I learned to light after years of deconstructing the work of other photographers. And I know from your previous feedback that you guys are fond of these posts, so let’s dig into another one.
How did I make this picture?
Is it a lucky snapshot?
Is it lit?
If so, how?
The camera Settings?
The direction?
Post production?
Whatever details you think are needed to make this image.
Looking forward to you trying to pick this apart… I’ll reveal everything in a followup post. The person who gets the closest gets… …a chest bump and a pizza, or signed book or something. Don’t be shy. Let er rip.
This is beautiful!
I’m guessing in studio, shot through plexiglass through wide-angle lens.
Hassleblad H4D-31, HCD 4/28 lens, manual focus
ISO 100
Shutter 1/200th
F16
1 x strobe in line to the left of subject (subject’s right), through 28inch softbox, about 6ft away, 6ft high
1 x strobe in line to the right and below (subject’s left), through grid, about 3ft away, close to the floor
something like that, or maybe not even close 🙂
More important than particular settings is what we know:
background is black and she is moving: shutter speed must be fast
light comes from two directions: two lights
the exposure on both feet is roughly the same: so these lights must be tall
light doesn’t wrap around: lights must be narrow (hence strip lights)
light falls off fairly smooth across her forehead and legs: lights are soft (large)
both feet and her face are in focus: we have at least medium depth of field
We’re seeing under her chin and the bottom of her toe: shot from below
someone shot dancing from below would imply a stage
face is compressed and not blown up: telephoto
her face and chest are dark: both lights are slightly behind her
very high contrast without being blown out: increase contrast in post
Lights:
two strobes on left and two strobes on right of model
Camera:
iso 100, 125th of a second maybe somewhere around f/8 f/10.
Model
the dancer is on a unbreakable glass doing the pose.
You shoot under the glass.
This photo as photoshop post production:
Shoot in color and then black and white adjustment
Adjustment of black areas with curves and brush
Ps: sorry about my english 🙂
It looks like its made during a performance. Sidelighting is very common in dance productions. Camera setting is possibly at f2.8 with a telephoto lens. A 70-200mm? I’m thinking 1/200 – 1/320 at ISO 800-1600?
Your shot is one part luck and one part great timing.
With your active art participation in your local art scene it is very possible that you could be invited by a local dance company.
I count at least 2 lights. Based on the diffusing, I would say that soft boxes were used. The light to the left of the subject looks like it was positioned at about 8 or 9 o’clock covering the length of her body. The catch light in her eyes is a nice giveaway. The light on the right side looks like it was at about 2 o’clock as it gives a nice rim-like glow on her left arm.
Perhaps the subject was on a dark stage or you used a black backdrop. I don’t see any motion blur or bokeh, so I would suspect that you shot in manual with a deep DOF (my guess is 20.0+ f-stop), and perhaps 1/1000+ sec?
As for post production, I think you only made minimal modifications. One thing that I often do when shooting on a black backdrop is to clean up any spilled light on the floor or the rear wall to make a solid black around the subject.
Such an interesting photograph! My eyes go straight to her neckline, then straight up her face and eyes, immediately darting across her right arm, then swooping down her legs to her right foot and finally back up her left side up to her left hand to come full circle.