dancer — Blog — Jesse Hsu Photography

One of my most memorable shoots in 2015 was with Monica Hogan, a fellow Duke alum and talented dancer (www.mhdanceworks.com). Our shoot was memorable because of the different locations and poses she provided - we started out with street art in Queens, yoga poses in the park, risking our lives on slippery rocks under the bridge, warming up with jumping poses, dance poses in her studio, and then finished with some glam retro looks at a neighborhood speakeasy.

That's what lifestyle photography is all about to me: documenting the different sides and personalities of an individual in various settings.

Thanks Monica for being patient and creative. Can't wait to create with you again!

I remember being super nervous because it was one of my first portrait sessions. It was August 2015 and I had just purchased a Sony A7s and wanted to practice some high shutter action shots of Jen, my friend and dancer extraordinaire.

A million questions paralyzed me before the shoot began:

"How do I pose her without being awkward?"

"How do i tell her what I want if I don't even know what I want?"

"Will I be able to get some usable shots? I'm so new to photography."

All that worrying disappeared when we met up. Jen was super chill and put me at ease as we fell into a comfortable rhythm. We started shooting near the pier on the West Side and then found an alley in Tribeca with gorgeous cobblestone streets and brick walls.

She didn't even need me to guide her as she nonchalantly hit pose after pose like a pro and continually improvised her movements based on the environment. I remember her spotting a window in an alley and two seconds later, she had climbed up the ledge and stretched out her leg in one fluid movement.

"Take my picture."

The combination of rain showers and the waning sun resulted in some moody shots - still some of my favorite shots to this day.