It is July in Saratoga Springs and for me that means my ballet friends are here with their dance program, Saratoga Summer Dance Intensive. It is an awesome summer dance intensive for serious ballet dancers. Dancers come literally from all over the world to attend this program.
I have practically watched Christine grow up at SSDI. Her sisters also attended the program.
I usually just photograph the dancers during class. This year we were very fortunate to be able to borrow some tutus from Leslie Roy-Heck at Saratoga Dance in town. It is always fun to go to Saratoga Dance and as a former NYC Ballet Soloist, Leslie has been extremely supportive of the program. She carries the best and most extensive selection of dancewear.
The program emphasizes proper technique and the dancers all learn so much.
Saratoga Springs is a beautiful town to photograph, and one of my personal favorite places is Yaddo Gardens. It has a romantic, almost European feeling to it. It also feels very private and secluded in spite of being very close to a major highway and the racetrack. The rose garden in particular is really stunning. The volunteers who work there do an incredible job maintaining it.
Isn’t this tutu sweet? Kind of reminds me of a flower.Beautiful jete! Do you notice the butterflies on the costume?
Something a little more contemporary.One of the instructors is developing a line of leotards–this is one of them.The end of a long day. The girls with their teacher Iliana Lopez.
Are you interested in being photographed? Please use our Contact Form or call (518) 584-4237 to schedule a consultation. We would love to photograph you!
Susan Blackburn is a portrait photographer with a studio in Saratoga NY. She considers herself fortunate to be able to pursue a career in photography and help document important moments for her clients.
Family Portraits–Do You Have One Hanging In Your Home?
It has long been my belief that every family should have some really beautiful portraits of their family–preferably hanging in their home. I have been a Saratoga Family Portrait Photographer for a very long time (over 20 years–yikes!). It has been sort of my life mission to create beautiful portraits of people that they will have forever, not just for themselves but for their kids and grandchildren. I remember my parents taking us to museums as a kid and being fascinated by the portraits. I am even fascinated by the ones that were maybe technically not that great. I am always awed that people would take the time and go to the expense of having portraits made and how carefully they preserved them. I think the motivating factor was always love of their family members and wanting to preserve a moment in time. I think sometimes people are intimidated by the process of planning a family portrait, so I would love to demystify the process.
I love the simplicity of this photo. The colors and clothing perfectly highlight this young lady.
One of the most frequently asked questions I get as a portrait photographer is “What do we wear?” I am a great believer that a little proper prior planning goes a long, long way. My main concern as a photographer is that the faces and personalities of my clients are showcased at their best. I believe that the clothing should enhance the image and never dominate it. Below are some of my thoughts on what works best:
The texture on Jane’s top makes this image not look too “matchy-matchy.”
Color: I am a big believer that color is super important in portrait photography. Color in and of itself conveys so many things–for example, red can be associated with power, love, sex, etc. Pastels are soft. Blue can convey tranquility. You get the idea. A harmonious color palette is one of the easiest ways to direct the viewers’ eyes to the faces in the portrait. You don’t all need to wear the same color, just keep the tones and colors harmonious.
One of my all time favorite winter family portrait images! I love the neutral pastels and the textures in this photo!
Simplicity: I strongly advise my clients to keep their attire for a family portrait simple as in avoid too much pattern, stripes, graphics, etc. in the photo. The eye will be immediately drawn away from faces in a portrait if the clothing is too “busy.” If you want to avoid a “matchy-matchy” look in your family portrait, I would suggest using different textures and tones in the clothing choices.
I just love this image on Lake George. It is casual and we created it in a place that has many happy memories for this family. I also love the colors.
Personality: My number one tip to families in the Saratoga and Lake George areas looking to have family portraits created is to–BE YOURSELVES!!! If your family is casual and loves the lake, that is what you should depict in your portraits. If Fall is your favorite time of year, do your portraits then.
Maternity Family Portrait Session on the beach on Long Island. What locations are important to you?
In the end, I truly believe that your family portraits should be beautiful images that you create to highlight the people you love the most and the journey you have been on to create your family. With the plethora of mobile devices that have cameras, I am afraid that people have lost sight of the value of a tangible print or painting. However, technology becomes outdated, devices can fail and what will you be left with? I think the fact that museums have portraits hanging from hundreds of years ago really does attest to the fact that a tangible print is invaluable. Let me help you create your own work of art for posterity.
This photo is from a recent Lifestyle Session we did in Saratoga. The family baked cookies and played in their own home–cozy!
Did you enjoy this article on planning a portrait session? Be sure to check out this post on planning a portrait session.
Are you ready to book a Family Portrait Session? Great! Call (518) 584-4237 or use our Contact Form to get the ball rolling! I would love to photograph you!
Photographer Susan Blackburn of Susan Blackburn Photography specializes in photographing Seniors, Family, Weddings, Glamour, Boudoir & Commercial Photography sessions. With a photography studio location in Saratoga Springs, NY, Susan serves the Saratoga Springs, Lake George and the Adirondack Regions. She is also available for travel assignments. Susan has been a professional photographer for 20 years. Her goal has always been simple—take pictures that her clients love.
This week I am out at the Vail Valley Dance Intensive photographing their Ballet workshop. I love to photograph ballet and dancers, so it has been a really fun week for me. This workshop is a great opportunity for dancers from different parts of the country (or world for that matter). Young dancers can come for four weeks, work on their ballet technique with some of the best teachers in the world, and watch the International Dance Festival that takes place in Vail in the evenings. It does not get any
better than that.
I love to photograph dancers in black and white.The lighting was so beautiful in the studio when I took this photo of Rebecca.This was during a Master Class given by NYC Ballet Principal Dancer Daniel Ulbricht.Dancers have very expressive hands.
To learn more about the Vail Valley Summer Dance Intensive, visit their website.
If you enjoyed these Ballet Workshop Photos, please visit our Senior Gallery to see some of our student dancers there.
Susan Blackburn is a Portrait Photographer in Upstate NY. Please call 518.584.4237 to schedule an appointment.
It is almost the start of the New Year! Time for resolutions, family, friends and. . . Auditioning for Summer Dance Intensive Programs! Now is the time to start thinking about doing your Ballet Audition Photos.
Relax and have fun. Most of all, bring a smile.
Most Summer Dance Intensive Programs require both headshots as well as more “dancy” photos. Some programs are even very specific about which poses they want to see. The headshot is for the panel to be able to place a face to the name and number when they are going over the results after the actual audition. The purpose of the posed shots is to see what type of placement, turn out, etc. the dancer has. Most really good programs can tell quite about about a dancer’s training (or lack of ) from these pictures. Make sure you choose a photographer experienced with dance audition photos to ensure you make a great first impression. Below are some quick tips and guidelines to help make your shoot go well: 1. Bring pointe shoes that fit properly, as well as ones that are comfortable and “broken in.” To make sure you have shoes that fit properly, make sure you have a fitting done at Saratoga Dance. Their experienced staff is proficient at finding the correct shoe for dancers from their extensive selection. Make sure your ribbons and elastics are properly sewn on.
Traditional black leotards and pink tights are a must.
2. A traditional black leotard and tights are best for these types of photos. If you wish to include something else, that is fine, but start out with the black leo/pink tights. Again, Saratoga Dance is a great local resource for your attire for these photos. And everyone likes to have some new things.
We can also include something with your costumes after the traditional shots are completed.
3. Hair and makeup: Hair should be pulled away from the face in a tight bun. Make sure you use gel and do not have any “wispies” poking out. Make up should be light and natural for the most part. We have some excellent makeup artists we can refer if you would like to have a professional application for your photos.
The makeup here is natural yet pretty flawless. Love her long eyelashes.
4. Take a few minutes to stretch and warm up. You want to be able to showcase your line and extension to the fullest.
I have an awkward confession to make. I used to be a. . . Strobophobic.
I had a fear of using off camera lighting on location. I really don’t know why I felt this way–it was totally irrational. I have used lights in my studio for years. But I was plagued by doubts and fears. To flash or not to flash? Am I being too “flashy”. . . or not “flashy” enough? At times I felt there should maybe be a 12 Step Program for this:) I am now a recovering Strobophobic.
Anyway, as a professional Portrait Photographer, I decided last year that this silly fear was kind of ridiculous and kind of holding me back. So I signed up for a class at MARS with Scott Robert Lim. He helped me overcome my fear of off camera lighting on location. He helped simplify it and made it fun. This year I took a class with Stephanie and Peter Zettl at NEIPP to further explore my options and to work on some refinements. Below are some things I have been working on both in and out of the classroom.
Using a Prophoto light off camera with an Octobank softbox. Loved this light:)Off camera speed light. I wanted this to look like an Old Hollywood Portrait by George Hurrell.I did this last February with off camera speedlight.Multiple lights:)
Prophoto light with a beauty dish. I really, really love that light:)Here my friend Ray Peeples is my lighting assistant, holding my trusty speedlight. What would I have done without him?:)Did I mention how much I love George Hurrell?
I have to say that available light is still my favorite way to work, but I really love that now I have more options when it comes to my portrait photography on location. Thank you to everyone who made it possible to start to overcome my strobophobia. I still have a ways to go.
OK, so I was going to wait a little to blog about this, but it was kind of fun. I was photographing Brittany, a high school ballet dancer. We had done some studio things, but I really wanted to go on location, but it was really, really cold. Like it was 23 degrees out. So I suggested going to the CityCenter because they have this escalator up near a glass wall–thought it might look good at that time of day. Long story short, there was some event going on there. We got maybe two images before getting kicked out. So sad. BUT. . . luckily, Brittany was not a whiner or complainer! We found a spot just outside the building that was great! Just add off camera flash! So sometimes things really do work out for the best.
Some of my favorite images come from unforeseen circumstances. This past weekend I had the pleasure of doing one. In my mind, I had a particular location planned for this photo shoot. The day was perfect for winter in Upstate New York–clear and not exceedingly cold. Well, we got to the location and–we could not use it. The place I wanted to shoot was blocked by tons of cars and there were people everywhere. I was so disappointed. Then I pulled my big girl pants on. We continued to drive and found an even better location. I love this location even better than the one I had in mind. I especially love the purple and green doors with the corroded concrete trim. I think it contrasts really wonderfully with her pristine white costume. Serendipity.
The month of December means it is time for The Nutcracker. The Nutcracker has many happy memories for me. For years, my oldest daughter danced in local and national productions of this show. So I felt very fortunate to photograph a local dancer named Jamie recently in The Dewdrop Fairy costume. I have photographed Jamie several times over the years. It is so nice to see her becoming a young adult and still pursuing her love for dance.
Some of my favorite images come from unforeseen circumstances. This past weekend I had the pleasure of doing one. In my mind, I had a particular location planned for this photo shoot. The day was perfect for winter in Upstate New York–clear and not exceedingly cold. Well, we got to the location and–we could not use it. The place I wanted to shoot was blocked by tons of cars and there were people everywhere. I was so disappointed. Then I pulled my big girl pants on. We continued to drive and found an even better location. I love this location even better than the one I had in mind. I especially love the purple and green doors with the corroded concrete trim. I think it contrasts really wonderfully with her pristine white costume. Serendipity.