What's the deal with audition photos?

My most recent headshot, taken July 2016

Are you auditioning for a company or summer course that requests audition photos?  Some smaller programs don't need photos, but larger schools and companies that expect a huge group at the audition usually require dancers to bring a portfolio of audition photos.  The photos will help the directors remember you as they consider who to hire or invite to the program.

Most auditions that ask for photos will want a headshot and a body shot.  For ballet, the body shot must show you in first arabesque.  Other dance styles may ask for a standing body shot or a photo of you in a dance pose. 

You do not have to get professional photos taken, but it is important for you to use high quality images with simple backgrounds so you are the focus.  Your dance school is a great place to take photos if it has plain-colored walls.  Other decent places are at home in front of a plain wall or garage door, or outside in front of a stone or brick building.  Avoid locations with lots of color, trees, cars, or other distractions.  Have a parent or friend take some shots for you with a camera or even a smartphone.

Wear appropriate dancewear for your photos.  For a ballet school portfolio, ladies must wear black leotards, pink tights, and pointe shoes (if en pointe--flat shoes are ok for students not yet en pointe).  Men should wear white shirts, black tights and black or white shoes (white socks are optional with black shoes, but required with white shoes).  If the shots are for a ballet company audition or another style of dance, you can play with your outfit a bit.  However, stick to solid colors and wear mostly black or white. 

For headshots, get a photo from the shoulders up.  It can be head on or at a slight angle if you have a better side.  It's fine to see the straps of a plain leotard or the collar of a solid-colored shirt in your headshots, or ladies can sag their straps off the shoulders and men can pose shirtless for a headshot with no visible clothing (this is usually considered more professional).

Ladies should wear their hair pulled back for headshots and choose minimal hair accessories.  It can be ok to wear one accessory (like a small hair flower) and wear the same one on the day of the audition to draw a connection between you and your picture.

Smile in your photos, but don't crumple up your face.  If you smile too hard, it may not look like your "relaxed" face anymore.  Practice smiling in the mirror to make sure you are happy with how your face looks.  Practice posing as well, and know what poses you need to get pictures of before you have your shoot.

If you usually wear makeup, do light makeup for your photos. (It's also ok to go makeup free if that's your thing.)  Foundation, mascara, blush, and neutral lipstick are enough.  You need to look like yourself.  While it can be fun to glam it up with contour and eyeliner, these makeup items change your look the most.  The goal is for the directors at the audition to see your headshot and immediately be able to make a connection to how you look in real life.

After you have your pictures in digital form, you can enhance them slightly with photo editing software like Microsoft Photo Editor or Adobe Photoshop.  Some enhancing will give you better quality shots, but too much can lead to disaster.  I recommend using the autocorrect feature to correct lighting.  Always correct redeye if it's a problem.  If you wish, you can use a blurring tool to erase things like acne and toe pads sticking out of shoes.  (Note: If the camera you use has a "soft skin" feature, it's totally fine to use it.  This will make any acne or uneven skin texture not show up in the photos.)

Never edit a photo in a way that changes your dance technique (makes your leg higher, etc.) or the way you look (eye color, hair color, etc.).  Again, this goes back to having your photos look like you really look.    Never use a filter on  your photos (such as the filters on Instagram), and don't turn them to black and white unless it is specifically requested.

Print your photos out on glossy photo paper or order prints from a service like the photo center at Walgreens.  Make sure you leave enough time for this-- printers can run out of ink and services can take a few days if they have a lot of orders.

Take photos annually.  It's not professional to present a portfolio that's more than a year old.  Children may need to take photos more often to keep up with their growth, and it's a good idea to get a new set taken if you have a major change to your appearance like changing your hair color. 

Have a few shots ready at all times in case you make a last minute decision to attend an audition.  High quality photos make a big impact in helping you look professional and put together at your auditions!