LOCATION PHOTOSHOOTS
Welcome!
We're glad you're here.
Location sessions can be so much fun! The opportunity to use the world around us as inspiration while creating unique and extraordinary images is a gift! Once dancers are familiar with working in front of the camera, location shoots offer the perfect augmentation to your marketing and social media endeavors!
WHO DOESN'T LOVE CREATING MAGIC?!
We all know the famous locations, that everyone wants to shoot at: i.e. Central Park, Gantry Park, Dumbo, Rockaway Beach etc. etc. I like to encourage dancers to think outside the box when we conceptualize the shoot! There are so many fun locations that you might pass on the street every day - where are the cool little nooks and crannies that you visit regularly?
In the digital age of Instagram and more, companies and schools are pre-screening dancers through their images and social media profiles! It has never been more important that your technique, full lines, personality, energy, and dynamism show through in your images. An investment in high-quality materials shows directors that you take the process seriously and that you are willing to go the extra mile when bringing their vision to life!
...and, by the way, it’s also so much fun!
Our process is both collaborative and specific. We love nothing more than to have prepared and conceptualized ideas ahead of time... but then throw it all to the wind if divine inspiration comes through a poignantly shared moment, perhaps a piece of fabric or special garment, or even a piece of music during your shoot. This allows us to really flex our creative muscles and collaborate to design impeccable imagery.
The sky's the limit!
Meet Andrew
All of our location photoshoots are shot by Andrew Fassbender. In addition to a 15 year professional career, 10 of which were spent at Tulsa Ballet, Andrew has also taught and coached ballet at the pre-professional and professional level all over the country. His vision for coaching, and working with dancers is synonymous with Rachel’s. As such, in 2016 she hand-picked and trained Andrew to be her second shooter and studio director. His attention to detail, mastery of Rachel’s proprietary methods, and ability to coach dancers on a physical, psychological, and emotional level is unparalleled.
Scheduling Your Shoot
While we do shoot on weekends to accommodate travel schedules, we do not recommend it if you live within a 2 hour drive of NYC.
Yes, believe it or not, we encourage dancers to consider choosing a weekday - and yes, that means taking a day out of training and/or school/work. We get that, and we don’t take that lightly.
A day of rest is hard-won in our society and particularly in the lives of dancers. We feel it’s absolutely necessary for dancers to safeguard their day off for recovery and peak performance during the week.
Now that we are on your team, you will understand just how much we consider your health and well-being of utmost importance. We urge you to be constantly considering where you are investing your time and energy at each step of your career to further yourself along towards your goals.
Photoshoots, done well, are physically and mentally draining. We are going to use up all of your energy, both cognitively and technically (and then some) in our pursuit of the best possible images for you. This is why you come to us - we know how to pull it all out of you.
Returning to classes without a day off, without time for your muscles (including your brain) to not have rest they need to recover from a week of dancing and then a shoot, will risk your optimal performance next week. At best that’s a few days of mental frustration over not being able to perform at your peak, but at worst, we are risking injury. We prefer you to not take that risk and treat your day off as if it’s non-negotiable.
Location Photoshoot Packages
FULL LOCATION SHOOT
With ANDREW FASSBENDER
$2349
Up to 4.5 hours of shooting time across 2-3 locations in the New York City area
20 final retouched images that showcase your technique, artistry, and the passion that you bring to your dancing
Full set of low-resolution, un-retouched, watermarked proofs (not to be reproduced or publicly shared), delivered via private password protected online gallery 10-14 business days after your shoot
Transportation to and from the studio and locations, as necessary
Inclement weather date hold
Individualized coaching specific to your needs and goals
DEMI LOCATION SHOOT
With ANDREW FASSBENDER
$1579
Up to 2 hours of shooting time in 1-2 "loaded locations" (travel time dependent): a single location that has many different areas to shoot. We recommend Central Park, Fort Tryon Park, or around our studio in Long Island City in Queens.
12 final retouched images that showcase your technique, artistry, and the passion that you bring to your dancing
Full set of low-resolution, un-retouched, watermarked proofs (not to be reproduced or publicly shared), delivered via private password protected online gallery 10-14 business days after your shoot
Transportation to and from the studio, as necessary
Inclement weather date hold
Individualized coaching specific to your needs and goals
BASIC LOCATION SHOOT
With ANDREW FASSBENDER
$989
Up to 1 hour of shooting time in 1 "loaded location": a single location that has many different areas to shoot. We recommend Central Park, Fort Tryon Park, or around our studio in Long Island City in Queens.
8 final retouched images that showcase your technique, artistry, and the passion that you bring to your dancing
Full set of low-resolution, un-retouched, watermarked proofs (not to be reproduced or publicly shared), delivered via private password protected online gallery 10-14 business days after your shoot
Transportation to and from the studio, as necessary
Inclement weather date hold
Individualized coaching specific to your needs and goals
HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST:
We highly recommend adding one of our trusty makeup artists to help you look like your best, most authentic, non-photoshopped version of yourself in your images.
Add on for:
Full - $650
Demi - $550
CREATIVE OPTIONS:
Access to our in-house wardrobe closet of dresses, skirts - $75
This fee covers rental, cleaning of garments, and shipping and handling
ADDITIONAL IMAGES:
Your package comes with a set amount of retouched images, but should you like to select more... no problem!
Additional files are available for:
$84 per single image
$357 for a 5 pack
$672 for a 10 pack
Additional images beyond 10 are billed at $67.20 per image.
EXTRA SHOOTING TIME:
Need some extra time? If you want to go beyond our scheduled window of time, we will discuss your goals and where we are at at the time. An additional rate of $249 per hour will be applied to the final invoice.
Post Production Timelines
We make best efforts to have a proofing gallery delivered to you within 10-14 days of your shoot
Final retouched images are delivered within 2-3 weeks after you have submitted your selects
Ready to book your session? We require a 30% booking fee to hold your time and date. The balance will be due the day before your shoot. We accept all cards or PayPal. Deposits are transferable up to 1 year but are not refundable.
Have tight deadlines for your submission? No problem! We offer 48-hour rush retouching on a per image basis.
We are committed to creating excellent imagery that truly shows you at your best. We schedule each session with a 30 minute grace period beyond the allotted shooting time. If we agree that we need more time to ensure we achieve the best possible imagery for your photos, we are more than happy to extend a discounted rate of $189 for an additional 90 minutes of shooting time.
There is no stone left unturned here at our studio. We will NOT stop until we get the shot. We do not “capture” moments… we CREATE them! There are no accidents. No serendipity. We fabricate and manufacture every nuanced microscopic detail that goes into these photoshoots while retaining the unadulterated fiery passion you feel when you dance.
No two bodies are the same. Rachel has built, over 15 years of shooting dancers, a proprietary method of photographing and coaching dancers in their images. This method translates movement that works in a studio and on stage into the 2 dimensional format of an image or screen. We start off slowly, incorporating the skills you need to build shots, finding your lines for the camera from the bottom (literally) up. These adjustments needed for the camera often require a new muscle memory than what you're used to in the studio and on stage. We give you the safe space, and the time you need to build in these new body patterns so that you can comfortably let go and allow your energy, power, and poise to shine through. By the time this new way of working and muscle memory is set (usually about halfway through a shoot) the images start "popping" and the creative process becomes so fun and exciting.