Behind the Curtain: Dance Recital Photography
- Layla Durocher
- Jun 2
- 4 min read
It is officially dance recital season! That means bright lights, glittery costumes, and a whole lot of frantic asking "What do we do for finale?" and "Where is my hair piece?" Most dancers spend their entire youth dedicating themselves to this art and skill. For years to come, they'll look back fondly on their memories in dance.
That's where the photographers come in! We're here to capture every face, pose and trick for a dancer and their family. Families want to see closeups of their children, while dance studios may want more shots of the entire class in formations.
Taking the time to read this article will help you better understand how to capture dance recital photography, or take a peek inside the brain of your favorite dance recital photographer!
Let's get dancing!
Precision, Settings, and Stage Lighting
Mastering your camera and surroundings for the best images.
Using your camera and the stage lighting
When photographing a recital, you'll always want to make sure you have a higher shutter speed in order to capture the movement without motion blur. A good starting point is 1/500s, however you will need to increase this number depending on the tempo of the dance.
Along with your camera, utilize your ISO. New improvements to cameras lowlight settings and editing softwares ability to correct grain make higher an ISO less scary that it used to be just a couple years ago. If the stage is dark, don't be afraid to increase you ISO for brighter images.
Stage lighting can alter from each dance, so make sure you're watching in order to change your settings accordingly. You work with the light you are given to capture these dances.
Precision of composition
When doing close ups of individual dancers or small groups, it's important to be far enough out that you don't crop out a foot or an arm if they suddenly change dance moves. Cropping can always occur later. It's always better to have more of an image that be stuck with only half. With this always changing composition, opt in for some kind of zoom lens rather that a prime lens. This gives you the flexibility of staying in your seat rather that moving around and disturbing those around you.
Photographing the Heart of the Performance
Where emotion and technique meet.
Capturing Emotion
Dance is an art form meant to convey emotion. Dancers work hard on their performance skills all year round. When photographing a recital, your goal isn’t just to freeze movement, but to translate the dancer’s and choreographer's intention into an image that feels alive. Emotion is what turns a technically strong photo into a powerful one that parents treasure and dancers remember for years.
To capture that depth, pay close attention to facial expressions, moments of stillness, and shifts in energy within the choreography. Anticipating these emotional moments allows you to be ready when the story reveals itself. You can do this by taking a look at the program ahead of time. In the best case scenario, attend a rehearsal before capturing. You can write down key emotional moments that you would like to highlight in your photographs and study them before attending the next showing. If you're unable to attend a rehearsal, immersing yourself in dance culture can help you learn to anticipate what may be coming next.
Artistic Integrity
As a photographer it's important we stay true to the artistic vision of the choreographers, lighting designers, and set designers as they spent countless hours working on this vision. This means the editing process might look different than the editing process of a family session. For example, if a lighting designer chose to light the stage blue, then your edit should reflect that. To truly capture both emotion and the artistic vision, your editing process should be minimal with things such as de-noise, light exposure adjustments, and potentially vibrance adjustments. You are here to capture the show as a whole.
Truly Behind The Curtain
If possible, getting some shots from backstage can evoke something entirely different than a straight on shot of the stage. For one, you're much closer to the dancers than you would be if you were out in the audience.
Use this opportunity to capture those intimate backstage moments that parents miss out on. Not only will parents enjoy seeing the behind the scenes, but dancers will be able to relive the rush of waiting for their dance just by looking at a photo. If you are able to be backstage for an entire performance or rehearsal, just ensure that you are staying out of the wings to allow dancers to move quickly. You must also be mindful of those doing quick changes, and ensure that you are not violating their privacy in any way.
When you're capturing a recital, you're not just capturing a show. You're capturing hours of hard work and dedication. You're freezing a moment in time that they and their families will remember for years to come.
Follow LD Photos on Instagram and Facebook so you don't miss this year's recital photos!
Comments