Dance

Welcome Package

Meet Your Photographer

Deanna O'Connor, owner of Deanna O'Connor Photography 
Hi, I'm Deanna.

I'm a Syracuse area photographer specializing in High School Senior Photography, Fine Art Dance Portraits, and Family Photography. I live locally with my husband and two children, where you can find me chasing after them with a camera in hand! Before pursuing photography, I was a 4th grade classroom teacher and dance instructor. I have had a deep rooted love for photography since childhood. In recent years, I have spent countless hours in numerous professional development courses, online workshops, and traveling to intensive photography retreats to hone my skills to capture the best moments of my clients’ lives. Taking pictures has been a passion of mine and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to document this important milestone for you!

What to expect

In this guide, we'll go over what you need to know to make the most out of your Fine Art Dance Session session, as well as provide information about the process. We want to make sure that the end result is a set of beautiful images that are an honest reflection of your Dancer. This guide will help you prepare for your upcoming session by providing details on choosing a location, styling tips, and what to expect during and after your session.

My goal for dance sessions is to take a fine art photography approach, which means I focus on capturing the true spirit and emotion of your dancer. You can expect some lightly posed images, some candid shots and images that involve movements. Being a dancer myself, I am familiar with the terminology needed to make your session a success!

After your session, I will be working hard behind the scenes to cull the best photos. Your gallery is typically ready within two to four weeks of your session. At that time we will meet via Google Meet to view the fully edited images and I’ll help you select the products for the package that you purchased. You will have the opportunity to add additional products at our meeting. Click here to learn more about what to expect at the purchasing appointment.

Before Your Session

Mini Session investment is $300. This includes your session fee, five digital images hand edited by me, and 20 minutes of shooting. At the time of booking, I’ll email you a contract and model release form to be signed and completed via email. It’s as simple as that! Please note that unedited images are not included in any package at any time. 

The Session Day

It's the day of your session! Please pack all your outfits, shoes, and accessories and meet at the designated meeting point. It’s very important that you try on all clothing, costumes, and shoes ahead of time - this includes making sure items are ironed and looking their best! Make sure to eat before the session (hungry subjects aren't happy subjects) and stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.

During the session, I will guide you through everything and show you poses and more. You don't have to be nervous! It's my job to make sure you have the best experience possible and capture you at your best. This is where we have fun, laugh, and get the best photos possible. Final payments are due at this time, I accept cash, credit, check or Venmo.

After Your Session

After your session, I will send you a few sneak peeks because I know you will be eager to see your images. My typical digital gallery turnaround time is 3-4 weeks, and I will keep in touch to inform you of the progress of your gallery. Once your gallery is ready, I will email you with the exciting news that it’s time to meet via Zoom to see your images and make selections for your packages! Click here to see samples of current product offerings.

PRICING

Dance Mini Sessions
A dancer sits on a stool in a white tutu fine art dance portrait

Every dance mini session includes:

  • a luxury boutique experience throughout the entire process

  • Links with costume ideas

  • 5 Digital images hand edited by me

  • Option to purchase additional artwork (float frame canvases, acrylic prints, albums & more) from my professional lab.

  • Cost $300

ADD ONS

à la carte

Prints

  • 5x7 - $15

  • 8x10 - $25

  • 11x14 - $30

  • 16x24 - $50

  • Wallets (8) - $35

Albums

  • 8x8 signature album with 20 images - $300, $15 per additional image

  • 10x10 signature album with 20 images - $700, $15 per additional image

Digital files

  • 1-10: $50 each

  • 11-20: $40 each

  • 21 plus: $30 each

Canvas

  • 8x10 - $150

  • 11x14 - $175

  • 16x24 - $300

Float Frame Canvas

  • 8x10 - $200

  • 11x14 - $225

  • 16x24 - $350

FAQs

What should I bring to my session? What should I wear?

This session is about you! My goal is to capture your personality and dance ability during our time together. You should bring costumes, dance clothes, tights, dance shoes and any make-up you might want for last minute touch ups. Please bring a parent/guardian/friend to the session with you to help with holding all of your outfits and accessories. We will have music playing while we take pictures and you can bring your favorite playlist to help you feel relaxed and comfortable. Here are a few links to some long skirts, tutus, etc. that photograph well - these are just suggestions - I’m always open to your ideas!

Should I get professional hair and makeup done?

I highly recommend it! It is not a must, by any means, but the impact that really well done hair and makeup has on your dance portraits is quite amazing! I have a few hair and makeup artists that I can recommend. One tip is to keep your makeup more of a matte finish for photos, shiny makeup catches the light.

How long does it take to get my photos?

You can expect your completed images to be ready for viewing within 2 to 4 weeks of your session date. We will meet via Google Meet to make selections on the products you would like, I’ll place the order through the professional lab that I use, and items should be to you within 4-6 weeks after we submit the order.

We are ready! How do we book?

To book your date I need a signed agreement, model release contract and the session fee of $300. Once booked, we will begin to organize every detail.

Do you offer a professional headshot?

Yes! I am happy to help with your dance headshot. This is included in all of the packages I offer since I know the importance of having this image for dance competitions, auditions and workshops.

Can we incorporate our favorite movements into the session?

Photo sessions should be fun! I will do everything I can to make it an enjoyable experience from start to finish! You can assure your Dancer that I give them very specific directions for posing so they are never left wondering what to do. Their comfort and confidence is my top priority during the session. That being said, I love when dancers come to a session with their favorite movements in mind - collaborating our ideas together will lead to amazing images! In addition to this, I offer a Google Meet call before your session so that we can "meet" ahead of time so on the day of your photo shoot you see a familiar face.

Thank you

get in touch

I hope this guide has helped to answer a few of the basic and most frequent questions you may have. I want to make your session experience something you will look back fondly on for years and years to come. At the end of the day, though, the location you choose and the outfits you select won’t matter nearly as much as the memories you make. Your future memories are the most important thing to me and I want your session to be a time for you to just be yourself and enjoy it! If you have any additional question, please feel free to contact me directly. I look forward to working with you!