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My very first experience in the CrossFit world started in pain. A few weeks ago I went to fitness box Strasbourg for the first time to know a bit more about the discipline. I was fascinated by the engagement and will of each athlete. Yes, I use the word “athlete” even though a lot of the cross-fitters in this “box”, as they call it, aren't competitors and just come here to keep in shape. It's impressive to see how hard and how far they push their body during each session. What struck me was the solidarity and communion between all of them. They motivate and push each other to go beyond their limits. Damien Rillard (owner of this box) explained to me a brief history of this sport and answered kindly all my questions. The most important one: What is Crossfit? CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program using equipment from multiple disciplines, including barbells, dumbbells, gymnastics rings, pull-up bars, jump ropes, kettlebells, medicine balls, ply boxes, resistance bands, rowers, and various mats. CrossFit is focused on "constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movement," Its goal is to optimize physical competence in each of 10 recognized fitness domains: cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. As it's always hard to get around things in only a few minutes so he proposed to me something. Damien asked me to join one of their Workout of the Day (WOD). This was a good and a bad idea. It helped me understand a little bit more of what cross fitters go through during a WOD. But for a beginner like me, this was too intense. The result? I was paralyzed for a whole week after that. A few weeks later, when all my muscles were operational again, I knew exactly the type of look I wanted to develop with some of their trainers. I worked solo on this one and had to work light. I brought with me a Para 88 and a broncolor move 1200L for the job. I wasn't a big fan of the look of the “box” so I decided to darken most parts of the environment and keep only a few elements. Most of the time, I play with the surroundings and try to integrate my model into my scenery. It wasn't the goal here, the idea was simple, show typical CrossFit moves in action. So the focus was on the athlete and nothing else. Here is the result of my work with a classic simple one light set up for a dark dramatic look. I added the lighting setup and Infos of 3 different pictures just to give you an idea of how simple it is to achieve the same results. Big thanks to Fitness box Strasbourg and their trainers. Special thanks to Morgane Pedrini for putting us in contact and for initiating me to the Crossfit world. Shoutouts to the broncolor team, thank you for your support.

End of May, and strangely in my head, every year I believe sunny days are definitely here. This year was tough, because I'm basically an outdoor shooter, and so since I live in the northeastern side of France between November and April, it can be a huge challenge working outside. Snow, wind, rain, and low temperatures are amongst the few drawbacks that come along with living in that part of the country. I'm not complaining, because there are people dealing with weather conditions that are worst than mine, but even if I believe a lot could be done (artistically) with these weathers, try and convince dancers to pose and move and leotards in these conditions. So here I am, ready to go to Paris for a few photoshoots. One, in particular, was important for me because it was a little different from the things I usually do. Gautier Fayolle is a four-time World Freestyle Football Routine Champion, and we decided to combine our skills in Paris to create pictures in the style of my series originally dedicated to dancers: "Inmotion". We're all set and the shooting was planned for a Tuesday morning in the streets of Paris. Unfortunately, as the day arrived the weather started to dramatically change. Rain was on its way so I had to quickly find a last-minute location to shoot. Lucky for me my friends from the Museum of art and history we're able to welcome us once again for an entire morning. The setup was easy, I had to travel light and work with the minimum equipment. I worked that day with a 60 x 100 softbox, and a broncolor move 1200L. Like always, power was needed there to achieve that dark edgy look I usually crave for. We started outside because we had a bit of sun that morning. It was almost 10:30 am so the sun was getting up and hitting stronger ad the day unraveled. To pull out a dark look like in this picture I had to rely on my lighting. I pulled down my exposure to have the whole scene underexposed, and compensated with the flash to light my model. I often do this when I'm forced to shoot in mid-day. Sun is harsh and not ideally placed, so to pull down the ambient light and compensate for some unflattering hard shadows you can use artificial light. The broncolor move is perfect for this type of situation because of the power available inside this small unit. The Flash was hidden behind the left column and since it was on the side, it gave that almost "split" effect on Gautier. The flash duration of the Broncolor was set to a minimum in order to freeze the action. Although we can see a slight motion blur on the ball, Gautier is perfectly frozen in time. 5D mark III / 24 - 70mm mark II 2.8 ISO 160 F5,6 1/200 For this second picture, we were in full shade, which was easier technically for me to set up. The picture was easy to pull out because Gautier wasn't really in motion this time but just posing on the ball. In terms of light placement, I didn't have a dozen options. I wanted to use the door as a natural frame and the only way to light my scene without seeing the flash was to place it (again) behind the left or right column. Once we decided which pose we wanted, the left option was obvious. Canon 5D mark III / 24-70 mm mark II 2.8 ISO 160 F6,3 1/200 After this picture, it started raining! So we quickly moved inside to continue our session. I wanted to get close, and have sort of an unreal feel to my shot. So I used my wide-angle lens (16-35mm) and played with the distortion to achieve the look I wanted. First, my goal was to play with the distortion of the lines of the columns and the window, and 2nd the light was positioned to project Gautier's shadow against the wall. Timing was crucial because the movement was brief, but after a couple of tries, we nailed it. Canon 5D mark III / 16-35 mm 2.8 ISO 200 F7,1 1/200 I just placed the light to have the shadow visible on the wall and asked Gautier to perform his move in order to open the major part of his body towards the light. No ambient light was used here because the flash was giving it all. I used to do this with Speedlites but was limited by the output power. Here, thanks to the Broncolor move, I was able to try all sorts of scenarios. For the last image, I wanted to "cheat" a little bit. It is something I used to do in my early days in photography, and that I avoid doing today because I try to always do everything in-camera. It was nearly impossible to shoot Gautier in the middle of the chapel without having the flash in the way. So I decided to capture both individually. First, I photographed Gautier with the flash and softbox. The flash placed on his left side was used just to give him that little "pop". And I then took a second picture of the empty space and merged everything in Photoshop! Canon 5D mark III / 16-35mm 2.8 IS0 320 F3,2 1/100 I will never say it enough that, sometimes, one light is just enough. And here we were able once again to make great images with the minimum crew and equipment. I have to thank the museum of art and history for kindly welcoming us again. I also want to thank the Broncolor team in Paris for helping me out during this week. And last but not least thanks to Tom for assisting me at the very last minute.

Behind the scenes feat. Sarah Hochster I made this promise to myself last year, shoot more during summer... or at least try. Summer days are longer and, when avoiding the heat during the day, warm and beautiful sunrises and sunsets give nice settings for successful shootings. I was looking for a rooftop earlier this year but, unfortunately in Strasbourg, it is not a common thing. I needed something different for a new photoshoot with ballerina dancer Sarah Hochster. We have worked together in the past so I knew that this was going to be a great session. Thanks to my professional connections, I had the chance to get access to a rooftop on "la presqu'île Malraux", a building situated near the media library where we worked in last year . The sun was definitely there but we didn't have access before 9:00 AM which meant that we had to battle against him. To multiply our chances of success, I decided to bring a Broncolor move kit and a Para 88 with me. Sarah was ready, set to fight her fear of heights. The idea was to literally push her to the edge! Of course, we wouldn't want to put her in danger, but as usual, I wanted to do something different. We brought two dresses borrowed from the Opera National du Rhin for the occasion to emphasize her movements but we also used the traditional leotards. The sky was deep blue, but I usually prefer when the sky is filled with clouds. The sun was hitting hard and creating strong shadows, so the use of the move for most of the shoot was a no-brainer for better light control. A background slightly underexposed to make Sarah pop and to give that contrasted and saturated look I like. Here is a more in-depth look at my lighting setup for 2 selected pictures : Canon 5d Mark III 24 - 70mm 2.8 mark II 1/200 F20 ISO 160 Canon 5d Mark III 24 - 70mm 2.8 mark II 1/200 F20 ISO 100 The advantage of having a lighting system that can overpower the sun is simple. You can actually shoot at any time during the day. If you do not have the option, you don't need to search for a shade to avoid these unwanted dark shadows during the daytime. You can balance and control these shadows with your light and be at your best in any situation with your lighting system. Of course, you will need a powerful flash to do so, but these days, my clients rarely care about how the weather is doing on the day of the shoot. Down below you will find the full gallery from this session! Now, remember, take whatever gear you have, get out and shoot... It's the only way for you to learn. I would like to thank The connecting Place for welcoming us that morning. Thank you to my assistant Marlène Chancellier who also filmed this video. Special shout out to Broncolor for supporting my work.

How to shoot on an overcast day! Disclaimer: some of the images in this article were modified since there first publication! “InMotion” has been on for a year and a half now. My aim for this project was to meet new artists and it was not easy. I mainly shoot in Paris and Strasbourg but the project sent me to Stuttgart, New York, San Francisco, and now Montreal can be added to the list. It was my 4th trip to Montreal but the first time shooting there. When I went to New York, I traveled light and worked mainly with natural light. This time, in Montreal, I wanted to work with artificial light. I've been working with a single flash on location for a year now and developed a look I love for this series. Fortunately, the Broncolor team were kind enough to send me from their headquarter in Toronto, a "Move kit" with a Para 88. This was just enough for what I wanted to do during my stay. Our meeting was planned at the old port with professional dancer Vanesa Garcia. During our first week, the weather was random. Changing from bright sunny days to pouring rain in a few hours. That morning, we were lucky enough to only have an overcast day. While this would have bugged me a few years ago, I was confident because I had a "Move kit" with me that would still allow me to shape interesting visuals for my shoot. Just to give you an idea of how things unfolded, here is a little behind the scenes video : You may have noticed how dull and clouded our morning was at the beginning of the video. The sun slowly showed up but it came out a bit too late for my taste. We worked really fast that day, which led us to a lot of improvisation. Vanessa had so many ideas, this shoot could have lasted forever! The lack of an interesting light that day wasn't a problem. I was able to give interesting shadows to my picture with the Broncolor 1200 L and the Para 88. Placing my light between A 90 and 45 degrees angle to give depth and by adding contrast on my subject helped me get away with the ambient flat light. To emphasize the shapes and moves of Vanesa, and to give a dramatic look to my picture, I worked with a high more than the comfortable depth of field. The under-exposed background helped me boost my foreground and make Vanesa Stand out. Here are some details on 2 selected pictures : Canon 5D Mark III 24 - 70mm L mark II at 55mm ISO 100 - F9 - 1/200 Canon 5D mark III 24 - 70mm L mark II at 24mm ISO 100 - F13 - 1/200 We worked so fast that morning that we had an hour left to play some more. We decided to run away from the arriving sun to avoid working in harsh conditions. Since I had a powerful flash with me we could have worked something out ( see closer to the edge...) But we preferred changing location for a few shots indoors in a warehouse nearby. To summarize, this morning was really awesome. Vanesa blew me away, with her professional attitude and skills. Communication was so easy with her that, sometimes, I barely spoke to explain how I wanted to take my pictures. I really hope we will have the opportunity to work together again for another epic photoshoot.

Disclaimer, some of the following images were modified since their first publication. Since the beginning of this year, I wanted to step outside the dance world. My route led me towards circus artists, pole dancers, and crossfitters . I wondered if there were other athletes and sportsmen and women in my area. I quickly found out that there were amazing talents not too far from me. Priscilla is one of them. She is a fitness model, part of Team France IFBB and she has won several competitions like the 1st place during the France IFBB Bikini 2013, 1st at the Universe championships WPF Bikini 2012 and at the European Championships WPF Bikini 2012, just to name a few. With this impressive background, I had the opportunity to make my first step in the fitness world. A unique chance to explore a bit more about these men and women shaping their bodies and boosting their performances. I wanted a simple theme for this first meeting, only a few pictures of her exercising outdoors. I wanted to avoid being in a gym for my first one, because my session with crossfitters, a few weeks back , was made indoor. I didn't want to go too crazy on the ideas as this was my first time working with a fitness model. We met on the German side of the Jardin des 2 rives for a shoot that started at 7pm. This gave us time to set up properly and discuss the type of pictures I wanted. Once we were all set, the photo shoot started... we we're less than 2 hours from sunset, just enough time to make a few grabs with the benefit of having the wonderful light of the golden hour. Let me share with you some info and lighting diagrams on 2 selected pictures : Canon 5D Mark III 85mm 1.8 ISO100 - F8 - 1/80 A simple Portrait shot with Priscilla with her back slightly going in the opposite direction of the flash, which is placed at an angle of 45 degrees to the left of the camera. The sun is hitting her back to make a slight rim light and helps her stand out from the background. I wanted to emphasize Priscilla's posture and separate her from the rest. Canon 5D mark III 50mm 1.4 ISO100 - F6.3 - 1/60 Here we used the sun as a sidelight. It's hitting her on the back left and we placed the Para 88 almost on the opposite side. The idea was to use the sun as a secondary “natural strobe”. The aim of this final image was to keep the ambient light and have a natural feel. We managed to wrap up on time, but I felt we could have done much more together. We surely will meet again for something a bit more original and exciting. This first session gave me a bunch of ideas. This was only my first step in the fitness world. I can't wait to make the second.

I am an emotive guy! I don't look like that but I can assure you that social media drove me nuts back in the day. I shyly started posting pictures in early 2010. I didn't really understand what I was doing on social media. I felt so bad when people didn't respond to my posts, and really pissed when I had negative feedback. After all, what was I doing there? Boosting my ego with more "likes"? I didn't have a clue of what it could really bring me and how I can use it as a tool to communicate my work and get in touch with other artists and future clients. I would love to say that I was too young at the time, but I was already truly a grown-up man. I guess I was simply lacking maturity. Apart from reacting negatively, I made a lot of mistakes when I launched my website, my youtube channel for my behind-the-scenes videos, and my Facebook and Twitter page. Here are a few tips for you who want to start out in photography whether you're an amateur or a starting professional regarding your work on the web. 1/ Want a website? Make it simple. Your website has to be easy to navigate. I discovered that nobody liked my website because people had to click through multiple pages before getting to the content. Make it clean, clear, simple... Get to the point and if your 5-year-old nephew is lost while traveling in it, there is something wrong. 2/ Only share your best work. No need to be the latest. Today, people tend to produce more and more images of poor quality instead of creating pictures that will stand through time. Quantity never equaled quality. If you have 30 crappy pictures you may miss a client who will choose a guy who put out only 5 excellent ones in the same domain on his website. 3/ If you have a blog, blog regularly! (Something I'm still working on) Chose a particular day for your posts, this will push your audience to come back regularly because they will be sure they will find fresh content on your blog. 4/ Choose only social media you feel comfortable with. Facebook, Google + and 500px, and Twitter were my favorite platforms to share my work. The problem was that when I started, I only posted content on Facebook erratically. Like point number 2/, share your best work there even though you will probably share more on Facebook than on your website. During my first 3 years of activity, I complained about not having any feedback and followers on Google +, 500px, and Twitter but, oddly, I didn't share anything there. It didn't take me long to understand the issue. If you feel that you only want to work with Facebook, stick with it. Don't complicate your life with new platforms if you're not willing to invest some time in them. 5/ Don't be afraid to share your pictures. With or without a logo. It's up to you to decide if you want your logo on your pictures or not for branding. If you do it to prevent theft... well there is nothing out there that can prevent anyone from removing it unless you write your name all across the picture. It's part of the game to accept it. Unfortunately, for us, we've got to live with it and cannot avoid being on the web for the sake of the success of our business. It doesn't cost much and is a great tool for your audience and future clients to communicate with you and keep in touch with your work. 6/ like you may have guessed with numbers 4/ and 5/, social media are important. But don't just share, and post links. Interact with your followers, ask questions, answer questions... It cannot work if it's a one-way conversation. To sum it up, communicate with your audience when possible. Make this task fun and take 30 minutes every day to keep your blog and pages alive. 7/ Share backstage pictures, if you can make a behind-the-scenes video, it's great! People love to see what it takes to make great images. Show the process behind your work, scouting, sketching, setting up, shooting, retouching... Share your stories, show the world it's not just pointing, and shooting! My first behind the scenes video : 8/ Share your knowledge! I truly think it's part of the job. I first was afraid to do it, afraid that other photographers would steal my style and my job. You should never think this way. I've learned so much from watching Aaron Nace's video on Phlearn . Competition is healthy. Do not forget your toughest opponent is yourself. Someone is trying to follow footsteps? steps? Be happy that you let a fellow photographer improve and show him you're still the one he will look up to. There are so many awesome photographers out there and being unique these days is a tough challenge. 9/ You have to be organized because if you read alone my suggestions from 4/ to 8/ you can easily spend your week constantly connected on your blog and on social media. Try to plan your blog post when possible and post on chosen days. Give an hour (and only an hour) to social media alone every day interacting with people that follow your work. When you know you have a specific time slot dedicated to a specific task during the day, you will slowly eliminate this habit of checking your notifications every 30 minutes on your phone or laptop. This will really help you be much more efficient on the web and save some time for other important tasks. 10/ Last tip, will be simple: stay yourself. Don't fake it, be true to your audience. Find your own style in your photography and develop what you like and what you feel comfortable in. If you force yourself to do it, it will never work, you will feel you're wasting your time and nobody will follow your journey feeling you're not into it. These are 10 simple tips, and some of them might sound obvious to some of you. But even me, sometimes, I tend to forget to apply some of them. So A little reminder never hurts. I will share more of these in a near future. Until then, take your camera out for a ride!

I've been to Montréal a few times now, but I guess that the fact of having lived there when I was a child helped a lot. A little part of my childhood was spent in Winnipeg and I will not thank my parents enough for giving me one of the happiest memories of my youth. So I know a little bit about the country and visited a few cities back then and ever since. It was my 4th time in Quebec this year, but my first as a photographer. I love Montréal and knew there would be a lot of places to shoot for my dancers. After my first shoot at the old port with Vanesa , I wanted to realize a long-time dream: Shoot over Montréal, from the belvedere in Parc Mont-Royal. I knew this wasn't going to be easy because the park is one of the most popular touristic places in the city, and you may have noticed that I rarely include tourists in my shots. So we didn't have a lot of options. We had to be there early. Eva isn't really a morning person so I had to find the right arguments to change her mind. Luckily she accepted to join me up there at 5:30 am. Believe it or not, we were surprised to see people already up there at such an early time. I had forgotten that the sunrise was so beautiful, and that easily explained the small crowd. This didn't prevent us from following our plan and the photoshoot went smoothly. Mornings were really fresh that week, that's why we had to cover up Eva between shots. She was crazy enough to accept to stand and even proposed to do a split on the edge of the belvedere. With the help of my precious assistant Marlène we managed to reassure Eva. We managed to wrap up our photoshoot way before noon which gave us the opportunity to finish our night! Here is a few additional info on 3 of my pictures : Canon 5D Mark III 24 - 70 mm mark II at 24mm ISO100 F10 1/200 Same settings! The first 2 were the scariest ones for me. Knowing that she could easily fall back and really injure herself. I didn't have to take a lot of pictures even though she assured us that she was steady on her feet, she nailed it the first time. Having her standing allowed me to have much more of the city on the first one compared to the 2nd. The problem on the 2nd is that I wanted her bottom foot to show and her face looked better backward when shot at a low angle. I had to sacrifice a part of the city that appears less present in the background. The strobe is placed on the left side of the camera on the 1st picture and on the right on the 2nd one. The sun acts like a natural backlight placed on the back left side. Canon 5D mark III 24 - 70 mm mark II ISO100 F6.3 1/200 This 3rd picture was particular. I really wanted to shoot it with this angle. The problem was the shadows on her body created by the tree. I didn't want them on the pictures and the only way for me to get rid of them on location was to overpower the sun. This is when the Broncolor move comes in handy. It had no problem "masking" these nasty shadows. These moments are the reasons why I love what I do. A beautiful morning, working with friends, and a wonderfully talented professional dancer, who trusts me even on the ledge. This photoshoot was made easy thanks to Dave Lemieux from Broncolor Canada and photo service Montreal. Special thanks to Xavier who drove me and Marlène up there. Special thanks to the Broncolor team worldwide for their support. Next stop... Back in my hometown: Strasbourg.

Yes, a year has past since I made the following pictures, and for those of you who have been following my work, you know how much the project "InMotion" has evolved. I will regularly make a throwback type of post, sharing works made before I ever had a website. We will then be able to see much more clearly the evolution of this project. For this first one, let me talk about this funny meeting with Savannah Lee in New York. A part of my job I love the most... Travel! This was my very first shoot outside Europe. And of course my first one in New York. I was very excited about the perspective of setting up a few dance shoots there. This first one almost never happened as Savannah got a little bit scared the day of our Rendez-Vous and almost canceled last minute. I can understand, I didn't have a lot of content to show back then and I'm kind of a scary guy... Ha, Ha, (just kidding !) of course she doesn't know me and nobody does there, so I totally understand. Lucky for me she decided to call me on my temporary US number and I managed to convince her to join me and my wife Marlène at the foot of the Williamsburgh bridge. I'm really happy we finally met because it would have been an awful premiere for me. When she arrived, we were extremely late on our schedule. It took her 5 minutes to discover that I was professional... and a nice guy. The sun was hitting harder and harder as we got closer to noon, but this didn't stop us from making cool pictures! Thank you so much again Savannah for this wonderful session, I hope you had as much fun as I had.

My image of Mamson is in the Broncolor Catalog!

The title says it all, how did I find my first models for my series "InMotion"? Quick tips based on my personal experience that may help you, if you're starting out as a dance photographer. You may know it by now, "inMotion" is now a series dedicated to performers from athletes to dancers. But when I started, it was heavily dance-oriented. Like a lot of beginners, I had one major problem back then... How do I find models, artists to start building a consistent portfolio. Indeed, you need a strong portfolio if you want to seduce brands, companies, or top world-class artists to work with you. I just couldn't proclaim myself as a dance photographer because my only experience was the cover of hip-hop dance competitions. So, without any images illustrating the direction of my project and the quality of my work, it was hard to convince anyone to hire me. So you guessed it, your first pictures will be TFP (time for print) collaborations and this is maybe one of the most difficult things to do when you start: convince people to pose for you... for free! Of course, they will have your picture in exchange, but you will have to persuade people that the quality of your photos is worth as much as their time. So the first step was a huge one, especially when I needed to explore other dance styles. So how did I do it? Where did I find the first dancers of the series? Here are some tips on how to start to find your first models. "Making of" feat. in Montréal. I'm from Strasbourg, so no need to hunt for ballerinas abroad. I searched locally. Like a lot of photographers, I wanted to work with the best artists, but when you start you can't expect superstars to work with you for a simple reason: you're nobody! Yes, that's how it works. They also want to work with the best photographers, so you've got to show them how strong your work is and how it can benefit their career. The first thing that I've regretted doing, and a lot of people do, was approaching artists on social media (Facebook and Twitter for example). I know that It can be tempting, and it happens that a primary ballerina lives next door and you managed to find her Facebook page. Some still find this method intrusive and unprofessional especially if you're a newbie. Get out of social media and search for dancing schools and local companies instead. Pick up your phone and meet the artists where they are. I met my first dancers in a local dance school. I attended a rehearsal and ask for authorization to make a few pictures for a personal project. At the end of the class, I met several artists and asked them to work with me. Attend shows & competitions and you might meet people interested in your project. Go out and talk about your projects to the people that surround you. You never know who can give you a helping hand. Keep in mind that you will likely have more chances to reach someone who is interested in your project in small companies or dance schools in your area. Why? They don't have the budget for an experienced photographer, and you're willing to make sacrifices to enrich your portfolio. The web is an awesome tool! Search for dance networks ( networkdance.com ) and blogs. Facebook groups are more efficient than personal messages. Instead of reaching out to dancers directly on Facebook, find groups that were created to facilitate contacts between dancers and photographers. There's a lot of them out there. Don't expect to meet exceptional world-class dancers (although you might be surprised ), but you still can meet young talented artists searching for their first shoots. You can also make some searches on networkdance.com. Once you've found an interesting profile in your area, look at the dancer's resume and write down the name of his(her) company. Give a try to Model Mayhem ! I've met my first dance collaboration in New York there. My first dance shoot in New York City with Savannah Lee Something that bugs me on Facebook groups is the unclear and vague demands. In your messages, go straight to the point, explain exactly what you're looking for with a maximum of details. Give information on where, when, how, why, and precisely the most important thing: It's a "time for print" shoot (TFP) do not forget it! Big arguments in Facebook groups start when people do not specify it's a TFP collaboration. No need for you to make enemies. Also, you will boost your chance of success by knowing what you want. This will show others that you're serious about your craft. I used to send a lot of emails and messages. Don't take it personally when people do not answer you. Don't give up and don't be afraid to insist (politely). It takes time to find the right contact for a dance school. Some receive hundreds of emails every day so yours could finish in the trash very easily. I've always wanted to work with the Opera National Du Rhin in my hometown and never knew how to reach out to them. After several calls, messages, and a lot of patience (about 9 months), I finally got to meet someone to talk to. They finally contacted me this year to officially work with them. Sarah Hochster Dancer at the Opera National du Rhin in 2014 To give a boost to their work on social media some will not hesitate and hire dancers. I had no money at the time so this never was an option. But even if you have a lot of money, most of them will ask you for samples of your work and your resume. Their public image is important, they only want to work with the best. Without a strong portfolio, your chances are weak to convince them to pose for you. This is not something I would recommend at first, but if you do want to consider this option choose carefully the dancer. Depending on your budget, it has to be worth it! Of course, this is temporary! Add to this the few tips on how to share your content on the web, and your name will slowly make its way into the community. People will look up to you, and might slowly consider working with a now experienced dance photographer. Once you will have gained some experience, and once you've built a solid portfolio, you will get to the next step... looking for clients. You will slowly be able to work with more experienced dancers and, who knows, you may quickly be spotted by a dance company or brand who will want your skills on their next campaign. Vanesa Garcia 1st Solist - Grands ballets canadiens de Montréal So what do you think? Did you find my experience helpful? Or maybe you have your own tips to share? Tell me and I'll be glad to hear from you. "Making of" feat. Bridgett Zehr in London

New playground! Behind the scenes video I promise this is not deliberate. For the third time, I'm setting up a photoshoot in a library. After the Media library Andre Malraux in Strasbourg, and the Stadtbibliothek in Stuttgart, we were granted access to the National and University Library of Strasbourg. The building, which is a work of architects August Hartel and Skjold Neckelmann, was opened in 1895 and renovated last year. It holds the second largest collection in France and is a magnificent historical monument. I never thought I would be able to do anything inside this building until a few weeks ago. After submitting a few projects during a year, I finally got a positive answer. The mission wasn't easy as I was asked to combine architecture elements and artistic performances. Something I shouldn't be afraid of since It's the core of what I've been doing with the series "InMotion". But I couldn't help finding it a bit more challenging than usual as the architecture of the building is somehow disconcerting with its mix of modern and old structures and volumes. After a quick walk through the building, I decided to break it into three short sessions with 6 different artists. Fanny and Noémie George, two ex gymnasts and dancers, Anastasia Skukhtorova a pole dance champion for some "off pole" work, Paul Herzfeld and Nhật-Nam Lê, two amazing Chinese pole performers and Sandra Ehrensperger a ballet dancer from The Opera du Rhin. It's an amazing lineup in an amazing place... My main concern was for the 2 circus artists. The library has one of the most beautiful staircases I've ever seen. And what I wanted to do was to bring a 16 feet tall Chinese pole in the center of it. At first, I had to convince the library to let us do so. The pole is safe and easy to install but, when you're not used to this type of material, I can understand that people can be afraid of it. Somehow we managed to convince them. Then came up the installation, we had to be really careful to not hurt anyone, but also to not break anything inside! Fortunately, the setup was smooth and quick... We're all set to have the fun of our lives in an incredible setting. Some info on the tools used during these 3 sessions : Broncolor move kit Para 88 Canon 5D Mark III Thanks to the whole staff of the National and University Library of Strasbourg. Thanks to all the dancers and performers for their art and passion. Thanks to Marlène for the Behind-the-scenes video, and a special shoutout to the Broncolor team for their support. Down below are the resulting galleries : Sandra Ehrensperger Fanny & Noémie George Nhât & Paul