At the beginning of the year, I finally treated myself to my very first big girl aerial photo shoot. My friends and instructors all had these amazing, gorgeous photos of them on their aerial apparatus of choice, and I decided I was finally ready after five years to try a pole shoot. Little did I know how hard these shoots actually are!

I made sure to eat carefully for a couple of weeks before the shoot, avoiding anything that would bloat me or cause breakouts, and tried my best to avoid those lovely bruises we all collect. After walking on eggshells during class, drinking more water than I thought my bladder could handle, and eating like a rabbit, I felt great about how I looked, and I felt completely prepared. Then I talked to Raelyn, the amazing photographer behind ROL Imaging (and also Lotus member and work-study).

“You need to have your poses picked out,” she told me, “and bring several potential costumes as well.”

So here is the first place I went wrong: poses. My idea was to do a few shots in each competition costume I had used so far, hopefully using poses from each routine, plus one general pretty pole outfit for random other tricks. Then I started my list. My list of about fifteen tricks I wanted pictures of. All the hardest, most taxing and challenging tricks I knew at the time.

Lesson 1: Simple can be better! You definitely want a short list of tricks in mind ahead of time, and I would type them out. Maybe like five or six tricks or poses. These should be tricks and poses you love, that you are comfortable with, and that you can get into and out of without assistance. This should absolutely not be something you found on Insta that morning that you thought looked cool. It needs to be stuff you know how to do! And trust me when I say, just because a trick is hard or complex does not mean it is photogenic. I was so proud that I could get a modified Satellite on the pole, but none of those pictures worked because there is just no good angle for that one! Same thing with the Firefly.

On the other hand, simple standing poses and “easy” moves can look absolutely stunning in photos, like this double knee hang:

Raelyn also let me know that if you are not totally comfortable in the move, it will come across in your expression. Keeping my face under control was so much harder than I expected. So here you are, hanging upside down for a minute at a time, flexing your muscles, pushing the limits of your flexibility, and trying to keep that tummy looking like you have actual abs, and you feel like you’re doing great. Then you see the photo. My face was almost purple in many shots, and I have this weird vein that sticks out on the side of my neck, not to mention the bloodshot eyes from holding my breath. Not cute.

Lesson 2: Breathe! I was straining so hard to really nail the hardest moves I could do, while trying to look at the camera, all that strain completely comes across in my face. I was unconsciously holding my breath for so many shots, and that made everything so much worse.

And speaking of giving your body resources to work with…

Lesson 3: Eat food. So yes, avoiding foods that bloat you, drinking plenty of water, and cutting down on sugar for a week or two leading up to the shoot can help you look your most sleek. However, do not think you’re doing yourself any favors by not eating before the shoot itself. Huge mistake. I ate a big breakfast, a light lunch, and then nothing else. For hours. And then tried to hold all my hardest poses over and over again for several seconds to a minute each. By the end of the shoot, I was not only exhausted, I was on the verge of passing out. I felt dizzy, nauseated, and more than a little embarrassed. Fortunately, the girls had ordered pizza, so I did pig out immediately afterward.

Because I was starting to really run out of gas through the shoot, and several of my poses were just not working, I started to get frustrated. This not only makes it more difficult to concentrate on what you are doing, but it comes out in your expression and also expends even more energy. So, at the end of the day, I think one of the most important lessons I learned was this:

Lesson 4: Have fun! Photo shoots are about celebrating your accomplishments. They’re about showcasing your passion and your hobby, and documenting a time in your life when you are dedicating time to your wellness. So enjoy it!

(Side note and bonus lesson: if you are doing any showcase, performance, or competition and you want good photos, I am going to tell you right now what Allison Sipes has been telling me for years: “Hold. Your. Sh*t!” I have such a hard time getting good photos from competitions because I get wound up in what I’m doing and never hold my moves. So remember to hold your poses for a few full breaths, and longer than you think you need to!)

All in all, I am so happy with the photos we got that day, even if most of the best shots were nothing at all like what I had planned. And I am definitely ready for next time. If you ever get the opportunity, I highly recommend the investment in a good, professional photo shoot for yourself. See you in the air, and in your gorgeous photos!