Flight Photos - What to Know

Chris Troiano offers two photography services for Flight Aerial and Pole Dancing - showcase photoshoots and private photoshoots. The information below is meant to aide the studio and its students in expectations for the two different types of photoshoots.

Showcase Photoshoots

For the semi-annual showcases, Chris offers his photography services to the studio on a volunteer basis, and does not collect payment from the studio for the photography. Chris provides three photos per act, regardless whether the act was performed on multiple days. Additional edits can be requested at a rate of $10 per additional photo.

A typical act is approximately 200 to 300 photos, and each showcase is over 6000 photos. To expedite photo review, each student or guardian is responsible for sifting through their or their child’s acts to select the photos Chris will edit. Chris will not perform this process. Unedited, low-resolution previews are typically available within one week to review.

Edits include color correction and basic touch ups. Backgrounds and floors will not be edited unless requested. Each photoshop request is an additional $5 per photo.

Free shoots are deprioritized against paid shoots and primary work obligations. Quality is the primary deliverable over expediency.

Photos not selected within one calendar year of the showcase will be permanently deleted.

Private Photoshoots

Private photoshoots are orchestrated at $300/hr for a minimum of two hours. The target photo rate is between 15 and 25 photos per hour of photoshoot. Chris will typically extend the shoot at no charge if the target photo deliverable rate has not been met due solely to technical challenges with off-camera flashes. Extensions for any other reason are charged at the same rate. Group size is limited to 5 people per hour. An assistant is included with the cost of the shoot.

Each client within the group is allowed 3 edits for each hour they participate in the shoot. Extra edits can be requested at a rate of $20 per photo. It is the client’s responsibility to pick which photos Chris will edit. Unedited, low-resolution previews are typically available within 48 hours to review.

Edits include color correction, detailed touch-ups, and edited backgrounds/floors.

Photos not selected for edits within one calendar year will be selected by Chris for editing. Chris reserves the right to permanently delete any unselected photos after one calendar year.

Showcase vs. Private - What’s the Difference?

Showcase photography is luck-based. Chris has no control over lighting or pose, so for every 250 photos captured, only a handful are usable. For private photoshoots, lighting and poses are fully controlled, and almost all photos are usable.

Showcase lighting is soft, but aerial motions are quick and require a high shutter speed to capture without blur. To compensate for the low light, the camera sensor’s sensitivity must be increased to a high level, which causes graininess in the photos. The graininess can be smoothed out, but detail is lost in the process. Private photoshoots use high-intensity lighting and motions are more controlled. Photos can be taken at a lower shutter speed at a low sensor sensitivity, causing little to no grain and no loss in photo quality.

Position and angle is also limited during showcases. To ensure minimal disruptions to the audience experience, most photos are taken from a single location, and lenses are often not swapped during acts, meaning each photo will look similar in composition. Private shoots do not have this limit, allowing for more dramatic angles and unique framing tailored to each pose.

Private photoshoots are more difficult on the client end, however. Positions that are typically achieved using momentum must be repeatedly held in a controlled manner, which causes muscles to fatigue more quickly than a performance. Parts of the body that may be gripped, rubbed, cinched, or pressed against are also done repeatedly and for longer durations. Proper conditioning is crucial to minimize discomfort in a private shoot.

Chris does not show bias towards either shoot type, and some of his favorite photos are from showcase shoots; however, because the showcase photos are done voluntarily, only so much time can be dedicated to those photos. This is why base edits are limited to composition, color correction, and only the basic touch-ups. Your patience and support are appreciated!