​While in New York City this fall, I had an opportunity to visit the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

As you can imagine, it is an emotionally difficult place for many different reasons.  However, one specific display affected me the most – and the explanation of the cause might be surprising.

Located within the original footprint of the South Tower, the memorial exhibition features portrait photographs of the 2,983 victims of the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, and the February 26, 1993, bombings of the World Trade Center.

Note the description above says “portrait photographs” --but the majority of these photos were not portraits.  They were snapshots, in most cases, informal photos taken by friends or family members.  And even sadder, some of the names were simply accompanied by a blank plaque with a small green leaf– there was no photo of these people at all.

Those little green leaves made me incredibly sad.  Per a note in the display, this meant there was no photo of that person available for display.  No visual memory of this person that perished in one of the most horrible tragedies of our lifetime.  Did no one ever take photos of this person?  Did they not allow themselves to be photographed?  Did they not have a photograph that met the minimal quality of what the exhibit required to display?  Whatever the reason, those little green leaves bothered me deeply.
 
So many people talk to me about their fears of being photographed.  Seeing this exhibit that lacked so many photos brought this to mind, and led me to a thought --instead of focusing on your insecurities the next time a camera comes out, think of your loved ones, and how much it will mean to them years from now to have photos of you from all the different stages of your life.
 
Because as we get older, the way we hold onto memories of certain moments in time is often through photos—don’t you want evidence that you were there, reveling in the moment?

The gift of hindsight is powerful. Just a few years or a decade from now, you may look back at that picture you didn’t want to have taken with a different perspective, and think, “Oh, honey, I am so sorry you didn’t know how special you were, and that you were so worried about something as silly as weight, or gray hairs, or what you had on.”

Photographs matter, because they capture moments of our lives as they pass which may seem to have little importance to us at the time. The significance, however, may be profound for others later on, as they search for the person we once were, or the places we once knew. They can be small pieces of a jigsaw that complete the larger picture of our lives. Or fill that blank spot where a little green leaf was.

Are you a professional dancer?  Are you an aspiring dancer? Do you need photos to promote an event?  Do you have a website or a blog? All of these are great reasons (plus many, many more) why you’d need professional photos in your portfolio.  But often we don’t know exactly WHAT we need from a marketing standpoint, so let’s talk about understanding what’s important when you do make that appointment to have photos taken.
 
Let’s first talk a little bit about the intention of photos in general for business promotion.
 
As the online world has become a mechanism for doing business, your photo is often the first impression you’re making to prospective clients to make that initial contact.  A good photo is going to make you stand out against your competition, and should gain the trust of the prospective client enough to make that initial call.  It is not just a picture; it is your professional image and brand.  A good brand shows attention to detail.  It also shows that you are in command of your industry by exhibiting your strengths and expertise.  Make a list of how you want your customers to perceive you and your business professionally (for example, in my case: approachable, friendly, creative, warm). Think about the photos you want to make, and make sure they communicate those things.
 
If it’s your very first shoot, think about simple backdrops  - they will be infinitely more useful for business purposes than photos with busy locations or backdrops.  You need to build a base portfolio to start with, and this helps tremendously.  I recommend a mix of close ups (also called headshots), three-quarter shots and full-length photos for a shoot.

Also, something important to understand is that there is a trade off when having photos taken in regard to what looks/backgrounds you use. Remember, it is SPECIFICITY vs. LIFETIME. In general, the more specific a shot is to a specific look/use, the shorter its lifetime. The more general a shot is, the longer its lifetime. In short, keep in mind that general shots will have more longevity than specific shots.

In follow up sessions, I encourage dancers to think more outside of the box and round out their portfolios.  If you have more close ups and three-quarter shots from your first time out, then you can do more full body shots in your second session.  You can also showcase new costuming and try out alternate poses. As you progress as a dancer, you have the ability to use your photos to represent your more recent ideas with respect to dance, costuming, posing, props and make up.
 
I am often asked about action versus posed photos.  I think BOTH are an important part of a dancer’s portfolio.  However, we need to realize that bellydance is very subtle – our movements are not easily captured by the camera.  Think about all of those live performance photos you have of that belly roll right in the middle.  What’s beautiful about the belly roll is the lift at the top and the tuck at the bottom.  When doing these in the studio, they can look very “posed” because of the movement.  So, if you want action photos, bring things that can create more action with the dance!  Skirts, veils, fans, et al… all help towards this end.
 
It is a good rule of thumb to have new photos around once a year.  Clients want to hire you on the basis of a photo showing how you currently look.  Also, if you teach workshops or advertise or write for bellydance blogs or magazines, you don’t want people seeing the same old photo from years ago.  *You’ll* also feel reinvigorated by having new photos as well. 

Remember: getting professional shots is an investment in your career and future. If you aren't willing to do that, potential clients and people that would hire you will look at your blurry selfies and say, "If this is how much they care about their career as a dancer, how much are they going to care about my event?”
 

​If you don’t think photos are important, wait until they are all you have left.  
 
For me, physical prints are all I have left of the majority of my family.  My parents and grandparents are all gone.  When my mother passed away, I came into possession of all of the photo albums. There’s something magical about so many years later holding a piece of my family’s history in my hands.
 
You don’t get that with digital images.
 
Photography as an art form has only been around for about a hundred years.  Over that time there has been an estimated 3.5 trillion (that is nine 0s!) images captured and currently Facebook hosts over 140 Billion of those images, which is approximately 4% of all the images ever taken.
 
Have you ever had a hard drive crash and all your files erased? Or somehow had a social networking account deleted for whatever reason? If so I’m sure you’re more than aware to what I’m talking about.

Printing your photos is another source of back up and you can never have enough copies of something valuable, whether it’s a prized piece of planned out photography or a slightly blurred yet memorable family snap. Yes, physical copies are not immune to damage and they can still get lost or destroyed, but for the most part it’s a fairly solid backup – plus you can touch it – and that’s a sense of connection that a digital photo cannot give.

A lot of people have told me they don’t print their photos. That is completely fine! There are some photos you may not want printed (like the 35 outtakes of your kid eating a watermelon still sitting in your photo gallery on your iPhone).  But there are some you might really regret not printing later like special events, family memories, and anything taken by a professional.
 
I’m not saying this as a photographer, an artist, a businesswoman or any other reason you could associate with above, but as a person with memories!

Now I am not a doomsday believer, but just imagined what would happen to our visual history of the last twenty years if our whole modern infrastructure crashed? I am not advocating that everyone should print out every image... but seeing your best images hanging on a wall in a frame is so much more satisfying than occasionally seeing it on a screen when scrolling through all the other images on a screen.  As far as sharing images goes, giving someone a printed image actually means much more than sharing or emailing the same image.

A print, an album -- they are tangible products, real things that can be touched and held, not just a group of pixels that may be unreadable in a few years time.
 
Think about printing your photos.

This was originally published in 2014, but I read an article yesterday (http://petapixel.com/2016/09/08/cafe-mocks-photographer-asked-stolen-photo-taken/) that made me think about it again and I felt it was time for a re-share:

***

Yesterday, I found out that one of my photos was being used on a blog that had not contacted me or the dancer in question for use.
 
Also, I saw an eBay ad on Facebook that was using a photo of a different dancer that had been posted without my permission or the dancers.

In this day and age, photographers MUST use the internet to promote themselves. It's just a fact. There is a misconception though that anything that's put up by a photographer is then "free game" to anyone. This is SIMPLY not the case.

AN EXCELLENT RULE OF THUMB FOR USING OTHER PEOPLE’S PHOTOS:
If you do not have specific permission (preferably written!) from the owner of the rights in a photo, you cannot legally copy it, display it on a website, post it on Facebook, send it around by Email or other means, make prints of it, sell it, or otherwise use or exploit it.

If you are a photographer, and someone is making use of your photos without your permission, the answer is normally, “No, they have no right to,” except for the rare case of “Fair Use.”

DON'T just take photos off the Internet and use them for your event or publicity or advertising. Just because something is on the internet with no credit or information (or more times than not, WITH the proper watermark that CLEARLY denotes who the work belongs to), doesn't mean that it doesn't belong to someone else.

“I got the photo off the Internet, the owner’s own website, Facebook, MySpace, a ‘public’ website, Google, or whatever . . . so it is in the 'Public Domain'.”

NO.

There is a huge misunderstanding of the term "Public Domain." The term has the specific legal meaning that no one owns the photo; anyone can use it as he wishes. There are only two ways for a photo to fall into the public domain.

1. The owner clearly gives up his rights, such as by signing and publishing a document saying, "I now give up my copyright and irrevocably place this work in the public domain." OR

2. Through passage of time. The term of copyright depends on several factors, including the date of first publication. As a general rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright extends for the life of the creator plus 70 more years. As a practical matter, no recent photo will have fallen into the public domain through passage of time.

When a rights–owner posts a photo anywhere on the Internet, he does not lose his rights. This rule applies to his own website, Facebook, MySpace, and other “social networks,” or to photo portfolio or hosting sites like Flickr, Tumblr, or Photobucket. Making a photo available for public viewing does not put it in the public domain.
This fact reflects well–established copyright law. When a photo is printed in a book or magazine or displayed in an art gallery or museum, it is not thrown into the public domain for anyone to copy.

Likewise, when an owner displays his photo in cyberspace. There have been many copyright cases involving infringing websites which got their content from the internet—and courts have awarded judgments in the millions of dollars against the pirates.
Sometimes an infringer will post photos to websites, social media, and other Internet places without the owner’s knowledge or against the owner's wishes. Examples include the many infringing copies of thousands of photos owned by Playboy, Penthouse, and top photographers. Such posts are themselves violations of copyright. Then other infringers copy the photos from such places and republish them. Obviously if the original unauthorized postings violated copyright—as is typically the case—the secondary copying and misuse is equally illegal.

An interesting and common situation involves people who stock their websites, blogs or Email newsletters (or for that matter, print media ads or direct mail) by copying photos they find through Google or other search engines. Google itself finds, makes thumbnails, copies and displays photos without asking the owners’ permission. Virtually every photo displayed through Google “image search” is there without the owner’s permission. So someone who infringes by copying photos he got through Google is still violating copyright; getting the photos through Google does not excuse the infringement. The owner did not give permission, and Google had no right to give any permission.
 
Some experts say that Google’s own image search function, and its video operation YouTube, are illegal infringement–based business models. Similar arguments have been made about Yahoo! and other search engines’ image search functions. So far the courts have let the search engines get away with this copying, saving them from liability for untold billions of dollars for copyright infringement. But it is clear that taking and using photos from Google and other search engines without permission of the actual copyright holder, is still infringement.

In short, taking photos from cyberspace, and using them elsewhere such as on your own website is copyright infringement, and you risk the severe penalties of copyright infringement.  This is about the protection of artist’s work and our ability to make a living.  Please be considerate!

The eyes are the focal point in most portraits, so you need to make sure the makeup really exaggerates the eyes, so they stand out very well. The bolder the color, the more defined the eyes will be. Even if you normally wear brown or gray mascara and eyeliner, bold black will look much better when photographed. You want to use two or three coats of mascara to make sure that the eye lashes will be visible in a photo. Additionally, use an eyebrow pencil to fill in the eyebrows. Fuller brows look much better in a photo than very thin ones. Particularly for subjects with blond and light colored hair, the eyebrows will not show up very well at all in a photo unless you define them with the eyebrow pencil.

For eye shadow, use three shades, even if the color you choose is neutral. Sweep the middle shade all over the lid and lower brow bone, dab the lighter color at the inner corner of the eye and apply the darker color just in the crease between the lid and the brow bone. This method creates depth and will make the eyes really stand out in your images.

Blending is key to a great look in photographs. You know those small foam applicators that come in the case with eye shadow? Throw them out! Use a brush to apply each color and then another brush to blend the edges of each color, so that there’s no abrupt lines of any shadow color. Note: you can buy specific eye shadow primer. I highly recommend using it (you would just lightly apply it all over the lid and brow bone before you start applying eye shadow). It not only extends the wearing time of eye shadow, but it actually makes the shadow color look much more vibrant and intense, which is what we want in order for it to show up well in photographs. In some cases, primer can actually make an eye shadow color look two or three times brighter than if it was applied on a bare eyelid. Do NOT use regular primer on the eyelid; make sure you buy a primer that is specifically made to be used on eyelids to avoid skin reactions!

When choosing eye shadow colors, you want to complement your eye color, since we want to emphasize the subject’s eyes in a portrait. For blue eyes, choose a warm tone to balance the cool blue. Champagne, golden brown and peach are good choices. For brown eyes, most colors will look nice, since brown is neutral and will not clash with the shadow color. In particular, purple, bronze and navy work well. For green eyes, plum, pink and reddish browns are good options. For hazel eyes, gray, pink and dark purples will bring out the eye color.

False eyelashes are PERFECT for great eye definition. Choose a full set if you want true drama in your image; choose individual lashes if you want a more natural look in your image. Always apply the eye lash glue to the back of your hand, and then run the lashes through the glue before placing on your lid. Do not squeeze the glue directly onto the lashes, because if you have too much glue, you’ll have trouble getting the lashes to lay properly.

In April, I talked a little bit about make up for the stage.  Today, I am going to talk a little bit about makeup for a photo shoot.

The number one thing you need to remember about makeup for photo shoots is that the camera never captures makeup and color in quite as much vibrancy as is visible in real life. Therefore, it is very important that you apply more makeup for photo shoots than you would for going out and looking nice in real life. Even if you want a subtle makeup look in your photos, you still need to really exaggerate the makeup you’re applying, because it will not show up as strong through the camera. Light bouncing off of makeup changes the way it looks, and makes it look less dramatic than it really is, and we are always using light during a photo shoot, whether it is natural or artificial light.

The best light to apply makeup under for photography is natural light, because it if the makeup looks good in natural light, it will look nice in almost any other light. Most electronic flash/strobe light is close in color temperature to the color temperature of average natural daylight. Therefore, if you will be shooting with electronic flash in a studio setup or outdoors, your best option is to use natural light to apply the makeup for the photo shoot.

However, if you must apply your makeup under artificial lighting, keep the following information in mind:
Fluorescent lighting will make skin look very pale and washed out. It gives off a green colorcast, which can make a subject look almost ill. Avoid this lighting for applying the makeup if you can. Additionally, fluorescent light bulbs can have several different color temperatures, depending on the type of bulb, and even one particular bulb can vary in the intensity and color of light it gives off from moment to moment. It is hard to judge the true look of makeup under these conditions; so fluorescent lighting should be avoided.

Incandescent lighting (a regular, old-fashioned household light bulb), gives off a much lower color temperature than natural and electronic flash light. The light will be a warm yellow light. This is actually very flattering to most skin, because it doesn’t allow for detailed clarity of any flaws. However, you want to see all the flaws during the application process, since you need to cover them up and blend them in well for the photographs.

Always start with a base of both moisturizer and primer, so that all of the other makeup will go on as smooth as possible, and reduces editing needed to hide wrinkles or imperfections.

All products you use should be matte to avoid adding any shine to the face. The possible exception is lip color, since a bit of shine on the lips can make lips look more full in a photograph. Additionally, avoid using products with SPF for photo shoots, since the ingredients can often make the face look shinier in images.

At minimum, make sure you keep the concealer, powder, lip color and/or lip gloss handy during the photo shoot for touchups. If you are working with flash and studio lighting, you will need to touch up the makeup more often, because the lights will be warm and can make the makeup start to melt or slip slightly. You will definitely need to reapply powder to ensure your face does not appear shiny at any time. 

Over the years I know I’ve seen a number of articles circulated in the performing world about being a good audience member. There are some things that I see consistently while sitting in the audience shooting a show that break those general rules – such as talking (loudly) during performances – that really take away from the overall enjoyment of other audience members and also is disrespectful to the performers.

What I want to address today is the topic of audience etiquette related to show photography and videography.  I am often hired as the professional performance photographer for dance shows.  The event coordinator wants me there to capture the magic of the show, so that YOU, the audience member, are able to simply enjoy it!  There is always an announcement that there is a pro photographer and/or videographer there, and it includes specific rules for the audience on photography and videography.

But time and again, I will come home to find photos and video of shows online that this announcement has been made at -- not once -- but several times.  I know that with the advent of the cell phone, we now all have a camera that can take stills and video at any given time, and that the temptation to do so is great.  But even though phones and tablets CAN take good photos, the quality of the pictures or video footage from these devices is bound to be lower quality than the work of a pro specifically hired for the event.  This is also not necessarily how the performer wants, or has consented to be, captured.  Many performers expressly ask for no video or photos from the audience, and this should be respected.

The actions of people taking photos or video can also be incredibly disruptive and or distracting to the performers, or to other audience members who are trying to follow the rules and enjoy the show. I’m sure we’ve all been stuck behind the person who is taking pictures or video with their phone or, worse, tablet, and it’s incredibly hard to see through a sea of arms raised in the air. Inappropriate use of flash photography may also create safety issues for performers and be an unwanted distraction for the audience, not to mention that it may unwittingly degrade the quality of the work of the photographer or videographer hired to record the event.

So, please… just as you wouldn’t play zils, or talk, or get up and walk around during a show, if there are specific directions given at a show regarding photography and videography, please follow them. Part of our responsibility as audience members is to be considerate of the pleasure of others, a responsibility fulfilled by quietly attentive and self-controlled behavior.  Be in the moment.  Put your phone away and be there with the performers to enjoy!

 I’m often asked, “If I am going to perform, do I have to wear makeup?”  The simple answer, every time, is YES.

Here’s the long and the short of it -- your performance makeup is part of your costume. If you were to put on a long evening gown, have your hair in an up-do, put on your high heel shoes and some jewelry but put NOTHING on your face, you would look like you were missing something. Your face would be overshadowed by your outfit and would look drab. We NEVER want our costume to overshadow our face. 
 
Most dancers know how to apply makeup for daily usage or restaurant performances, but when it comes to stage makeup, application drastically affects the audience’s perception of the dancer.

What are the differences between stage makeup and regular makeup?
The differences between the two aren’t as vast as one might think. Stage makeup is meant to be heavier, both in texture and pigment. This allows the makeup effects to be seen from afar, which is typically the case during a stage production. From highlighting and even exaggerating the shape of a performer's face to giving the effect of aging or special characteristics, makeup can transform you.

Regular makeup is much lighter than that which was created for the stage. The pigments are natural looking, giving regular makeup a much more organic look. The idea of regular makeup is to cover blemishes without making the makeup the focal point. Stage makeup should be noticed and is intended to be part of the costume on stage; while everyday makeup is intended more for the background and should blend in to one’s natural features.

Can stage makeup be used every day?
Because stage makeup is essentially just a heavier version of regular makeup, it can be used every day. It’s all a matter of personal preference; some people prefer to wear lighter makeup and would most likely be uncomfortable in stage makeup outside of the theater/performing venue. Wearing it offstage will create a heavier look that is atypical for day-to-day use, but it really is a matter of personal preference.

Can regular makeup be worn on stage?
 With the right application techniques, regular makeup can absolutely work well on stage. By applying the makeup much more heavily and in a more dramatic way, it can create the desired effects just as well as stage makeup. There are also many performing locations that require a natural look, making regular makeup a much better choice. It’s easier to use regular makeup on stage than vice versa. 

More about make-up next month!