dance photographer

Rochester MN Portrait Photographer | Dance Photography

Rochester MN Dance Photography - Olivia

In an effort to avoid things this photographer SHOULD be doing, I decided to look through some older images for a few I thought would be particularly beautiful turned into paintings.  I'm just starting the long journey of learning to paint in Photoshop, and it's actually quite a bit harder than I thought it would be (of course!).  There are many tutorials and classes on-line that can help me master this, but I've started to play around a bit on my own...which is probably not the best idea.  There's nothing like learning how to do something, getting habits in place, and THEN learning the correct & more efficient way to do something, right?  :)  That's me...pretty much with most things I do, or at least it seems that way!  Then I get a case of old dog/new tricks...and I keep doing things the way I do them.  I probably shouldn't have admitted that, but there you have it.

Ballerina in white tryptic - Nicole Mills Photography

Olivia was a complete DREAM to photograph.  The beauty, grace, poise & elegance of a ballet dancer is just so inspiring when you're behind the camera.  It's funny, because when I photograph women & girls that aren't ballet dancers, I tell them, "soft hands...ballet hands" ALL THE TIME.  Needless to say, I don't think I had to say that to Olivia once.  She came in, put on her pointe shoes, and I just said, "do something graceful & beautiful."  Done.  :)  Really, photographing dancers takes quite a skill set, as a good dance photographer really needs to know proper positions, etc., which I do not, but honestly...I'm willing to learn, because just being around this beautiful ballet dancer made me want to learn about ballet.  I can't imagine the amount of hard work and dedication it takes to master this dance form.

I photographed Olivia before I opened my studio up in Pine Island, so she was photographed in my home studio, which sadly, only had seven foot ceilings.  When she was up on pointe, she wasn't able to put her arms in the air without hitting the rafters, so we were somewhat limited in our poses.  For that reason alone, I want to get this lovely girl up to Nicole Mills Photography in Pine Island to photograph her again, as I now have 15 ft ceilings...let's see how high she can jump! ;)

Here's one of my favorite images from Olivia's session.  The first image is obviously straight out of camera, the next is my original edit, and the image on the right is another attempt at doing a painterly edit (it's a work in progress!).

Nicole Mills Photography

Nicole Mills Photography

And here are some more images from Olivia's session. It was difficult to narrow down my favorites!

If you live in the Rochester, MN area, and have, or are a ballet dancer in the making, get in touch with Nicole Mills Photography.  A dance portrait session is a great way to create a lasting heirloom of this time...and this absolute beautiful dance form!

Nicole Mills Photography specializes in photographing girls and women of all ages. If you live in SE Minnesota and are looking for a photographer that is dedicated to her craft and will provide you the most amazing portraits you've ever seen of yourself, then please get in touch with Nicole Mills Photography to schedule your complimentary consultation.

Located in downtown Pine Island, the Nicole Mills Photography studio offers everything you need to make your portrait experience one to remember forever.  You'll find a full studio wardrobe to choose from, including beautiful gowns, casual separates, and even unique, custom designs created by Nicole for a one-of-a-kind portrait you and your family will treasure forever.  

Nicole Mills Photography offers fully stylized sessions both in her Pine Island studio and outdoors in Rochester, MN and surrounding areas. Whether you're looking for senior photographs, maternity, business head shots, or simply some beautiful images of you and/or your family, Nicole Mills Photography provides unparalleled service, quality of work, and unique artwork you'll want to hand down for generations to come.

Now serving: Rochester, Pine Island, Byron, Kasson, Mantorville, Oronoco, Stewartville, Zumbrota, Wanamingo, Eyota, St. Charles, Elgin, Plainview, and more.

Contact Nicole for all questions, inquiries and to schedule a complementary consultation.

Nicole Mills Photography