Ballet Zaida Photoshoot

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2009 Lands End Sutro Bath Ruins Photoshoot

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Today we’re going back in time to 2009 to my second photoshoot ever.

Kristina Lind and Myles Thatcher at the Lands End Trail in 2009

Since this was my second shoot ever, I borrowed a Canon 50D camera with a 50mm lens, enlisted my friends who I trained with at the San Francisco Ballet School, and we shot outdoors at the Sutro bath ruins and lands end trail in San Francisco, California.

The canon 50D by the way had 15 megapixels. To put that in perspective, the latest iPhone here in 2025 has 48 megapixels. (Of course, photography isn’t all about the megapixels, but it’s still wild.)

My friends in this shoot are Kristina Lind, Myles Thatcher, Dylan W and Nicole Voris. During this timeframe, we had all recently finished (or were close to finishing) our training at the San Francisco Ballet School. We were all hungry for life and at the start of our professional careers.

This shoot hugely propelled my confidence forward in photography. At the time I was guessing I could create images that entailed high level ballet technique, but on top of that, I also wanted to convey a sense of movement, a sense of whimsy, and a sense of emotion. (All the things I think ballet itself is.)

I’m still a big fan of these images. I can see where my photographic flaws were, but overall, I look at these images with joy. We had a lot of fun creating them and the reception they received at the time was so strong, I recall it hugely motivated me and gave me the confidence that I could actually achieve the photographic goals I wanted to.

What’s also fun when looking at photos from the past is to see where the dance careers of everyone ended up. Kristina Lind danced with the San Francisco Ballet, then Dutch National Ballet and then Bayerisches Staatsballett. (And she is currently a principal dancer there)

Myles Thatcher joined San Francisco Ballet the year of this photoshoot as an apprentice, and he is now a soloist there and a respected choreographer in the dance industry.

Nicole Voris (Who is also my wife as you all know!) Toured with San Francisco Ballet, then danced with Cincinnati Ballet, Ballet Austin, and then danced commercially in Los Angeles. She now does repertoire dance work with our friends who are choreographers, and she also choreographs herself. (She is also an exceptionally talented dance teacher)

Till next time!

-Oliver Endahl

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Kate Huntington in LA

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Kate Huntington and I got together for a quick shoot at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California.

It had rained the night before our shoot so the air was extra clear, which created beautiful light for our early morning shoot.

You can follow Kate on IG here @K8Huntington

-Oliver Endahl

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Kayla Incontro in SF

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This was Kayla Incontro and my first time shooting together. We utilized a variety of indoor and outdoor locations in the Bay Area, and created a huge amount of epic shots.

You can follow Kayla on IG here @KayinContro and keep an eye on the Zine for more shoots with her in the future.

-Oliver Endahl

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Sofia in SF

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Sofia and I have shot together a few times over the years in a variety of states and locations.

This time, we spent the day creating in San Francisco, California.

Isn’t that arabesque crazy?

We started the shoot at Bernal Heights, which offers beautiful views of the city + a nice view of the Sutro Tower (which you can see in the bottom right corner of the image above)

After bernal we headed to the Legion of Honor Museum.

The legion of honor is a popular photo spot in SF because it has a good variety of photogenic locations in the vicinity.

Our last location was Ocean Beach. That evening the weather rolled in some extremely dense fog that created a gorgeous mysterious atmosphere.

This shoot was extremely fun and we got a ton of gorgeous outdoor dance photos.

You can follow Sofia on IG here, and keep an eye on the zine for more photos down the line.

-Oliver Endahl

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Briana Baldovinos at Victoria Beach and the Studio

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Briana Baldovinos and I met up in Orange County, California.

We started the shoot indoors at a photo studio, and then headed to the coast to shoot at Victoria Beach.

This shoot was massive. We spent 2 hours in the studio and then at least an hour and a half on the beach. We got a ton of epic photos, and I had a blast chatting with Briana during the shoot! On top of dance, she’s also crushing it in academia. Below is a short interview with her.

Give us an introduction

Hello Everyone, my name is Briana Baldovinos and I am a 22 year old freelance dancer! I currently work at Disneyland as a parade performer in “Magic Happens”. I just recently graduated from UC Riverside with my Bachelor’s of Science in Neuroscience.

What’s your favorite food?

My favorite food is SUSHI!!! I love sushi and can never get tired of it.

What music are you listening to this summer?

My music genre varies on how I’m feeling, but this summer I have really been into house music!

What do you enjoy about modeling?

I enjoy the aspect of letting my confidence shine when modeling. I feel like I can really let the true art form of dance come to life when modeling and allow those who view it see the beauty of dance as well.

What’s something people might not know about you?

Some people may not know that I am premed! I would love to pursue a career in the medical filed and enjoy helping others!

What’s a piece of art (movie, painting, play, ballet, broadway, television show, book, song, poem, etc..) That moved you the most this year so far?

A book that’s moved me is “They both die in the end”, it’s about 2 boys who get news that they will die by the end of the day and don’t know how. They each are looking for a friend to spend their day with and it just puts into perspective that life is short and to make everyday a great day filled with love.

Would you rather Kayak 50 miles or Skateboard 50 miles?

I would rather skateboard 50 miles, my leg strength is much greater than my upper body strength.

What’s your plan for 2025?

In 2025 I would like to continue to grow in my dance and modeling  career and gain more opportunities. I would also like to continue in my medical career and pursue my dreams.