Introducing Spokesmodel Hayden//Arizona Dance Photographer

THE INSPIRATION

We first met Hayden back in 2017 when she went flipping through her dance studio’s portraits. We were impressed with the power and control she demonstrated, but we were blown away by her resemblance to Wonder Woman. Her long brown hair, her eyes, her beautiful face, the fact that she can essentially fly…. Led to us inviting her in for this creative session that same summer…

We knew when she applied for our team that we wanted to take her dance and acrobatic skills out to the desert and see what we could create by combing our two art forms (and her power of flight!)

THE SESSION

“One more time, no wait, one more time, no wait… getting tired yet? I’m going to need you to do it again. Wow great jump, but I missed the apex… Again!”

The weather was beautiful, the location was quiet, and Hayden was as determined and energetic as ever performing leaps, leg lifts and hand stands over and over and over again so we could really nail the session. Her skirt lightly emphasized her movements as the sunset behind the mountain, highlighting her against a cloudless sky, creating images that made her look like she could fly.

THE REVIEW

“We first found Nakupenda at our dance studio. She took amazing pictures of our dancers. Her style stands out in every photo. She really thinks about what kind of style of photos would work great with your kids personality. Every session gets better and better from landscape to the style of the shoot. Her style is amazing!” -Machelle Ray

Need stunning sunset images of your talented dancer? E-mail us at katieharrison@nakupendaphotography.com to set up a date. Be sure to mention our spokesmodel when booking to receive this month’s special.

Introducing Spokesmodel Eli//An Arizona Dance Session

THE INSPIRATION

When 2019 started, we decided to focus on sessions designed around who the child is and what they love. It was only natural that we start with our 2019 Spokesmodel team.

Last fall we offered Dance Powder sessions for the first time ever resulting in one of my favorite images ever, starring this sweet girl. The power of her hair flip, her grin, her love for dance, all shining through in a single image. We wanted to take this passion out into nature to see what we could create.

THE SESSION

You might see a beautiful sunset and a sweet dancer in a gorgeous setting when you look at these pictures, but I see so much dedication, hard work and time captured here.

I see

.... a young girl crafting her skills in the world of dance. Passionate about what she does, putting in hours and sweat equity so she's strong enough to do an elbow stand ON ROCKS on a slant. 

... her dance studio OWNER who gave up a Friday night that she could have spent on so many many other things to spend it with a student and ensure that she is the best she can be (and to spot her on these ROCKS, that she's doing an elbow stand on)

.... all the years, late nights, practice, failures, successes working on my craft, building my business and trying to connect with amazing small business like Rhythm & Motion Dance Center and that studio owner who is dedicated enough to come and spot her student doing a elbow stand ON ROCKS. 

THE REVIEW

Capturing the talents of a young dancer in the uncontrolled environment of nature takes time, patience and focus. The unstable footing creates difficult balancing situations for the dancer and we are so impressed with how well Eli did on her feet.. or her elbows!

“I love how Nakupenda Photography captured her beauty, gracefulness, and innocence among breathtaking backdrops and tricky terrains” - Ali Batencourt

Want to see more of our creative sessions? Click here to check out a wildflower session from last year!