ballet application photos editing

[Turtlepyjamas]

My 14 year old daughter recently had dance photos taken which are great except you can see her nipples through the leotard fabric. I think this makes them unusable for applications as she is obviously legally a child. Is it demanding of me to ask the photographer to please edit them out? The photos were expensive so I assumed that the photographer (specialist) would have done this without me having to request.

100% ask

Yes it's totally fine to ask for this to be done. They should not edit the photos to improve the leg line etc, and any dance photographer would say no to that, but this is entirely different and is very much a reasonable ask.

Why on earth did you pay a photographer? Fair enough if you wanted a nice photo in a frame you could put on your wall but for applications then a simple photo on an iphone or similar (bonus points if the teacher can be present to help with alignment) is quite sufficient and often turn out better than professional ones.

But yes, you can ask the photographer to edit them out and perhaps for the future look at what underwear your daughter is wearing. (I've seem WAY too many camel toe photos over the years for my liking)

Agree with @Comefromaway about this, if the photos are to be used for audition applications then professional photos are not needed at all. Much better to take them yourself on your phone with the dance teacher's help to ensure the correct alignment and position.

Also assuming it’s for vocational school or summer school applications they all tend to want different poses and sometimes specify timeframes the photos need to have been taken in.

Thanks all, the photographer has sorted this out now so I’m glad I asked. We chose to get professional photos as her dance teacher is unwell at the moment.

My daughters photos were taken in our kitchen on my iPhone 4

@Comefromaway yes I agree it’s not essential to get dance photos done professionally, but it’s clear that most successful applicants now do so whereas a decade ago this wasn’t the case at all.

No, most successful applicants don’t.

Most applicants are offered a place at audition if they are of a high enough standard of training, and that won't be anything to do with whether the photos were professionally taken or not. To be successful at the audition and be offered a place - well, that's another matter altogether. During an audition, they are not looking at the application, they are looking at the dancer in front of them.

The only time application photos really matter is if you are applying for a place at RBS summer school, and those absolutely have to show the dancer's best lines, and you definitely need the dance teacher's input to get those photos right. RBS will not be looking at the 'professional photographer' quality of the photographs, they will be looking at the dancer in them.

It's not just RBS that "pre-select" by the photos as far as I remember, other big names do it too, but I agree there is no need for professional photos.

But it is RBS that has thousands of applications for a hundred or so summer school places. That's why I mentioned that one in particular.

Elmhurst took Dd for summer school based on the aforementioned kitchen iPhone photos.

dds photos for upper school were taken at the dance school she attended at the time in a corridor!