descriptive information in advance about the place so he can bring appropriate equipment. If possible, meet him at the place before your show so you can discuss where he should set up, what kind of lighting variations might occur during your show, which types of moves you'd especially like him to capture on film, etc.

If the photographer's skills are sufficient to meet the challenge, you may acquire some wonderful action shots that are superior to what might have been possible in a studio environment. I find that when I have the photographer shoot one of my actual shows, my facial expressions tended to be more natural and joyful as a result of having a live audience to interact with.

Preparing for Your Photo Shoot

Now that you understand the photographer's pricing, establish a budget. Decide what you are willing to spend for the total experience. Then determine how much you want to spend for the sitting, versus how much you want to allow for finished pictures. I generally recommend the minimum sitting cost for your first session with a particular photographer because you don't have enough experience with him to know whether he'll create the kind of pictures you want. For example, have him shoot just one roll of film, and plan on using just one costume. Find out how many pictures there will be on one roll of film - the films that professional photographers use don't always have the same number of pictures on them as the films you buy for your home camera. If you like his work, you can always return for an additional photo session in the future. Plan ahead for how many 8x10's, business cards, 4x5's, and 5x7's you may want. Consider your promotional uses and whether anyone in your family is likely to want copies for personal use.

Determine whether you want close-up portrait shots of your face, or whether you prefer full-body shots of you dancing. My personal preference was to start with full-body shots, because most prospective employers like to see what your figure and your costuming taste are like. I felt I could always have close-ups done of my face in the future.

Think about what you will use the pictures for. Do you need something that shows off your face and figure for your business card, something colorful that the restaurant where you dance can post to promote you, or something eye-catching for the cover of the video that you'll soon be selling? Choose your costumes, props, and poses accordingly. In a perfect world, a single photo session will yield an assortment of pictures suitable for all these uses, but aim for your most important goals first. You can always have additional pictures taken a year or two down the road.

Plan what you will wear. Choose a costume that is representative of what you normally wear when you dance. For your first photo session, focus on creating pictures that showcase your primary dance style and provide a realistic view of what an employer could expect if they hire you. Be careful to avoid costumes exposing excessive bare leg or cleavage, because that might lead prospective employers to believe that you're not suitable for the family-oriented show they want to have. Assuming you have several costumes that fit the above criteria, ask yourself, "Which costume earns me the most compliments when I wear it?" and choose that one. If you've chosen to have close-up portrait shots of your face, pick a costume with wonderful matching earrings, necklace, and headpiece. If instead you've opted for full-body shots, pick a costume that looks especially nice with your figure.

Plan the details. Decide which nail polish, shoes, and jewelry you'll wear with the costume you have chosen. If it's a new costume, have you finished acquiring all the accessories that you want to wear with it? If not, hurry up and do so! Make sure it fits you well, and alter it to fit if necessary. If it needs repairs, make them. Details like missing sequins or earrings that are the wrong color do show up in pictures! For my first photo session, I took assorted sleeves, wristbands, jewelry, and other accessories, and varied which ones I used in different shots. This gave me several different looks without doing complete time-consuming costume changes.

If you want pictures of you actually dancing, think about which action shots would translate best to still photos. Choose moves that will create motion in your hair and costume. Spins are usually good, and twisting steps work very well when you're wearing fringe. For example, I was doing twisting moves when John Rickman snapped the photo to the right, and I was very happy with the way the motion of the fringe and skirt turned out.

If you do choose to do some motion shots, I'd advise against stomach rolls - I've seen many a still photo that captured the roll just as the stomach was in its "fattest" position! Yikes!

If you plan to dance for your photos, choose a CD or two with music that will inspire you. This will help immensely in creating the mood you need to smile naturally and think of dance moves to do for the camera.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.
Shira Dancing

Consider whether you want to use props in any of your pictures. I like to use props in my photos because they add variation and drama. Which props do you frequently dance with, and what kinds of poses could you do with them? Don't pose with props that you normally wouldn't dance with, because it could lead to misunderstandings. ("What do you mean, you don't actually dance with a sword? You had one in the publicity photo you sent me!")

If you have a choice between similar props, think about which will look best with the costume you plan to use. If in doubt, take both. For example, if you'll be posing in a beige folkloric dress, you could theoretically use either a dark brown cane or a bamboo one. If you will be standing behind the cane, the contrast between the dark brown and the beige dress will show up better in pictures than the lighter-colored bamboo. But if you are balancing the cane on your head against a dark background, then the bamboo one will show up better.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo to the left by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

Think about the poses you want to use. When people have family portraits made, photographers are happy to take charge and arrange them into a variety of poses. But those very same photographers may feel lost when confronted with shooting a belly dancer. They'll expect you to know what poses you want. Practice assorted poses in front of a full-length mirror and see which ones look best on you. Ask your teacher or a dancer friend with an artistic eye to tell you which poses she thinks are most flattering for your particular costume and figure. Look through web sites of other dancers for ideas. If you have a digital camera (or can borrow one), ask someone to snap a few sample pictures of you in each pose that you're considering, so you can see which poses you like enough to use for the professional sitting. Watch video of yourself performing, and look for moves and poses that capture the effect you want.

Write down a list of the poses you've decided to use. Refer back to your budget, which will help you determine the maximum number of pictures that will be taken. Then look at your list of poses, and decide how many shots you want the photographer to take of each pose. It's best to have at least two pictures of each shot, just in case you blink or have a snarl instead of a smile on one of them. If there's a particular pose you really want, you might request 3 or 4 pictures of that one.

Leave room for some flexibility. In the midst of the photo session, either you or the photographer may come up with a great idea, and you'll want to adjust your overall photo plans on the fly to make room for it. For example, when I arrived at John Rickman's studio, I discovered he had a pet snake named Alice, and I became excited when he told me he'd let me hold her in some shots.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.
Shira with Alice

Talk to your photographer in advance about what you want. Explain what types of pictures you want to have, and tell him how you plan to use them. The more he understands about your needs, the better equipped he'll be to create photos that please you. The information you give him could impact which camera, film, and lighting he chooses to use. If he knows that you want to do standing and spinning pictures, he will configure his studio differently from how he would set up for portraits of just your face. If he'll be shooting one of your live performances, let him know which aspects of your show you want him to focus on. For example, if your primary goal is to produce a fabulous shot of you dancing with a sword for the cover of your upcoming sword instructional video, then you might instruct him to ignore your opening number and your veil work, and focus his full attention on the sword segment of your performance.

What to Take With You for the Session

Assuming you're doing a posed shoot instead of just having the photographer capture shots from one of your performances, here's what to take with you:

Your costume, jewelry, and accessories
A cover-up
Your make-up kit
A mirror
Any props you want shots of
A boombox with operational batteries
Music to put you in the dancing mood
A friend, preferably a fellow dancer
Your list of the poses or movements you chose and how many shots you want the photographer to take of each

It's probably obvious why I included some of the items in the above list, so let's talk about the things that are perhaps not so obvious.

Even if you put your make-up on at home ahead of time, take your kit with you in case you need touch-ups after the session begins.

The cover-up is useful to have along, just in case you spend time talking with the photographer before or after your shoot. It can be chilly if you're shooting outdoors somewhere, and a cover-up will help keep his attention on your conversation rather than on your eye-catching costume.

Action shots with flying fringe, bouncing tassels, or whirling skirts look really great for promotional photos, and I've discovered that it's easier to produce good action shots if I have mood music to inspire me. So I take along CD's with music that matches the type of dancing I want to do for the pictures: soft and flowing for veil, energetic for spins and hip action.

The friend can be very valuable to helping you produce a photo shoot that results in wonderful pictures, especially if she's a fellow dancer. She can give you helpful comments such as "Hey, you forgot to take your watch off," "Raise your rib cage - you have folds of skin along your side," "Suck in your gut," or "Just a minute, you need to refresh your lipstick." She can help you ensure that your poses are exposing the optimal angle to the photographer by coaching you on which way to turn. If she has a good sense of humor, ask her to spice things up with some jokes or gossip so that you'll smile naturally instead looking like you're baring your teeth in a snarl. Just be sure to tell her in advance what you expect of her, and be sure to pick someone with a good eye for detail who will notice those little things.

Doing the Photo Shoot Itself

Show up on time. You want to think of yourself as a professional dancer, so extend the same professional courtesy to your photographer that you would want your employers to extend to you. Quickly check your make-up in the mirror and touch it up if necessary.

Talk to the photographer about any issues with your face or body that you want him to consider when he plans his angles. For example, if you have a surgical scar on your midriff you'll want him to ensure that it doesn't show when he sets up each shot. If your face looks better from one side than the other, tell him which side you want him to emphasize.

Remind the photographer of the information you gave him in advance about the type of poses you intend and how you plan to use the pictures, just in case he forgot to set up for them. Show him your list of poses, and discuss your plan so he knows what to expect from you. Look at the available backgrounds, and choose one that is suitable for your costume.

If you have a dark costume, don't use a dark background because it will limit the uses you can make of the picture. For example, the photo to the left taken in John Rickman's studio looks great printed in color on photographic paper and also looks fine on my web site, but doesn't work so well for black-and-white reproduction on flyers, in magazines, etc. because there isn't much contrast between the costume and the background. If I had it to do over, I would ask him to use a light-colored background instead.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

As you set up each shot, ask your friend to check your pose and your costume, and help you adjust as appropriate. If you're doing floor poses, she might arrange your skirt for better effect, or warn you when you need to stretch your torso to eliminate folds in your skin. If you're standing, she might adjust your angle to downplay a bit of extra tummy. Once she's satisfied that you look your best, then the photographer can take his turn. With luck, your friend will make a silly comment that will provoke a natural smile from you just before the photographer snaps the picture.

Don't forget to turn on your boombox and play mood music for the action shots. The more you feel like a dancer, the more you'll look like one.

Don't think you need to gaze at the camera and bare your teeth for each and every shot. Sometimes mood shots can be very attractive and effective. For example, I really like both of these photos.

PHOTO CREDITS:

The photo to the left of me wearing the blue costume is by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California. The photo to the right of me wearing the purple costume is by Randolph Lynch Artistic Photography, Belmont, California.

Sometimes the more dreamy, meditative shots are the most effective. Many people envision belly dancing as a beautiful, mysterious dance and a photo that captures that mood is often a better choice than one where you are staring at the camera with a frozen smile. I have received many compliments on this photo to the right since posting it on my web site.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Randolph Lynch Artistic Photography, Belmont, California.

Take an active role in determining how the photo session will flow. That doesn't mean you should boss around the photographer like an army sergeant snapping orders, but it does mean you need to communicate well. Don't expect the photographer to read your mind.

Viewing the Proofs

Proofs are inexpensive prints made from the negatives, and different photographers use different formats. One had pictures made up 4 inches by 5 inches in size. Another made 35mm slides which he showed to me through a projector. A third used a digital camera and showed me the pictures on a computer screen. Typically, the photographer does not allow you to keep the proofs, unless you pay for them.

Typically, about a week will elapse between your photo session and your ability to view the proofs. Very few photographers do their own darkroom work, because the equipment and chemicals are quite expensive and some cities require hazardous chemical permits. So if he uses film, your photographer probably needs to send your film out for processing, and you need to allow time for that. If he uses a digital camera, he may want time to organize the photos before showing them to you.

When you come to view your proofs, bring the budget you prepared to remind you how many 8x10, 5x7, 4x5, and business card photos you planned for. You may want to bring along another person whose opinion you value, such as a dancer friend or your spouse. I usually make an initial quick pass through the pictures to weed out the ones that are obviously unsuitable, with goofy facial expressions, double chins, or bulging tummy caused by forgetting to elevate my rib cage. Then I go back and examine the remaining ones more carefully, until I can settle on the small number that I like enough to use for finished prints.

When you order the finished prints, remember that you have an opportunity to "crop" them. This means that you can exclude some of the extra background on either side of you. A photographer with a good eye for composition can advise you on what kind of cropping might be artistically effective. You can also usually ask that a finished photo be printed either lighter or darker than the proof.

Future Photo Sessions

If you can afford it, consider updating and expanding your photo portfolio about once a year or so. Employers are not pleased when they hire you on the basis of a photo that they later discover was taken 10 years and 50 pounds ago. Also, if you advertise regularly or write frequently for the dance magazines, you won't want to bore people with using the same old cliché photo every time. You'll also feel reinvigorated by having updated pictures.

In follow-up photo sessions, you'll have the freedom to experiment a little because you'll already have a basic portfolio. If your first session focused on full-body shots, maybe you'll want your follow-up session to focus on close-up portraits of your face. Alternatively, you can showcase other costume styles, or try out new poses. Over time, you grow as a dancer, and your newer photos can represent some of your recent ideas with respect to dance, costuming, posing, and make-up.

Acknowledgement

This article originally appeared as a 3-part series in Jareeda Magazine in 2003.