One of my favorite parts of doing these aerial portrait sessions with the Air Temple ladies is that not only do I get to take photos of my beautiful students, but also my friends! I loved working with Jenna–in case her photos don’t give it away she’s one of the smiliest people I know and an absolute burst of sunshine in any room. She’s also an incredible aerialist having studied silks since she was a tiny human and it really shows. She has an absolute comfort on fabric that only comes from so much experience.
I absolutely love the color scheme that she chose for this shoot. When she said she wanted to use black silks I was skeptical, but she was totally right. The way they contrast with the lightness of her outfit and surroundings really made everything pop, and I also love the teal pop of her leggings, but I’m a sucker for anything blue.
Jenna’s comfort with fabric, and her bubbly personality lent this photoshoot a real sense of play, as you can see in the photo above. She’s one of those people who seems like a Serious Adult when you first meet her, but it turns out she’s actually a giant goof ball. It made this shoot a really fun time, and her personality really shine even more!
I love all of the photos from this shoot and it’s hard to choose a favorite but I think the one above might be it! Her flexibility and the way her lines cross really just took it to the next level. It was also featured on the Aerial Movement Instagram which was a lovely surprise to wake up to one day!
This is another one of my favorites, and really shows how well she knows fabric and what’s flattering–I can only remember once in the shoot telling her to make an adjustment to a skill, which is incredible. I love how casual she is with the loose grip on the silks and the hand on her hip, as if to say ‘Oh, this? This is nothing!’
Because Jenna is so at home on silks she actually completely disregarded one of the main suggestions I give people doing aerial shoots–only do skills you’re very comfortable with–and came in with a bunch of poses she found online that she hadn’t tried (like the one above) for reference. Almost all of them worked, and they ended up giving her shoot a little extra flair.
It’s always an incredible honor and validation to work with friends–to have people you love invest in your artistic pursuits is beyond flattering and it makes these shoots even more meaningful. I had a wonderful time working with Jenna and am so happy to share these photos!
If you want to catch this silks boss in action, make sure you get tickets to Air Temple Arts 1980’s themed Aerial Throwback Extravaganza in New Haven on Nov. 3rd and 4th! No spoilers, but it’s going to be an amazingly fun show, and Jenna’s act is a real treat!
