Ballet Photography

Little girls want to be ballerinas. They face the ultimate challenge of dexterity, balance and concentration often before they've even mastered walking with grace. And still the desire to dance increases with every challenging practice that lies ahead. For the parent, time flies by so fast; the next thing you realize your precious little child is growing up with the gracefulness of a ballerina.

The photographic images by Rick Elias are about the young dancer’s desire to be a ballerina. An "impressionist" with a camera, he captures the ballerina in a way that is sensitive, graceful and full of life. Every image has masterful qualities of light, composition, perspective, color and realism. He believes the ballerina must show movement, creative style and emotion in the still photographic image. The ballerina is captured in preparation, interaction and ultimately in dance.

The ballet photo session will be at one of our special locations in LA or Orange County, selected for its beautiful windows, hardwood floors and soft, natural light. To maintain the highest standard of quality, each photo session is limited to 6 - 12 ballerinas. There is a ballerina dress code that is enforced for an authentic look. Each ballerina will be captured in 100 - 200 individual or group images in a 4-6 hour photo session. The photo session is easy and fun; the ballerinas describe it to be a very enjoyable experience. Requests with friends, personal outfits or costumes are encouraged at a designated time during the session. To register for a photo session you will be required to fill out a Ballet Portrait Sitting Agreement and sign a Model Release. Additional details for the sitting will be given to you after you register.

You can register by calling Elias Photography, at 562-696-6868, and we will discuss details for the next available Ballerina Photo session. You can also come into the Elias Art Gallery and Photography Studio at 6738 Greenleaf Avenue, in Whittier, CA.. Fresh flowers, location rental, tutu’s, film expenses, a dance instructor and the photographer's time is included with your sitting fee (inquire for pricing).

We are located in Whittier, California. The work on this web site is photographed locally. However, if you desire this type of photography for your group, arrangements can be made to work anywhere in the world.

Anyone can sign up for a ballet photography session. You can come in as an individual or bring your own group of friends. We even have a way for dance schools and dancewear shops to be involved; Just call for details!

Currently, we are working on our 2007 and 2008 Calendar images and a project we are calling "I Want to Be a Ballerina, Part II".