Experienced, Creative, Competent, Caring, and Fun

Meet Rod Oman. Rod is your main guy for all things photography and will adapt to your style and marketing needs.  Rod is a seven time Twin Cities Photographer of the Year award winner and Master Certified Craftsman with the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and has a decade of experience in working with dance schools.  Rod and his wife Stephanie have owned The Imagery portrait photography studio 25 years, and their experience with individual portraiture makes it possible for them to not only help with Dance Picture Day, but allows them to offer additional services for your marketing and display of your most advanced students. (see "Fifth Position" bonuses!). Still, we aren't too large that we can't work with each individual school in a customized manner. We currently serve seven different dance schools throughout the metro area of the Twin Cities, in addition to gymnastics, skate and cheer.

Stephanie Oman, co-owner, and "Master Poser" on Photo Day, handles the communication with the Dance school for customizing their experience, preparation leading up to Picture Day (hand-outs, emails, video preparation material), answering any remaining questions that parents might have on Picture Day, and after Picture Day, her eyes are the last ones to see every order before it leaves the Imagery. You might say she is your right hand woman in making it through logistics and the first person that your parents will come in contact with for all their ordering needs.

If additional photographers are needed for a school's picture day (and it all depends on your independent set-up) they are on our team because they have been certified with the PPA and personally trained by Rod on The Imagery system of dance photography. Most photographers we work with have all earned their Masters with the PPA (the highest degree of certification that you can earn) putting them in the top 2% of professional photographers in the United States. Most of all, they are required to love working with and communicating with, kids of all ages.

Scheduling and Customizing Your Experience

We work with each Dance School Ownership to organize picture day for what works for each unique school.  You take pride in your brand, and we want to reflect that in the style of schedule, shoot, and process that we design for you. Efficiency and timing is a given because you are working with experienced photographers who know how to light, pose, and communicate with dancers, AND simultaneously balance the need to keep on schedule.  It's important to keep in mind the skill level of each dancer, and that your photos will reflect where your dancer is at, so it is encouraged for them to decide as a class beforehand, and practice doing poses that are appropriate for them to execute and that are appropriate for the dance style. 

We provide a pose suggestion poster for individual poses at all skill levels and styles. This can be hung at your studio prior to Picture Day, and is available to students and teachers on Picture Day.

When to plan?  Right away! We typically start scheduling schools throughout the summer before the following year (June-January) and have our complete dance school schedule by February at the latest.  Book early to insure a spot on our calendar that best fits into your season!  Because we are customized to each individual dance school, we can do picture days over full weekend days, or multiple evenings during the week.

Attention to Detail from Prelude 
to Final Curtain

Prelude: Our process includes supplying your studio any requested information ahead of time, customized to each individual school's needs, so that everyone has an opportunity to contact us directly with questions (if they still have them after we've sent out all the details).  Our school owners and directors have enough to worry about without having to go-betweens, however they are given the option to be as involved or as hands-free as needed.  We know that you are busy, and want to keep things as simple as possible. As needed, we work with the school so that your students know about our products and services and what to expect, through handouts, posters, and emails that we provide you for distribution. 

Curtain Up: We always prefer, when possible, to have an instructor that has worked with the students alongside the photographer, so that poses can be chosen that will show them off to the best of their ability. In addition, Stephanie is there for poses, and as a second photographer, depending on the size of the school.  When an instructor is not available, our photographers are trained with the ability to 'pointe' the student in the right direction whether it be first, second, third, fourth, or fifth!  We understand the difference between ballet hands and scissor hands.  We know about proper extension, turn out vs. turned in, and first and foremost--do they look relaxed, having a good time, is the pose properly match to the dance style and costume.  

Intermission: The Imagery works on each image to insure quality of exposure, color, and smooth backgrounds that show off the costume and the dancer's skill.  We bring multiple cameras and lighting to surround the dancers form and costuming with the most detail possible, and our finished products are on archival professional paper, printed to exacting standards.  Our post production includes a rigorous check-list process to eliminate errors, and our production process includes professional labs and in house graphic design with decades of experience in Photoshop and editing software programs.  

Second Act: We don't stop with just taking photos, uploading them, and sending off orders.  Details like awkward stray hairs that might swing out of place, or eye-glass glare, are corrected in our retouching process.  All images are gone over a minimum of three pairs of eyes before they are delivered.  We take pride in a 1-2% minor issue rate on orders, that if and when they occur, for any reason (the client is always right) we immediately fix and direct ship to the client or hand-deliver to the school at a maximum time of 7 business days (and typically within 72 hours). 

Curtain Call: 98-99% of clients will rise to a standing ovation for your smoothly run Picture Day, their completed order, no mistakes, and beautiful photos.  For the few that there might be errors, we do everything in our power to re-do, re-make, or re-shoot so that all 100% are blown away with our customer service in the end. Despite all our efforts, we are human, mistakes and imperfections can happen. Our phone is always open, and our email never sleeps, making it easy for clients to contact us directly versus having the school staff having to be involved in the correction process.  

Shooting Styles, and Print Styles, Flexible to Your School's Brand

Want all traditional? We can do that! Want more modern and pizzazz? We can do that! Want BOTH?? Yes please!

From the annual magnet on the refrigerator, to an heirloom of art for your wall, all is possible from the images taken on Picture Day.

The expression is the most important thing (we capture it all, from big fun smiles, to sweet, shy and wide-eyed).  And showing off the costume, the parent and school invested in, is also very important, so our main goal is full length, but anything can be cropped in.  If a school wants us to take just a few images, we can do that, or shoots can be scheduled to take multiple images of 5 to 15 different looks and varied crops.  Everything depends on the type of schedule that the school wants to keep and what their ultimate goals are. 

Pick one background or multiple looks!  With The Imagery you get your choice of styles, from white background, to grey background, to black.  Your school has a unique look, feel, and overall brand, and Picture Day should reflect that personality.  Our finishing touches on images are also as unique and varied as your client's may desire.  They can end up with 'standard' lustre finish (matte), or order from a shiny metallic paper that makes bright bold colors 'sing' off the page.  We offer black and white or brown tone washed images, or 'antique' faded color, all as preferences that are free of charge when ordering.  We also have the option to create a 'painted' look with the finished image that can be printed on a watercolor or canvas for a true heirloom showpiece that will last for generations to come.  

Detailed Ordering Options for 
All types of Shoppers

Again, dance schools have different needs, so why have one ordering solution when you can choose?

We offer a pre-order system, from traditional, printed order forms that have been developed over years of experience in what works best for both the client and the dance school owner.

We offer a 'post online' order system [MOST POPULAR]. The entire Picture Day can be put online without any paper forms, and all options picked out after seeing the photos first. (Works best when their are multiple poses on Picture Day.)

We offer sales assistance for those without computers or needing special assistance, and zoom calls or email support for anyone who has additional questions.

We offer drop at the school for delivery OR direct-ship to home delivery, or your choice of both.

The important thing is that we are flexible, and each school finds what works for them for a seamless process.

Time to Throw the Roses and Stuffies!

All of our thank yous and free bonuses create a long lasting relationship.  All are offered, regardless of the size of Dance School.

* Unlimited use of images for your marketing (plus all 'extra' images we take during picture day of cuteness behind the scenes!).

* Banners and Program Cover Designs, Banners and Posters printed for you (optional) at cost.

* Slideshow assistance for your pre-recital entertainment.

* Free headshots of your instructors and staff.

* Discounts on products and free packages for staff with dancers.

* Fundraising Assistance with Gift Certificates for additional private sessions.

* Opportunities for seasonal mini-sessions for groups at the school (including but not limited to: Santa, Easter, Dance with your Dog, Fairy-tale Fun, Ribbon Dance, Water, Powder, Smoke Bombs, outdoor safaris, the possibilities are endless!)

* Recital Day coverage (subject to availability, 1 day free, multiple days by quote).

* A percentage of sales back to the school (varies depending on the ordering process and price list chosen)