Pro Aerial Photo Shoot

The first Upside professional photo shoot in October with was a big success and produced some stunning images for our aerialists, so we are offering another one! Upside photographer, Hal Schnee, will set up his professional lighting equipment to turn our aerial studio into a photo studio. Check out some of the amazing images from our last photo shoot:

Why pay for an aerial photo shoot? (Or ask for one as a holiday or birthday gift!!)

When Hal takes photos at community events or during Showcase rehearsals, the results are somewhat random -- it's hard to capture the perfect moment and the best pose. The performer often has their back to the camera or is close to the ugly ceiling, and there is no time to try it again. And if you don't perform in a Showcase or at a community event, you miss out on pictures entirely. These photo sessions will give us 20 minutes to unleash our creativity. We can capture your favorite poses in your favorite costumes, utilize props, optimize lighting, and even try more unique angles and compositions that go beyond full-length portraits. With fewer performers, Hal will also be able to do more editing to optimize each image individually. As an aerialist himself, Hal has a good understanding of what looks good on an apparatus and how to turn even a simple pose into a great image.

What is the cost? What will I receive?

Aerial photo sessions typically cost $200-350, and only provide you with 5-6 images.  For $150, Hal will provide you at least 10 edited photos, in both small versions for sharing on social media and full-resolution for printing. Use them as you wish: to promote yourself as an aerialist, display on the wall, or make gifts for friends and family. You can get photos in multiple costumes and on multiple apparatuses. An Upside instructor will be present to rotate you in the air for the best angles.

How do I book my photo shoot?

Only 6 slots are available between 3:15 and 5:15pm on Saturday January 3rd, so don't wait to book your time slot here: https://www.upsideaerial.com/service-page/aerial-photo-session

You don't need to RSVP to this event - this is just an information page. You'll confirm your time slot and pay using the link above. In order to utilize your full 20 minute time slot for photos (and trust us, it goes FAST!), plan to arrive 20 MINUTES before your scheduled time slot in costume with your makeup done for a full warm up. Photo shoots required long pose holds, and this can be surprisingly physically challenging - so for safety reasons, your photo shoot can only begin after you are fully warmed up.

How do I prepare for my photo shoot?

• Start brainstorming ideas for poses, perspective, and mood - whatever you hope to get from the pictures - and we will do our best to make it happen! You'll enter this information at the booking link above to help you and Hal prepare for your photo shoot.

• Start planning your costumes, props, hair, and makeup:

  • We suggest no more than 3 different combinations of costumes and apparatuses to maximize the time we spend taking pictures.  

  • If you wear black or grey, your costume may blend into the background. This is not inherently a problem, but be aware of it as you choose your costume(s).

  • If you have long hair and wear it down, it may obscure your face when you're inverted. It may also make it difficult to darken the background and make it look natural. Again, this is not inherently a problem, but just another thing to be aware of when choosing how to style your hair.

• Schedule at least one Open Studio photo shoot prep session. Practicing holding all your poses for at least 20 seconds. You'll be surprised at the stamina this takes! We can still get great photos of a hard skill that you can't hold for that long, but holding for longer gives us more opportunities to capture the perfect angle and expression.

• Remember to have fun! We are here to play and be creative. You are giving yourself a gift, and deserve to enjoy it!