photoart

Posts tagged with "photoart"

Why I love photographing ballerinas

Posted by Andrea in Photography on March 11, 2012
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It’s no secret how much I enjoy photographing children – I’ve talked about this many times (and at length) on my blog. But my absolute favorite models for my photography are ballerinas. There is something completely captivating about an elegant, gamine but beautiful girl wearing a pretty and colourful ballet costume and theatrical make-up. For a photographer, they are the perfect muse – their long neck and limbs and the way they hold and use their body accentuates light, shadow and form beautifully.

I was fortunate enough to photograph a friend’s daughter last year as she embarked on her application to the Royal Ballet School (a successful one at that)

photos which I later transformed into a gorgeous PhotoArt piece. This week I had the opportunity to photograph another young ballet dancer and danseur in a dress rehearsal for Sleeping Beauty at The Crescent Theatre in Birmingham. It was a favour to a very good friend but being given the opportunity to photograph another ballerina was just too good to pass up.

After a brief text conversation with one of the Mums, I decided to go with the oxford blue backdrop I have from Creativity Backgrounds which turned out to be an inspired choice (much to my relief). I had never met the ballerina before so we didn’t have any time to get to know each other. It was also a very hurried affair in a small space and with a small 1.35m backdrop. I had no idea what the parents wanted out of it so we just kind of went with it.

The result were just fab ….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the ballerina was beautiful and made my job an absolute joy

When I look back over the hour or so that we were together, I can reflect on how quickly this pretty ballerina responded to my requests. Dancers are very conscious of their bodies and are accustomed to taking direction from choreographers and alike on a regular basis – this is of enormous benefit to a photographer.

We didn’t have any time at all but by the end of this very brief session, I had some fantastic photos and even (maybe) a promise of borrowing her for a couple of hours or so in a studio.

I can’t tell you how exciting that prospect is!

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Ballerina PhotoArt

Posted by Andrea in PhotoArt, Photography on October 3, 2011
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Last year, a good friend commissioned me to photograph her very talented daughter in various ballet poses as part of her application to the Royal Ballet School in London. During the shoot, I took full advantage of the time, and of a very beautiful, elegant young lady, and took some rather wonderful portraits of her as well – much to her Mum’s delight.

To add to her delight further, I created this gorgeous PhotoArt piece using the photos – a little visual reminder of her daughter who is now, happily boarding at the Royal Ballet School but who is, sadly, missed very much by her mum.

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Using your home to promote your business

Posted by Andrea in Creative Art, Life on March 29, 2011
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Whenever a client calls at the house, the first thing they always comment on is the large (and I mean LARGE!) creative canvas hung on the wall in the dining room – it is 36″ x 24″ and is of my darling 5-year-old DD…

Its reason for being there is three-fold. Firstly, I love the canvas (in fact I love it so much it forms the basis of nearly all my advertising postcards and leaflets), secondly, it looks fabulous against the rich red walls, and thirdly, when clients visit me and are waiting for me to make them their tea/coffee, they casually walk around the dining room browsing the quirky paintings, drawings, photos, paper crafts and arty bits and pieces that are on display. The canvas always attracts attention. I have sold more creative canvases this way than any other form of advertising or marketing.

A neighbour was in our home for a BBQ last year and fell in love with it too; she booked a photo shoot with her 2 gorgeous kids, ordered an album, several prints, a framed montage, and this week, on the back-end of that initial enquiry, a creative canvas – this one is 30″ x 20″. Simply gorgeous.

Opening your home up to clients can be tricky, you always have to have it looking clean and tidy and smelling sweet for a start! (I was up at 6.30 this morning doing just that as I had a client meeting me at the house straight after the school run). But it also has huge advantages; being able to work around my kids’ timetables and my husband’s job, being able to dash upstairs to grab a client’s file and discuss their requirements whilst stirring a risotto also has its merits. More significantly, it allows me to adorn my home with my unique personalised pieces, whether it be photos, canvases, paper, photo and word art montages, paper crafts, hand-made books and ornaments – even knitted handbags (yes, I have been known to don a pair of knitting needles). It also allows my clients to view items ‘in situ’, not in some cold, white-walled, impersonal studio. Framed photos and prints line my walls, stairways and hall, canvases sit on shelves and are hung from walls, albums, WordArt, PaperArt and PhotoArt pieces are casually placed around the house along with handmade books and arty pieces. All are used and looked at and ‘lived in’ within my home – this, in my opinion, is why I get the response I do from clients.

To prove a point, my client (from the school run this morning), booked a photo shoot, placed an order for a 36″ x 24″ creative canvas and asked whether I would be interested in running a craft afternoon for her daughter’s forthcoming birthday bash – all this, before I had even passed her her coffee.

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