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.
one additional point from me: this shot is about the dancer, not the photographer or the equipment. the lights are set and adjusted. camera is in place and focused. Chase has to hit the shutter at the right moment, and provide direction between attempts, but what you see in the final image is the grace, power and beauty put forth by the dancer. if she isn’t able to pull that move off with accuracy and calm, there’s nothing a photographer can do to make the shot work. so not to take anything away from Chase and the gang, but the real art here is ballet; the photography is secondary. my final $0.02. thanks!
Model is on a stage. Chase is below the stage shooting up. Large octa on the left or possibly a strip box creating the spread of light from her head to her toes. Softbox positioned low to the right and behind the dancer, aimed up at her, but flagged to prevent light from spilling onto her face and neck. All lights are Broncolor. Camera settings are probably f/5.6 or f/8 to keep the back foot in focus, ISO 200 (guessing), and 1/60th of a sec. (the lights are stopping the motion, not the shutter speed). Shot with a Nikon D3s, maybe a 14-24mm lens. Post-processing in Aperture, convert to b/w, bump contrast and add curves adjustment in photoshop.
Actually changed my mind, camera was above dancer. Otherwise, analysis is the same.
Black background… unless its white and you’ve cunningly used the inverse square law to trick us… highly unlucky.
2x lights; soft boxes, left is 50″ softbox just bellow and closer to subject (at time of shot). right is another 50″ softbox just below subject (at time of shot) running at same power
camera settings
max sync speed. 1/125 – 1/250 depending on camera.
F11
ISO 100
Lens 70-200
Post Production.
Photoshop/Aperture
Curves – make blacks… blacker
B&W filter – tweaked.
crop..
proberly all wrong…. but hey worth a shot!… let me know how close i was… or how far.
Thanks
Mark M – loving your analyses.
You had the dancer well dancing.
It is a snapshot seeing as how when a dancer is dancing there is so many different movements.
Yes it is lit, from two different directions on both sides of the dancer.
High shutter and under exposed allowing the shadows to be greater.
The directions was to get the dancer in motion towards the camera.
The photo was turned black and white and the shadows and highlights were made greater.
And the dancer was on a black ground set up that or in post production the background was turned black.
One light source (diffused strobe light)- top right 45 degree from the dancer when she jumps (top left in the picture)
Second light source (diffused strobe light) – down below 45 degree left from the dancer when she jumps (bottom right in the picture)
70mm F8
Silver Efex Pro 2