Ashkan Image is a dance photography studio in Houston. Over fifteen years the studio has photographed more than 800 audition sessions, along with portfolio work, editorial productions and company campaigns. Every session is built around line, timing and the dancer in front of the camera.
Dance photography sessions and pricing
Three sessions cover most of what dancers book. All of them take place at our Houston studio.
- Style-in-Motion, $1,950. Five hours and 25 final images, with wardrobe, a stylist, and hair and makeup included. The fully produced session, and the one most portfolio and campaign images come from.
- Creative Session, $1,350. Three and a half hours and 15 final images, with the same team on hand and up to six outfit changes.
- Build Your Own, from $190. One hour in the studio with one retouched image included, and additional images at $30 each. Where most audition and single-look sessions start.
Book Style-in-Motion Book Creative Session Book Build Your Own
Full details for each are on the sessions page.
Dance audition photographs
Companies, college programs and summer intensives ask for specific things: a clean background, set positions, full body as well as head and shoulders, and no heavy retouching. The point is for the panel to read your line, not your photographer’s style.
We photograph to the list you have been given, against plain backdrops, with enough positions covered in one sitting to fill a submission. Then we use the remaining time for images that show who you are as an artist.
Pricing and preparation notes are on the dance audition photography page, and the blog has tips for dance audition photos, including which backgrounds tend to be asked for.
Portfolio and editorial dance images
These are the images that go on a website, a company bio, a magazine page or a wall. Movement is photographed in sequence, with fabric, wardrobe from our in-house collection and lighting designed for each look. More of this work is in the portfolio, and selected pieces are available as fine art prints.
Dance companies and studios
Season campaigns, roster headshots, live performance coverage and promo video are planned as one production. See dance company photography for how those projects run.
The studio
Ashkan Image is at 1502 Sawyer St #108, inside the Silos at Sawyer Yards in Houston, with lighting, backdrops and a designer wardrobe on site. A live view monitor runs through every session, so you see each frame as it is taken and adjust while you are still in position.
Dancers from outside Houston
A good share of the dancers photographed here travel in. If you are coming from further out, say so when you book, so the day can be planned around your trip. There is a separate page for dancers coming from Dallas.
Questions dancers ask
How much does a dance photography session cost in Houston?
Sessions start at $190 for one hour with one retouched image. The Creative Session is $1,350 and Style-in-Motion is $1,950, both with wardrobe, styling, and hair and makeup included.
What should I bring?
Dancewear that shows your line, your shoes, and any requirements list from the program or company you are applying to. Wardrobe from the studio collection is included in the Creative Session and Style-in-Motion.
Is hair and makeup included?
It is included in the Creative Session and Style-in-Motion. For Build Your Own it is a $175 add-on.
Can I give a session as a gift?
Yes. Gift cards are available in set amounts or for a full session.
