Ballet

Ballet is a breathtaking photographic collection, celebrating the precision, athleticism, and artistry of classical and contemporary ballet. Live performances allow us to admire ballet's visual splendour from afar, but rarely are we given the opportunity to study dynamic poses, leaps, and lifts in intimate, close-up detail.

An inspirational companion for dance aficionados, performing arts enthusiasts, and keen photographers, Ballet captures awe-inspiring moments performed by the art form's most remarkable talents. From backstage barre practice to opening night performances, Leo Mason's arresting images provide a unique glimpse into the world of ballet and its superstars.

Featuring a cast of former and current principal dancers, including Carlos Acosta, Tamara Rojo, Vadim Muntagirov, Daria Klimentová, and Ivan Vasiliev, the book presents over 40 years of experience from Mason, a seasoned sports and dance photographer. He recreates the beauty and seemingly effortless nature of the discipline—made even more remarkable by the gruelling training required to achieve perfection—and often uses exposure creatively to capture movement and compose striking images.

Each photograph is accompanied by a detailed caption, providing information on the performers, work, location, and date, along with technical specifications regarding camera equipment, exposure, and aperture.

Author: Leo Mason is a UK-based professional photographer, specialising in sports and dance photography. Early in his career, Leo worked at The Observer and other national newspapers before forming the Split Second Photo Agency. He has spent the last 40 years photographing global sports events, including the Olympics, Winter Olympics, FIFA World Cup, Tour de France, Wimbledon, and the Superbowl. His work has appeared in Time magazine, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Life magazine, GQ, and USA Today.

Since 2009, Leo has photographed some of the world's best principal dancers and ballerinas, including Carlos Acosta, Natalia Osipova, Tamara Rojo, Vadim Muntagirov, Daria Klimentová, and Ivan Vasiliev, shooting on location at the Royal Opera House, Sadler's Wells, and the London Coliseum. He has also captured all forms of contemporary dance company productions, including flamenco, hip hop, and Argentinian tango, and specialises in multiple exposure photography.

Leo lives in Brighton, UK.

200 colour photographs