Ballet Audition Photoshoot for Jackson
I was ecstatic when Jackson reached out to me for an audition shoot. Most of my clients are female dancers, and it was a nice change of pace. Jackson was incredible to work with. Very professional, extremely talented, yet self aware at the same time. His humility, maturity and talent would fit in just about any dance company!
Headshots are not meant to be glamorous
A headshot for audition is not a place where you show case your creativity. It's literally meant to showcase what you look like. Excessive make up, hair, and overly edited photos are not ideal...overly edited photos are not ideal anywhere, really, but let's get back on track. It should be simple, clean, and as natural as possible. A little make up and hair fixing is encouraged but please don't over do it. It will not work out well if you showed up looking differently than your photos.
Listen to the dancers
One of the reason I loved working with Jackson, was because he knows himself. He understood his strengths and weaknesses, and I was more than happy to listen. Dancers know their bodies, and for something as important as audition photos, they need to showcase their best. It's not time for experimenting. The tried and true only. While I had a mood board with many different inspirations, Jackson was more than gracious enough to explain why certain shots would work better and why certain poses won't. I love hearing dancer feedback and open communication is the key to a great collaboration!
Something Creative
Audition photoshoot can be a little repetitive. We need to make sure all the small details are addressed to leave the best impression. I promised Jackson we'd do something creative and I feel like Jackson absolutely nailed it! The only instruction I gave him was to move. There wasn't even music. I went with a raw, harsh style of edit and felt deeply black and white completed the images. I love the contrast between highlights and the black skirt. It's simple yet impactful.
