City Foundry St. Louis Dance and Fitness Photoshoot | Shannon O'Keefe
Summer in St. Louis can be BRUTAL. Period. The humidity is through the roof and some days there isn’t a single cloud in the sky to block that harsh sun. As an outdoor photographer based in St. Louis, this can feel like a challenge. BUT… it really is all about finding those locations that you know will show up for my clients in the best way (think shady spots, a place to cool down, or even fully covered areas.) My dance and fitness session with Shannon was nothing short of empowering, creative, and all around fun. We had such a blast creating some simply stunning images during this City Foundry dance and fitness photoshoot!
Shannon is a well-rounded creative, let me tell you. This girl does it all. She dances, sings, teaches and practices yoga, is constantly curious about the movement of her body and how it translates, AND is a very talented makeup artist! For this session, we wanted to play with the simple and bold. I really felt connected to creating striking images that drew the eye straight to Shannon’s movement and expression. For me, that is always the goal. Dance and movement sessions are more than capturing an impressive dance shape (although, don’t we all love those types of images?) My work is all about connection, expression, AND the movement combined. To capture the essence of dance and all its complex glory. After all, that’s what dance is all about: the connection to an audience, even through a photo.
We explored the parking garage of City Foundry in Midtown St. Louis, which provided lots of design elements, sharp lines, and symmetry (these are a few of my favorite things!) We dove into finding some hybrid moments of dance and fitness, and dance with yoga...hello inversions! On top of finding balance, shapes, and teetering the edge until the camera’s shutter snaps, my clients are also finding ease, moments of float, sharp/staccato movements, and are constantly diving deep into the prompts I give them.
I adore working with such talented and wonderful creatives like Shannon for outdoor sessions as these. I am always blown away by their ability to create such beautiful images and how much trust they put into my process and direction. If you’re a dancer, yogi, fitness instructor, or creative looking to create beautiful imagery for social media, website, promotion for performances, classes, workshops, or products, I would love to work with you! Give me a holler.
