Brian Balloon Photography

The vision of Brian Balloon Photography is to produce amazing photos and video that you love.

For dance photography specifically, it is to create an environment that empowers you to safely express your physicality and creativity in dance at your best technique and artistry and to create photos that we both feel are beautiful, expressive and amazing.

Ambassadors are chosen through a very selective process. If you are a dance ambassador, it's expected that you:

1. Align with the vision of Brian Balloon Photography
2. Are an active dancer of a dance company and are in good standing with them,
3. Extend your time, skills and talent to allow us to promote you through photos and video and be available as a dance model for photoshoots throughout the year,
4. Promote BBP and show support for the other dancers in the group, because when we promote each other, we all reinforce each other's value to our team and create a supportive environment, and
5. Share your love of BBP by encouraging others to book shoots with BBP.

Dancers ages 10 and higher, including professional dancers, are encouraged to apply! For young dancers under 10, some exceptions may be made for exceptional maturity and skill level. BBP is searching for ballet, lyrical, contemporary, modern, jazz, aerial, street, hip-hop, tap, ballroom, acro and even flamenco dancers. Almost any style of dance. Also, if there is another type of dance you're great at, let me know for consideration!

Note: If you are under 18, you must have written parent/guardian permission to be an Ambassador.

This ambassador program will benefit dancers the most who fit many of these criteria:

• You want creative and up-to-date modeling photos and video to display in your personal or business portfolio or social media
• You are a dancewear ambassador and need consistent photo/video shoots for that brand
• You have great dance skills, want to do dance poses and choreography in front of the camera, take initiative, have creative ideas for shoots and are a team player
• You want occasional instructor-led group activities that enhance your dance technique or skills and create more opportunities (i.e. pilates, aerial silks, etc.)
• You are a dance teacher who would like to record instructional videos for students
• You want to get together for shoots with other dancers from different studios or companies
• You take direction well and are looking for constant improvement
• You want photoshoots, promotion, brand collaborations and ambassador perks to enhance your dance artistry throughout the year
• You have effective communication and can make yourself available for occasional photo/video shoots throughout the year
• You want experience as a guest on the BBP podcast
• You want a $50 dancewear reimbursement
• You want to keep the media produced of you
• You are willing to posting content to help promote both yourself and BBP

Being a BBP Ambassador may not be best for dancers who:

• Want photoshoots with BBP, but don't want the responsibility of helping promote BBP throughout the year
• Don't log into social media frequently or do not want a growing social media presence
• Don't work well with other dancers or aren't good at applying advice
• Are generally not in good standing with their fellow dancers and dance studio
• Are too far away to do photoshoots (unless through shutter app)
• Have a schedule too busy to devote time to occasional photoshoots and promotion of yourself and BBP throughout the year.

In these cases, booking individual packages with me would be best.

Many criteria. Your dance history, your dance skill level (including artistic emotional expression), your current involvement as a dancer or teacher at a dance studio or company, your ability to give instruction in technique, whether you have a positive relationship with me and the other BBP Ambassadors, your social media profile, your application and interests, your overall prompt and effective communication with Brian Balloon Photography, whether you are involved in any other ambassador programs affecting your ability to promote the BBP brand, your aspirations in joining, dedication and initiative, available slots for ambassadors, your availability for shoots, recommendations and other closely-related factors will be used in the evaluation process.

Ballet North Texas, Ballet Papillon, DV8 Dance Complex, Studio 12 Dance Center, JM Dance Company, Rowlett Dance Academy, Eminence Dance Complex, Epicenter for the Arts and more

Photo and video shoots: generally 5 hours a month, including prep and travel. Most shoots are 1-2 hours and I try to make them close to whoever is attending. We all help choose the location for each shoot.

Chat participation, posting and engaging on social media: Perhaps 2-3 hours a month (2-5 min a day) posting a combination of your own photo and video shoots and BBP promotion

Finding customers: Ongoing, as you go about your own life and see opportunities throughout the year

The BBP Ambassador term for 2025 is 6 months. Ambassadors are welcome to reapply for another term at the end of their term.

A large variety, which may include: shoots with various in-studio lighting and props, rain shoots, silhouette shoots, outdoor shoots, brand shoots, fashion shoots, holiday-themed shoots, creative shoots for BBP, dance tutorials, account takeovers, etc..

Yes, this is allowed. Shooting with different photographers encourages collaboration, different perspectives, freedom and creativity, which is what art is about! There may also be times when I am unable to accommodate a photoshoot (such as illness or a family vacation). However, with that being said, being an ambassador requires posting and promoting shoots from Brian Balloon Photography in your IG feed and social media.

Yes, Ambassadors follow Brian Balloon Photography on social media, add BBP Ambassador to their IG bio and post final media from their shoots, without editing them or adding filters, within a week of receipt, on your Instagram (and other social media if applicable). You must also be okay to share promotional posts and stories from BBP to your IG account when requested.

For the 2025 6-month term, the cost to be an Ambassador is $300 per person plus tax. This is all-inclusive. Shoots do not cost extra, unless you need more than your allotted number of photos or shoots, and those can even be earned through successful referrals. For multiple-year, high-performing Ambassadors, the incentives make it even more affordable. This cost helps cover your studio and on-location photography and videography sessions, group events, the podcast, collaborations with third parties, camera equipment labor and maintenance, business expenses, investment in our brand to create more opportunities like this, and time and expertise involved in photo editing and marketing of you on social media throughout your year as an Ambassador.

Together, the cost of the program is way under market value for how much all of this would normally cost, which makes this a great deal to be a part of the group!

Your Ambassador cost gives you a minimum of:

• Two shared photo shoots with other Ambassadors
• One individual photoshoot (i.e. to focus on professional photos)
• Teacher and brand collaborations
• A Bring-a-friend shoot
• Podcast guest opportunity
• Yearly group event
• Team apparel
• Magazine photo submissions
• $50 dancewear reimbursement
• The opportunity to earn paid shoots and profit-sharing from sales of your media
• Photo/video editing and marketing throughout the year.

These shoots may be outdoor, on-location or in a photography studio, depending on creative need. You may also be invited to do other creative photoshoots throughout the year without additional cost, which may include paid opportunities, and there is the potential for profit sharing from commercial sales. The combination of this is a huge discount off normal photoshoot prices and a great investment in your portfolio as a dancer! You get to keep the media produced of you, and typically that includes all viable images and video from our shoots!

The exchange is that you continue to share what you love about BBP with your family and friends and help BBP find new customers!

Rubiawear, Zenottic Eyewear, Aerie, Azengear, PM Comfort Wraps, Purple Pixies, Soel Dancewear, Suffolk Dance, HyperGo Wipes and more to come!

BBP Ambassadors may be chosen for brand shoots, and if eligible, can be paid for shoots. High-performing Ambassadors can also earn "All-Star" status. This is your gateway to higher-paid shoot opportunities. You must be a BBP Ambassador for at least one term, be in good standing, and have successfully referred customers that have booked shoots with BBP totaling a certain amount of revenue. There are also other ways to earn a commission as an Ambassador.

Yes. I am only able to maintain this low pricing for Ambassadors because they help me find and book new customers, and because we are all-in as a group. Ambassadors are encouraged to invite other skilled dancers to book photo sessions or to apply to become Ambassadors! There are further discounts for you if you refer someone who completes a session. All-Star Ambassadors also get a break on their Ambassador fee for their hard work!

Not necessarily. Dancers are known for many aspects, including dedication, technique, physique, lines, and expressiveness, in addition to flexibility. While flexibility is helpful and important, dancers can be chosen because they excel in many of the other aspects important to dance, like technique and expression.

I generally will open the Ambassador application twice a year to the public. First in September/October, then in March/April. However, new Ambassadors may be allowed to join anytime throughout the year if referred by an Ambassador or dance teacher for consideration, depending on available slots.

The current Ambassador application is open from March 16th through March 30th, 2025.

Yes. That can also be arranged. During the timeframe the application signup is open, if you are selected as a possible Ambassador and have never done a photoshoot with me before (how do you know if we'd work together well if you've never worked with me), you can do a short outdoor photoshoot with me at a location of our choosing for $50 + tax and you will receive up to 5 total web-sized photos, per person (regardless of how many are taken). If you are accepted as an Ambassador and decide to join, that will be applied toward your Ambassador fee. However, if either of us don't feel we're a good fit, you can still keep the media from the shoot. Note: This is not in place of a normal shoot, and is only available to further assess whether we'd be a good fit. To be considered, you must fill out the Ambassador application and must be chosen to do the shoot.

That's okay! Just let me know within a week after the Ambassador Agreement is signed, and you will be removed from the team and receive a full refund. After the first week, however, as a general rule, no refunds will be given, particularly if your main Ambassador photoshoots have begun.

Awesome! The next step is to fill out the Ambassador application below. If accepted, applicants will be notified by early April and will then receive a link to the Ambassador Agreement and Model Release to review and sign before officially joining the BBP Ambassador team!