FAQ

What inspired you to come up with this project?

It really was a random idea! We work with a lot of dancers, and one day I (Kelly) thought, “wouldn’t it be fun to photograph dancers with dogs?” I saw the whole look in my head - the simple, clean backgrounds, the simple clothing styles, the lighting. We thought it would be a great way to show the lighter side of the dance world, since dancers are often depicted as being so serious, and sometimes even unapproachable or like fairy-tale creatures. This shows their human side, their silly side.

What is your photography background?

We are a husband-and-wife team. We’ve been working together for over 13 years. We specialize in dance and fitness photography, as well as commercial portraiture. We starting photographing dancers professionally in 2013. In 2014, we started our relationship with the Saint Louis Ballet, where we do all of their marketing photography, as well their performance photography. We have photographed dancers across the USA, as well as in Cuba.

View our other photography work at www.prattkreidich.com

What kind of dancers are you looking for?

We are looking for professional dancers for this project. By “professional”, we mean you must meet one of the following criteria:

Work for a professional dance company
Be paid to dance commercially
Be at the highest level of the competition circuit

Will you work with other types of dancers?

The project will mostly focus on ballet dancers, but we will include other dance types here and there, for fun.

What are the requirements for dogs to be part of the project?

We always want to keep the dogs’ welfare in mind when bringing them on set. For that reason, dogs must meet the following criteria:

Must be comfortable working with strangers
Must have perfect indoor manners (no peeing, pooping or destroying of property)
Must have a solid “sit” and “stay” (with owner able to be out of the frame)
Must be comfortable and accustomed to new settings, with many distractions
Extra tricks and talents are a major plus!
We love dogs with a story, especially rescue dogs
We are looking for a variety of dogs, so different looks, breeds, mixes, and sizes are great!

It can be a stressful process for timid, shy, or anxious dogs to be on set, so please put your dog’s own best interests at the front of your mind when submitting them for the project.

Will you use dogs in shelters, that are trying to get adopted?

Yes, absolutely! As long as they can meet the above criteria. This is our most-asked question, and we have thought a lot about this subject, and what is right for the dogs involved.

We want dogs to be comfortable on set. Again, being on a photo set can be a scary process for an uncertain dog, since we have big equipment, lights flashing, dancers making big movements, etc. They are in a new place, with new people, which can overwhelm dogs - especially if they don’t have a human they are bonded with there with them. We will absolutely not traumatize a nervous dog for the sake of getting an image, or even in the name of getting them adopted. Unfortunately, for that reason, many shelter dogs, waiting to be rescued, may not be right for the project. It’s all about their well-being.

We will absolutely be looking at working with dogs that are in foster care, who have a human who has gotten to know them, and has maybe been able to give them a little obedience training.

Will you do Dancers & Cats? Horses? Other animals?

This is our second most-asked question! Yes, we’d love to work with other animals, including cats. We want to reach our goals for Dancers & Dogs, before we move on to other things. But sit tight. It WILL happen.

How much time does each dancer and dog pair spend on set?

Each session with a dancer and dog lasts about a hour and a half. The first 20-30 minutes are allotted for dancers to warm up and stretch, for dogs to get used to their surroundings and calm down (dogs are usually really excited when they walk in the door), and for the dancer and dog to get to know each other, if they have just met. Then we photograph on set for about an hour. We generally aim to get 3-4 good final images from each duo.

How do you determine the poses for the dancers and dogs?

It mostly depends on the dog - their size, their look, what abilities they have. We take all of that into account when we brainstorm for ideas. We like to come to each shoot with at least 3-4 solid ideas for each dancer and dog duo. If we get through all of those and have extra time, then we play around and improvise. Not every idea works out, but that is the fun of working with animals - thinking on your feet!

What cities will you be visiting for the project?

For 2019, we have visits to New York City, Denver, Charlotte, and Atlanta booked. We are also looking at visiting Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston.

As of Spring 2019 we have shot Dancers and Dogs in the following cities: St. Louis, New York, Orlando, San Diego, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver.

We have no timeframe for those cities yet. Other than that, you never know! There are great dancers everywhere.

Will you be making a book of the project?

That is the ultimate goal! How fast that happens depends on a lot of factors, including funding for actual shoots, publishing and more.

Do you ever need other photographers?

No. This project is ours and we have put a lot of hard work into every last detail of it. We want to maintain the quality and integrity of the project, and plan to do all shoots ourselves.

Can I take your idea and do it myself?

We can’t stop you from taking pictures of dancers with dogs. But really, why not come up with your own fun idea? We’re working really hard on this one. Why don’t you try out something new and interesting? It will mean so much more when you’ve come up with the idea yourself.

Can I apply to assist on a shoot?

Sure! If we will be in your city, and you have experience on a photo set, feel free to send in your resume or a list of your experience. Please keep in mind that this is a volunteer position, as we do not have the ability at this time to pay. You will most likely be fetching things (pun totally intended), making sure dancers and dogs’ needs are taken care of, sweeping dog hair and running around. Not glamorous, but its a fun day on set. If you do a good job, we’ll make sure to give you a shout out.

Can I pay for my own/my child’s own session dancing with my/their dog?

Yes. If we will be in your city, you can absolutely commission your own session with your dog. There is no dancer criteria for this. All ages and experience levels are welcome. Dogs, however, must still meet the criteria mentioned above, for their own well-being (they do not have to know tricks). For more information, email us at: contact@dancersanddogs.com

Can I use your images?

Yes:

You are posting on social media, purely to share with friends, and you have credited us
You do not remove our watermarks from our images
You are writing an article and have credited us as “Dancers & Dogs” and/or “Pratt + Kreidich” in said article
You do not claim the images as your own

No:

You want to make a calendar, t-shirt, poster, print, book or ANY other product without our written consent
You want to use an image for the sale or advertisement of ANY product or business, without our written consent
You have removed the watermarks from our images, or otherwise make it appear that the images are your own

What are your Store Policies?

Shipping Policy

Estimated shipping delivery times:

USA: 3-5 business days

Canada: 5-10 business days

World: 10-20 business days

Your order will be sent out on average within 3 days of ordering.

International shipping:

International shipments may incur customs fees. For each country the customs policy is different, and the fee is usually based on a variety of factors like weight, value, and size.

We do not take responsibility for customs fees.

Order never arrived:

If your order didn't end up arriving, be sure to let us know!

First check your shipping confirmation and check that you had entered the correct address. If the address was incorrect, though we'd be happy to send you another order to the correct address, it will have to be at your cost.

If the shipping address was correct, get in touch with us at [insert support email here] noting your order number. We'll see what can be done.

Returns policy

Damaged items:

The last thing we want is for you to be stuck with a damaged item. If it arrives to you damaged, then please get in touch with us within a week's time!

Wrong size:

If you're unhappy with the size you've received, first check that the size stated on the garment matches the size stated on the sizing chart. Though rare, it's possible that the garment was mislabelled. Let us know and we'll get you sorted out.

If you'd like a different size, get in touch with us at [insert support email here] and we'll let you know what your next steps are.

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