On the road again…
Dance instructor Grace Peterson with one of her students, Patrick Moriarity, at the City Lights Open competition in 2017.
I can’t claim to be a huge Willie Nelson fan, but his “On the road again” song comes to mind now. After 15 months of being tied down by the coronavirus pandemic, I’m about to travel again. I’m heading to Georgia next week, where I will be competing in a ballroom dance competition and offering portraits and personal photographer services to my fellow competitors at the Savannah Dance Classic. This will be my first trip to Georgia, which I believe is the only U.S. state I have not spent time in. I’ve heard rave reviews of this competition and about the city of Savannah, and I’m excited to be going with dance instructor Grace Peterson and my fellow student, Pat Moriarity.
I’ve competed a number times but this will mark my first time as a vendor at a dance competition. A couple of years ago, before I started Danzante Photography LLC, I had lunch with entrepreneur and photographer Preston Palmer to pick his brain about the business. I asked about his training program for wedding photographers, and he correctly deduced that I had no desire to specialize in that genre. He asked what I liked to shoot. I said, dancers and portraits, mostly. Dance competitions usually hire an exclusive photographer to cover the competition floor. Competitors review the photos on an iPad and select the keepsakes they want. Because the photographers must shoot everyone, however, the results can be uneven. The photos aren’t cheap, but considering the investment the photographers must make and the volume they must shoot, I think they’re reasonable. There are a handful of photographers dominating this space. But few if any of these event photographers offer the dancers formal portraits on location. Preston suggested I consider doing so. Why not? The dancers spend a small fortune on gowns, hair and makeup, jewelry, suits, lodging and travel, so they might be willing to sit for a formal portrait suitable for exhibition in their living rooms, he said.
I was talking about this idea with a well-respected dance instructor and competition owner, who said he always thought it would be wise to offer “personal photographer” services to dancers. It’s basically documentary photography, following the dancer through practice, dressing, competing, and a portrait. I loved that idea, so I am offering it — for the first time — in Savannah. Grace Peterson was kind enough to let me build a sample page of those services on my website (see the link above). The end result would include some digital images, of course, but significantly, it would include a large wall portrait, an album, or even a book. The details are customized, so the prices vary. Let me know if you’re interested!
Next up, I will be offering portraits at the Twin Cities Open in mid July. Due to contractual issues, however, I won’t be able to shoot on the dance floor there, so the personal photographer services won’t work here.
This photo, of Zoe Kaplan, was taken outside the ballroom at the Twin Cities Open in 2019 as part of her high school graduation images.
My next scheduled comp where I will offer personal photographer services is the Heart of America Dancesport Championships in Kansas City, Missouri, in August.
Mark Querna with instructor Georgietta Anderson during the 2019 nightclub competition at Heart of America Dancesport Championships.
Meantime, I am open to traveling elsewhere for clients who want a professional portrait or other photographic services. Give me a call at 612-655-5020 and we can talk.
