I had such a wonderful time working with Angela Kim on this shoot. Angela is an incredible athlete; she grew up in the competitive figure skating world, she has performed principle roles for Ice Theatre of New York, she has competed on America's Got Talent with Aerial Ice combining figure skating and aerial arts, and she has toured with Cirque du Soleil's show Volta in a lead character role. She currently performs internationally with her aerial straps partner, Stuart Mckenzie, in Duo Air Skating. She also teaches classes at The Muse in Brooklyn.
When Angela and I first met to brainstorm ideas, we decided to focus on the more delicate side of Angela's craft. We wanted to be sure to capture transitional moments - not just big tricks - in a way that highlighted the unique grace of what Angela does. Soft lighting and pastels were the perfect compliment, and Katy Ramirez Artistry joined us to create this beautiful pink and mint green makeup look. I used gelled flash for the photos above and natural light for the photos below. I love how the colors of the flash and the makeup work together.
Our location was the airy Ice Theatre of New York in Dumbo. They have special flooring that can be used with roller blades and ice skates, and the large windows let in plenty of diffused light.
As a pole artist myself, watching Angela so fluidly combine aerial pole vocabulary with figure skating technique was really magical. Check out this behind-the-scenes video below, filmed and edited by Lamont Richardson. Special guest appearance by Mufasa, Angela's adorable puppy!