Ballet is a type of performance dance that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. Ballet may also refer to a ballet dance, which consists of the choreography and music for a ballet production.
Brittany is a ballet teacher at Spotlight Dance Company. She has a true passion for dance and loves to choreograph for her students.
I was lucky to meet her back in December, when we planned a winter photoshoot. With weather not really cooperating, it ended up being more of a last minute test shoot. We just wanted to go out to random places and take shots of different poses.
She braved the northern winter weather, even with her muscles twitching in the cold. Still, at sunset, she didn’t give up. Minus 30 with the wind-chill and she was still determined of getting that last shot in front of science north before we called it a day. Walking out onto the bare ice in just her pointe shoes, skirt and sports bra, while I was able to sport the sexy long johns/winter parka combo. Crazy woman!
This started something new for the both of us. Myself growing up with parents who enjoy theatre, classical music and opera, showed me a part of the arts world most don’t truly get to enjoy. I may not be a good dancer (at all) but combining it with my passion for photography allowed me to be involved with it in some way.
For Brittany, the experience was a little different. She grew up dancing, but always had a love for ballet and the way it made her feel graceful and beautiful. So, being able to do a photoshoot of what she really loves was very special to her. It allowed me to capture her in her element and to be able to share the beauty of this fine art with followers. Seeing her reaction to our photos made it well worth the pain of the freezing temperatures of winter and scorching hot sun of summer. It makes me feel good knowing that she will always have these memories to look back on. It gives me a sense of confidence in these photos knowing what we created was a combination of both my love for photography and her love for ballet.
Here are 2 of the most popular from our first shoot.
To see more from this winter shoot, click here!
A few months later when Brittany and I took a day trip to the Cup and Saucer trail, we decided to do a couple more poses at the top. This was a little different considering how high up we were. It was also a little scary to tell you the truth. My knees felt like jello just watching her pose near the edge.
We also wanted to get a little creative by showing her movement through a tilt jump. I wanted to make sure you could see how high she was without losing the horizon, which would take away from where we actually were. After a few times jumping and testing angles, we finally nailed it. This GIF ended up being pretty damn cool!
Now with the trial and ‘just for fun’ shoots behind us, we started to concentrate on the big one we had been planning for so long! Our plan was to shoot different poses at a bunch of locations. At one point Brittany asked, “are we even in Sudbury” (we were in the Donovan). Seriously, how long has she been living here? haha
Brittany decided to be stupid in front of the camera… so… they get posted too! 😛
Aside from ballet photos, we also wanted to take something a little bit different. It was a step away from ballet, but still portrayed a sense of softness and elegance. Using a dried flower head piece (originally created by Near Nature Florals, for a photo session last year), a white lace dress, and a shallow secluded creek, we were able to create a fantasy/fairytale ambiance.
Hair by : Justin Fraser from Bella’s Hair Lounge
Saying stupid things often gave me this look….
She wasn’t too excited when I made her carry everything…
At the end of the day we were feeling extra creative – a levitation shot, for something completely different. Who knew Brittany had such special powers… 😉
There were a few more locations on our list, but by the end of the 12 hours we were pretty ‘hangry’. We needed Harvey’s! Well deserved and a good way to end off the day.
~ Mike and Brittany
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