Position Overview
- Season: February - June
- Weekend Travel: Thursday through Monday
- Travel: Throughout the United States
- Guaranteed Minimum Daily Pay
- Guaranteed Minimum Event Pay
- All Expenses Paid: Flights, hotels, rental cars and approved travel expenses
- Equipment Stipend: Up to $700
- Meals or Per Diem Provided
- No Editing Required: Focus on capturing great images - we handle the rest.
Why Join DanceBUG?
For nearly 25 years, DanceBUG has been North America's leader in dance media and event technology.
- Photograph some of North America's largest dance competitions
- Create lasting memories for thousands of dancers and their families each season
- Paid training before your first event
- Be part of the team shaping the future of dance photography
Compensation & Benefits
- Starting at $25/hour
- Paid travel days
- All Expenses Paid: Flights, hotels, rental cars and approved travel expenses
- Equipment Stipend: Up to $700
- Meals or Per Diem Provided
- Private hotel room
- Paid training
What You'll Do
- Travel to dance competitions throughout the United States
- Photograph live performances under constantly changing stage lighting
- Capture sharp, well-timed action images
- Work collaboratively with DanceBUG videographers throughout each event
- Back up, transfer and upload image files following each competition
Paid Training
Every new Photographer receives:
- Virtual training during January
- A minimum of two live training events alongside experienced Senior Photographers
- Hands-on training before working independently
You'll never be sent to your first event without real-world training and support.
Relevant Photography Experience
We're looking for photographers with experience capturing fast-moving subjects, such as:
- Sports
- Dance
- Theatre
- Concerts
- Gymnastics
- Figure Skating
- Cheerleading
- Low-light event photography
- High-volume event photography
Portrait, studio, real estate, landscape, product, or architectural photography alone does not qualify.
Applicants should be comfortable shooting in manual mode using continuous autofocus (Servo/AF-C) under changing lighting conditions.
Requirements
Applicants must:
- Be legally authorized to work in the United States (DanceBUG does not sponsor work visas)
- Live within approximately one hour of a major airport
- Possess a valid U.S. driver's license
- Possess a passport or REAL ID-compliant driver's license for domestic air travel
- Be available to travel Thursday through Monday throughout the season
- Be comfortable driving 5-6 hours when required
- Be comfortable working long production days during competitions
- Be able to lift approximately 25 lbs
- Be able to successfully pass a criminal background check
Equipment Requirements
Applicants are required to provide their own professional photography equipment. Required equipment includes:
- Two professional MIRRORLESS camera bodies (Canon, Nikon or Sony only)
- One of the following constant/fixed aperture zoom lenses: 24-105mm (preferred), 24-120mm (preferred), 24-70mm, or 35-150mm
- Plus a 70-200mm lens
- f/2.8 preferred (f/4 accepted)
- Four memory cards (64GB or larger)
- Media card reader compatible with your memory cards
- Minimum three batteries and two chargers
- Monopod
DSLR cameras and other camera brands will not be considered. Only Canon, Nikon and Sony camera systems are compatible with DanceBUG's proprietary photo software.
Ready to Apply?
Please include the following with your application:
- A link to your live-action photography portfolio
- Your current city and state
- A brief overview of your relevant photography experience
Join one of North America's leading dance media companies and spend your season traveling the country, capturing unforgettable performances and creating memories that dancers and their families will treasure for years to come.
Apply today - we'd love to hear from you.
