We are so fortunate to have a guest blogger today! Meet Emily Brunner, a professional dance photographer based in Philadelphia. In addition, to sitting down with us for an interview, she has generously put together this list of tips and tricks for audition photos! Hope you find it as helpful as we did!

It’s almost summer intensive audition time and you know what that means! It’s time to do the annual headshot and arabesque photo! We’ve got 17 tips that’ll make sure you are ready to help your dancer get audition shots that they’ll love!

• Remember this. For almost all summer intensive auditions, the photos serve as either a first impression or as a way for the school to remember the dancers from the audition. They are just one part of the audition process and they don’t have to be perfect. They need to be honest. You want them to be showing the dancer’s actual, current, best technique. 
• Using your phone is totally fine! Summer intensive audition photos do not need to be taken by a professional. 
• Support and guidance are important. If you don’t have the experience to support and guide the dancer, invite a trusted teacher, ballet dancer friend or professional dance photographer to help out.
• What to wear? For the hairstyle, makeup and wardrobe, follow any guidelines provided by the school or company. Keep in mind that, in the photos, the dancer should look similar to how they will look at the audition.
• Safety first. Make sure you choose a location that has a firm and flat surface for the dancer to stand and a comfortable temperature.
• Indoors is definitely best. A dance studio after class is a great place. Some other options could be a large room in your home or a spot against a plain wall at a school, church or club.
• Keep the background as plain as possible. Items behind the dancer can make it hard to see their lines clearly. Don’t be afraid to move things out of the way for the photo.
• Make sure there is a good light source in front of the dancer. This is usually going to be a window (during the daytime) or the lights in the room.  Avoid placing the dancer in front of a bright window or lamps. Having enough bright light on the dancer will help you get sharp, clear photos.
• Take the headshot first. Use the 2x (telephoto) lens and stand far enough away that the full width of the dancer’s shoulders are visible in the shot. Keep the camera lens at the dancer’s eye or eyebrow level.  Try tilting the camera slightly down and have the dancer try varying the tilt and angle of their head. Try big smiles and soft smiles. 
• Use a zoomed in, telephoto lens for the full body shots. That would be the 2x lens on an iPhone. For these you want to stand as far away as possible and make sure you can still fit their whole body in the shot. Do not use the .5 lens. It causes severe distortion to anything beyond the very center of the photo.
• Hold your phone level to the ground, parallel to the wall behind the dancer and at waist height of the dancer. Do not tilt it.
• Don’t make the dancer hold the pose for more than a second or two. Tell them to do the motion of the pose at a speed that is comfortable to them.
• Watch the dancer’s moving leg for arabesques. Anticipate just before it will hit the peak and take the photo then. There is a slight delay on phone cameras between when you press the button and when the photo is taken. If you are having trouble taking a still shot at the right moment try taking a video and see if you can get a clear screenshot of the peak.
• Show the dancer the photos as you take them. This way you can decide what to change for improvements as you go. Show them the photos after about every 3 shots.
• Don’t work too long on a pose. If you are still working on a pose for more than 15 minutes take a break and move on to a different shot or try again later. Having a fresh mental perspective can be very helpful.
• Never ever Photoshop any part of the dancer’s body.
• Any printer will do. If the audition requires a print, you can print it at home or at an inexpensive local store like CVS.

Don’t forget to check out our Summer Intensive Boot Camp for everything you need to know to nail your auditions!