Ballet Zaida

Today is another blog post showcasing photos the fans of Ballet Zaida have submitted!

The photos featured today were either uploaded and tagged on the iPhone app Instagram with #BalletZaidaIgers, Emailed to BalletZaida@Gmail.com, or Tweeted to @BalletZaida on Twitter.

Joining me for the commentary in today’s blog post is my sister, Alanna.

Let’s start with a photo from Instagram user, J_carara.

Dancer Instagram Username: J_carara

Photographer Instagram Username: MichelleKroll 

She has such a pretty pink tutu! Not only is this location very unique but she also has a nice clean fourth position! Wonderful! - Alanna

J_carara has posted many nice photos on Instagram using the #BalletZaidaIgers tag, I’d definitely recommend checking them out. I really enjoy this photo of her in front of the pretty window. Photographer MichelleKroll did a great job capturing the colors in the reflection. The blues and golds in the window compliment the pinks in J_carara‘s tutu nicely. - Oliver

Dancer Instagram Username: AnnaBananaBoBanna

I like the mysterious texture and graceful feeling in this shot of AnnaBananaBoBanna. She looks very elegant, and I enjoy that we can see the shadow created by her legs. - Oliver

This shot from AnnaBananaBoBanna has a great moody setting. I love the use of black and white, and her shadow on the floor! Her passe is nicely placed above her knee and her arms look relaxed. - Alanna

Dancer Instagram Username: AndriesDancer

Mysterious and wintery is what I thought the second I saw this photo! The subtle hint of ballet from her leo’s strap and white tutu, mixed with her piercing  gaze makes you wonder what she’s thinking. Very pretty. - Alanna

This shot of AndriesDancer is very pretty. There isn’t much ballet going on, but I love the bokeh snow falling and the mystery of the shot. - Oliver

Dancer Instagram Username: MilkkShake 

MilkkShake is in a very impressive back attitude in this shot! - Oliver

Love this! She has a beautiful position. Her bottom leg is straight and over her box, and her back leg is nicely turned out and placed in a high attitude. Wonderful flexibility while making it look so effortless! - Alanna

Dancer: Shelby B

Photographer: Ashley Marie Photography 

I love the rain falling in this shot. Shelby’s position is impressive, and the editing by Ashley Marie is very nice. I like the vintage feeling. - Oliver

This photo has an awesome city atmosphere, I love the outfit, and of course the height of her leg is great! - Alanna

Dancer: Tiffany from Dancing Branflake

Photographer: Tom H

To start with, what a graceful jump! She has a nice clean position and relaxed arms. The over-all feel of this photo is just so pretty and relaxing. I love the light colored dress and scenery. - Alanna

I like the atmosphere in this shot of Tiffany. It’s exciting because of her impressive jump, but also calming because of the scenery and lighting. - Oliver

If your photo wasn’t featured in today’s blog post don’t be discouraged. We always love looking through each and every photo you submit and are constantly amazing by all the talent and artistry the fans of Ballet Zaida have. So keep the photos coming and we’ll do another blog post soon!

There’s a few ways you can submit a ballet photo that you’re in, or that you photographed, you can either Email BalletZaida@Gmail.com, tag your photo on Instagram with #BalletZaidaIgers, or Tweet @BalletZaida on Twitter.

-Oliver & Alanna Endahl.

@BalletZaida     @OliverEndahl      @AlannaChristina

I constantly look through the #BalletZaidaIgers tag on Instagram, and through the photos people send in through the Email, BalletZaida@Gmail.com and I’m loving what I see. The talent level of the dancers and the photographers is beyond amazing, and I think the photos are really inspiring. (I’ll be doing a blog post soon showcasing some of my favorite submissions.)

Even though the photos have been amazing, I believe there’s always room for improvement. So today I want to talk about 4 tips to make great ballet photos.

Tip Number 1: Body Blindness

When you take a ballet photo, don’t just look at the position of the body, look at the photo as a whole. Look at the environment the body is in, and how the line/position/expression of the body effects the environment around it.

Tip Number 2: Over-Editing

There’s a term photographers use called “over-editing.” It’s when a photo is so edited it becomes distracting, and it actually takes away from what’s going on in the photo. So just because you can apply a lot of different editing techniques doesn’t mean you should. What I personally do to avoid this is after I’ve spent some time editing a photo, if I feel funny about the editing I’ll leave the photo alone for 20 minutes, and then I’ll look at it again. Seeing the photo after having not seen it in a while generates a fresh reaction in my mind, and that usually gives me a good indication about how I feel about the editing that has been applied.

Tip Number 3: Take Photos

Just because you don’t have a 2,000 dollar camera doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take photos. Cell phone cameras are so nice nowadays you can take some great shots with them. It’s not about how many megapixels a photo has, it’s about what’s happening in the photo.

Tip Number 4: Explore

Don’t be afraid to try new things. Just because you haven’t seen any photos like the one you want to create, doesn’t mean  it’s a bad idea. It just means it’s a new one. What photographers generally do is try to create photos that they’ve seen by other photographers in magazines or online, which I think is a little boring. Because even if you fully achieve that goal and create the photo you’ve seen, then you’ve just created a nice copy of a photo. So keep trying new ideas and I’m sure they’ll be amazing.

I hope these tips helped. I love looking at other people’s dance photography, brainstorming, and sharing ideas. If you have any dance photography tips and want to share them, feel free to post them in the comments section.

I look forward to seeing more of all your great photos!

-Oliver Endahl

 

 

Today is the first blog post featuring your Instagram ballet photos!

All the photos featured today were uploaded by fans of Ballet Zaida using the iPhone app Instagram, and tagged with #BalletZaidaIgers

There was hundreds of submissions to choose from, and I was blown away by the talent and artistry from all the fans who contributed. It was really interesting to see all the different dancers from different places all over the globe. If you haven’t checked out the photos, I’d highly recommend taking a look. Just search the tag #BalletZaidaIgers on Instagram.

Today’s photo selection and commentary is done by me, the founder and photographer of Ballet Zaida, Oliver. And also my sister Alanna, who is the Social Media / Creative Consultant for Ballet Zaida. Here’s the shots that really stood out to us, and why we like them.

Instagram username: Calley_marie

These shots of Calley_marie showcase excellent ballet technique. Her positions are clean, long, and elegant. - Oliver  

Calley_marie has clean lines & straight legs, her postions are great! - Alanna

Instagram username: Gabistone

The lighting and atmosphere are just beautiful, love it! – Alanna 

The colors in this shot are great. The mix of red and black with a hint of pink and white, and that golden sun backlighting her hair is perfect. – Oliver 

Instagram username: Sophcrow

Sophcrow’s “Kitri” jump in this shot is great. Her feet are nicely shaped and pointed, her legs are straight, her jump is high, and her line is excellent. – Oliver  

This is a great “Kitri” jump! Sophcrow’s lines are clean, and the photographer timed it just right and got a great capture! – Alanna

Instagram username: Sarahleeroes

This is very cute! I love that the shoes are dead, it adds atmosphere. – Alanna

I think this shot is very fun, I love the subtle editing choice used on it. – Oliver

Instagram username: Stretching3

Stretching3′s jump in this shot is great! She’s making a nice line and she’s got great air. - Oliver

Stretching3 has a beautiful split in the air with a clean postion. I love the lighting she used that makes her silhouetted. – Alanna

Instagram username: Tinapel

This shot captures a city environment, and adds a touch of softness with the elegant arms of the dancer. – Alanna

I think this photo of Tinapel is excellent! Her outfit works well in the urban city, and her postion is very elegant. – Oliver

Instagram username: Misstylerjoy

There’s a lot of things to like about this photo. The dancer is showcasing nice foot shapes, excellent lines with her upper body, and lots of charisma with her pose. The lighting is beautiful, and I like her outfit! Excellent shot Misstylerjoy.  – Oliver

This photo has amazing light! The pose flows very nicely with her arms extending. My eyes follow past her fingertips, and beyond. Very pretty. – Alanna

Instagram username: Luizalopes

I love the view of the theatre with all the dancers on stage taking a warm up class. Beautiful. – Alanna

This photo captures the atmosphere of taking warm up class on stage perfectly. I think the composition used is very clever, showcasing the dancers and also the theatre. – Oliver

Instagram username: Luizalopes

I love the setting and light in this shot. The ballet postion in it is great, and the photo is well composed. – Oliver 

This photo from Luizalopes is just flat out cute. Not only are the ballet positions clean and elegant, but it’s super romantic and has a wonderful atmosphere. – Alanna

Instagram username: Haileygolich

Simple and sweet is what popped into my head when I saw this photo from Haileygolich, lovely colors and setting! – Alanna

I’m a big fan of the environment and colors of this shot. The big power lines in the background really add to the atmosphere and create a nice setting. - Oliver

Instagram username: Andriesdancer

This shot of Andriesdancer has excellent texture. I like her soft arm postion and how her hair falls, leading the viewers eyes down towards her nice foot shape. – Oliver 

In this photo from Andriesdancer the arms are well placed and relaxed, and the front foot shape is lovely! – Alanna

Instagram username: Andriesdancer

With all the dancers standing on the stage waiting, it gives the viewer a glimpse into the life of a dancer. – Alanna

This shot from Andriesdancer is classic. The candid poses of the dancers makes the photo real and puts you right in the moment. The composition is excellent, having the two girls on the side of the photo frames the girls infront of them. This is a wonderful photo. – Oliver

Instagram username: J_carara

I think the brightly colored outfit choice in this shot is cool. Her lines are great, and the setting is fun. – Oliver

The colors pop in this photo from J_Carara. Her pose is simple, yet relaxed. Just lovely. – Alanna

Instagram username: Littlemissballerina

Littlemissballerina‘s position’s are clean and nicely placed, great job! – Alanna

Not only are Littlemissballerina‘s positions clean, but the photos are also nicely composed, and her outfit works well in both shots. Excellent photos Littlemissballerina. – Oliver

Overall, we were both very impressed with all the Instagram submissions so far. The next Ballet Zaida blog post will showcase the ballet photos we receive through E-mail, BalletZaida@Gmail.com, Twitter, @BalletZaida, and through the Instagram hashtag, #BalletZaidaIgers

So keep the submissions coming, we can’t wait to see them!

-Oliver & Alanna Endahl.

@OliverEndahl  @AlannaChristina

Ballet Zaida is now accepting fan submissions through the iPhone app “Instagram”

Post a ballet photo of yourself either in a dance studio or outdoors, and tag the photo with #BalletZaidaIgers and we’ll feature our favorite shots right here on the Ballet Zaida blog!

- Oliver Endahl ( @OliverEndahl )

The 10th photo in Gallery 17 features Nicole Ciapponi.

During our shoot I told Nicole to do “something break dancey” (A highly technical term.) Nicole was more than happy to attempt a break dancing ballet pose, which is a reoccurring theme for Gallery 17.

I like how direct and powerful Nicole is. Theres a lot to look at in this photo, and my eye is generally drawn to her.

-Oliver Endahl