Dance Photography 101: Essential Tips To Get Started

As a photographer, capturing fleeting moments of a dance performance can be as challenging as it is rewarding, but there’s no need to be intimidated! Even as a beginner, we’ll give you all of the info you need to get you started in dance photography, so you can start capturing stunning shots.

ballet dancer in a shaft of light and a smoky atmosphere — Alparslan Uzun on Pexels

What is ‘Dance Photography’?

Dance photography is all about capturing the art of movement and all that comes with it. From cave paintings to the impressionist works by Edgar Degas, dance is something that has always fascinated artists. Thanks to technological advances, rather than capturing the beauty of movement with oils and pastels, dance began to be captured in the form of a photograph.

edgar degas impressionist dance painting — © Edgar Degas

edgar degas impressionist painting of ballet dancers in studio — © Edgar Degas

Early beginnings of dance photography (Late 19th Century – Early 20th Century)

As a style of image-making, dance photography emerged in the late 19th century when photography was becoming more accessible. Early pioneers like Eadweard Muybridge (often hailed as the father of animation!) used stop-motion techniques to study movement. Though his work mainly focused on scientific exploration, his images laid the groundwork for capturing the body in motion, a precursor to dance photography.

easdweard muybridge photography of woman dancing and capturing motion — © Eadweard Muybridge

Pioneers of dance photography (1920s-1940s)

In the 1920s and 30s, photographers began to take an artistic approach to capturing dance, inspired by the growing modern dance movement. Arnold Genthe is one of the most notable figures from this era. He worked closely with dance icons like Isadora Duncan, focusing on capturing the flow and grace in the dynamic and emotive movement.

Following Genthe, Barbara Morgan played a crucial role in shaping dance photography. Her images of modern dance pioneers such as Martha Graham were groundbreaking for their stark contrast, tight compositions and the ability to capture the raw emotion of dance.

black and white dance photography of choreographer martha graham in white dress by dance photographer barbara morgan — © Barbara Morgan

Documentary and artistic expansion of dance photography(1950s-70s)

In the post-war period, photographers like George Platt Lynes and Martha Swope emerged. Lynes brought a surreal, almost cinematic quality to dance photography, capturing ballets in artistic poses that blended classical and modern styles. Meanwhile, Swope became known as the “photographer of Broadway,” capturing the energy and atmosphere of live dance and theatre performances.

two dancers performing a pas de deux black and white dance photography by george platt lynes — © George Platt Lynes

two dancers practicing a duet in a studio in black and white dance photography by martha swope — © Martha Swope

The rise of contemporary dance photography (1980s-Present)

With the invention of faster cameras, high-resolution lenses, and improved lighting, capturing dance in motion became easier. Photographers such as Lois Greenfield, famous for her surreal, gravity-defying images of dancers’ frozen mid-leap emerged. Her work influenced a generation of dance photographers who sought to convey not just the movements but the emotions and stories within the dance.

Today, dance photography exists as both an art form and a commercial genre, used for art galleries, magazines, advertisements, and personal portfolios for dancers. Advances in digital photography and editing software have enabled photographers to capture increasingly intricate, artistic compositions that celebrate the artistry of dance.

dancer frozen in a movement in a stylistic dance photograph by lois greenfield — © Lois Greenfield

The types of dance photography

Dance photography can be categorized into several types, and you need to adjust your approach for each. Here’s an overview of the main types of dance photography, of course, this isn’t an exhaustive breakdown – like with all kinds of photography, dance photography can morph into an amalgamation of genres, but these are the core ones!

Ballet dancer performing a backbend on pointe against a building dance photography — Pixabay on Pexels

Performance dance photography

Capturing the live dance performances on stage, typically during shows, competitions, or rehearsals. This type requires timing, low-light adaptability, and precision to capture dancers in action without disrupting the performance. The photos highlight key moments, emotions, and stage dynamics. This can be challenging at first as photographers must work with limited lighting, fast movements and sometimes restrictive angles.

For this type of dance photography, you don’t want to miss out on the important moments of a performance so making sure that your camera is on burst mode and shutter priority is important. You’ll want to use a fast shutter speed like 1/250th of a second or faster to make sure that you’re freezing the motion of the performance and avoiding motion blur. It’s also best to use a wide aperture for this, such as f/2.8. This will allow as much light into the lens as possible which will help keep your ISO 100 low. Stage performances can sometimes have low lighting conditions, and you may not be allowed to use a flashgun. You’ll need to factor this in when you’re setting up for the shoot!

Learn how to use set the correct camera settings in any lighting conditions here.

corpes de ballet performing on stage in tutus dance photography of a performance — Michael Alfonso on Unsplash

Studio dance photography

Studio dance photography involves working with dancers in a controlled studio setting where you can adjust the lighting, poses and backgrounds. Studio sessions allow for precision and creativity with posed or directed shots. You’ll be able to capture complex poses, movements, or artistic concepts in ideal lighting and have the luxury of having more than one go at trying to capture a specific movement – you can’t ask a dancer to repeat a movement in the middle of a performance, but you can in this environment.

For this kind of dance photography, a zoom or prime lens will work equally well as you have control over the light. In terms of settings, you’ll want a fast shutter speed set to freeze movement and a low ISO to avoid noise. If you have a lens with a wide aperture, then shooting in lower lighting conditions should be fine. If not, you will need to increase the light via the light source you are using, e.g studio flash lighting, or your stage lighting. Using manual settings is advised here.

Learn Studio Lighting here.

Contemporary dancer posing in a studio against a grey background — Yogendras31 on Pexels

Environmental dance photography

Environmental dance photography involves shooting dancers on location outside of the traditional setting of a studio or stage. This kind of dance photography works well to create a dynamic contrast between the dancer’s form and the background. This style generally utilises natural lighting and is about pushing forward a relationship between the dancer and the space – juxtaposing them or harmonising them with their surroundings within the frame. Your settings and kit can vary depending on your location and shooting conditions but try starting off with standard zoom lens, use it's a widest aperture this is generally around as f/4, and a fast shutter speed like 1/250th or above second. Take test pictures and view them on the back of your screen to see if the movement is frozen. If it’s not, then increase your shutter speed to 1/500th, 1/1000th or above.

street dancer in a breaking move in the middle of a road in a city — Keenan Constance on Unsplash

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Things to consider when starting dance photography

Understanding dance forms and movements

When photographing dancers, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the lingo – particularly if you want a certain look on camera. Knowing the names of the specific poses or movements can really help communicate what you want from the dancer. The best way to do this is to research into the style of movement you’ll be photographing. For example, you’ll want to photograph aerialists differently to ballet dancers and they are likely to have different names for movements and overall focus.

dance photography of breakdancer tricking in the street — Atharva Tulsi on Unsplash

Building rapport with the dancers

Chat with the dancers you’ll be photographing – they’re likely to be a wealth of information when you’re just starting out. They’ll have the info on the kinds of angles and movements that look best on camera and what movements within the dance is best to be shown to an audience.

When photographing in backstage documentary-type scenarios, building a good relationship with those that you’ll be photographing will also help to make them feel a bit more comfortable around you as you document all of the work they put into making a performance.

well lit dance photograph of a dancer mid air in a jump — David Hofmann on Unsplash

Post-processing dance photography

Like all photography, you’ll want to think about your post-processing in your workflow. You can edit your images in programs such as Lightroom and Photoshop. In a studio setting against a backdrop, you may have to use generative AI to fill in parts of the background or use the remove tool to remove objects or imperfections such as out-of-place hair and clothing labels.

Master editing in Lightroom here!

editing dance photography in lightroom — Daria Rom on Unsplash. Editing dance photography in Lightroom

Developing a personal style

If you’re looking to do dance photography commercially, developing a personal style is what will encourage clients to hire you for photoshoots. It’s important to keep experimenting with lighting, locations and photographic techniques. This will help you develop your own artistic style.

long exposure dance photography of woman in a white dress — Krivitskiy on Pexels. Develop your own unique style when it comes to dance photography.

Safety and comfort

Health and safety is something that you need to consider when doing dance photography, both your own and the dancers. If shooting in a studio environment, you’ll want to designate an area for dancers to warm up and cool down before their photoshoot and clear the studio area of any potential trip hazards. You’ll also want to be aware of the path of movement that the dancer will be taking – you don’t want to get in their way or collide with them whist they’re dancing!

dance photograph of ballet dancer tying her pointe shoes — Cottonbro on Pexels

Composition for dance photography

You’ll want to brush up on your compositional rules such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, where to place negative space etc. These will be incredibly useful techniques to create a narrative within the scene. As dance photography tends to be quite minimalist – the primary focus is on the movement captured, though this is the trend and not the rule. Composition and lighting are the main vehicles for telling a story and creating an atmosphere in dance photography.

You can find out more about the compositional rules of photography here.

layered dance photograph of red-haired dancer leaping against a black background — Jokasssis on Pexels

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Dance photography ideas

Now you’ve thought about all the elements you need to consider when starting, you probably want some inspiration to get you started! Here’s some dance photoshoot ideas to get creative with:

Chiaroscuro lighting

Chiaroscuro or low-key lighting adds drama and atmosphere to an image which is amplified when you are capturing an emotionally charged scene of a dancer. Experiment with only using one light source and think about what parts of the dancer’s body are important to highlight and what happens when you leave parts of the movement in shadow?

black and white high key dance photograph of dancer in a long skirt — David Hofmann on Unsplash

Add complimentary elements

Add lightweight flowy fabric like organza or tulle to give a sense of movement. This can be done by getting the dancer to hold the fabric as a prop in their hand or incorporate it as part of their costume or even as the background (if you have a couple of assistants to move the fabric in and out of shot!) You can also use things like powder paint or atmosphere in a can to add dynamism for these freeze frames.

freeze frame dance photograph of a ballerina mid jump — Miguel Salgado on Unsplash

5 Pro Portrait Lighting Setups – On a Budget!

Your setting

Whilst dance photography does tent to skew towards the minimalistic, you can experiment with setting too – does adding certain set pieces change the way the movement looks within a shot? You can get really creative with this as your set can help add more context and help tell a visual story alongside the movement.

couple ballroom dancing in front of stage lights — Shuvalova Natalia on Unsplash

Location

Experimenting with different locations is always a great way to get creative with your dance photography. Underwater, in the street or on a train – the possibilities are endless!

Post-production

Manipulating the image after you’ve captured it is also a great way to experiment with dance photography – using techniques like double exposure or layering fine art textures or brush overlays can add more of a story to your image.

Learn Photoshop properly here.

double exposure dance photography in a studio setting — Luis Miguel Ruiz Gongora on Pexels

Work together on poses

This idea works well if you’re good at building a rapport with dancers. Work together to come up with some fun and interesting poses that go beyond the traditional poses. An arabesque or jete is a classic shot (and great to start with as a warmup!). Don’t forget dancers have trained to move and manipulate their bodies in all kinds of crazy ways, have a chat with them and see what weird and wonderful poses that they’re capable of!

layered image of contemporary dancer in different poses dance photograph — Ge R Moraes on Pexels

Conclusion

Dance photography is a unique discipline that blends technical skill with artistic vision. Whether you’re capturing the raw energy of a live performance or the controlled precision of a studio session, every moment offers a new challenge and opportunity for creativity. By understanding the nuances of dance photography, and building strong connections with your dancers, you can develop your own style and produce images that not only capture movement but convey emotion and a story.

Remember, practice is key. Experiment with different techniques to refine your craft, and don’t be afraid to push the boundaries of traditional dance photography. With the right equipment, and a passion for storytelling, you’ll be on your way to creating stunning images that celebrate the beauty of dance.

Happy shooting!

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