Dancer/Model: Jonalyn Salzano

Indoor photo shoots are not my forte, so I rarely ever do them. But when certain situations call for it, like weather, I’ll resort to doing studio shoots (while restraining my small hatred for artificial lighting and lack of space).

I never come in knowing what I want to photograph. Everything is a surprise to me and that’s what I find exciting about dance photography. For every shoot that I do, I let the dancer(s) improvise first. I believe that improvisation brings out the kind of style the dancer(s) like. Once they become less aware of the camera and more comfortable with the space, I start photographing. When I see that they’ve stopped or lose inspiration, I give them new ideas. I believe that dance photography is just this; the combined work efforts of both the photographer and the dancer.

Jonalyn was someone who jumped right in when I asked her to improvise. She has a very unique movement style and it surprisingly fit with the space that we were in. She was someone who knew how to use every limb in her body and was aware of her lighting.

Here are some shots from the shoot I did awhile back. It’s still one of my favorites.

Saya Hishikawa_ Interview En L'air

Saya Hishikawa_Interview En L'air

Saya Hishikawa_Interview En L'air