Amber Pickens at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival

Amber and I met at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival last summer, while I was the photography intern and she was a participant in the Contemporary Dance Program. She was also the recipient of the Lorna Strassler award, a Jacob’s Pillow student scholarship, and is currently a senior in the The Juilliard School’s B.F.A. Program. It’s clear to me that she is going to go far in this world!

Amber Pickens at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival

What struck me most while I was photographing Amber was her strength. Not her physical strength, but her strength as a woman and as a person. Each one of her movements was so powerful and emotional. Each pose told a little piece of her story. And that is what I think makes a great dancer.

Amber Pickens at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival

When I photograph dancers during creative sessions like these, I rely on their creativity to bring the images to life. I try not to dictate the poses they do and instead help them find inspiration from their surroundings or give them vague ideas to go off of. In this way the images become a portrait of themselves as a dancer and a person. They show their imagination and personality through their own medium of expression and I capture it through mine.

Amber Pickens at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival

If you are looking engaging dance portraits of you or your company, contact me at [email protected]. I would love to help tell your story through dance and photography.