Whatever moves you, whatever makes your heart beat little faster, whatever inspires you, do it! Whether you were diverted on your journey through life, or simply lost track of time, it’s never too late to revisit your passions. My hope is that, after reading this post, you will be inspired to revisit your own passions, whatever they may be, without inhibition. Start creating. It’s never too late!

While I’ve been a professional photographer for 10 years now, dance photography had always been an elusive professional goal, never far from my mind. Then I discovered Rachel Neville’s amazing work and started watching the videos she posted showing how she worked with the dancers. She inspired me to add dance photography to my repertoire.

Ballet and dance have fascinated me since I was a child. Photographing dancers gives me the same feeling I had as a little girl, anticipating the start of a performance, sitting patiently in the audience waiting for the curtains to open, soaking in the ambience and the excitement of the room. The feeling is transcendental, a moment pure and full of passion. The whimsical, effortless movement the dancers display on stage does not come naturally, but through hard work, dedication, perseverance, and pain.

While I prefer to prepare for photoshoots by meeting with the model beforehand, letting them inspire me with ideas, on this day, I was going in blind. I didn’t know the dancers or what they were going to do! No outfits or makeup were planned. All I knew was that I was going to photograph them entranced in their craft. Once they started moving, the photoshoot became a dialog between the camera, the dancers, and the light.

The four dancers lit up the historic McKinney Cotton-Mill with their fluidity and emotion. The shadows formed by the setting sun followed us throughout the shoot, covering the space with a blanket of gold and amber, before leaving us at the behest of the moon. The light defined our shoot. The blue southern sky gave us a backdrop for silhouettes in a glassless window. The setting sun gave us long-drawn out shadows that seemed like they might break apart at any second. The darkness of night gave us a dense black and the freedom to create unfettered apparitions with the aid of rear-curtain sync lighting.

Anne Bailey: Administrator, Assistant Producer of The Nutcracker, Choreographer/Instructor at Allen Dance Studio.

Cassie Dyson: Performance Team Director, Drill Team Director, and Choreographer/Instructor at Allen Dance Studio.

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Anne Motl, Ballet Director & Choreographer/Instructor at McKinney Dance Studio: ballet, jazz, modern, lyrical, contemporary.

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Hannah Engleman, Performance Team & Choreographer/Instructor at McKinney Dance Studio: ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, and tap.

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Check out this blog post by Pixpa featuring different photography jobs for budding photographers.