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.
Nikon D3X
ISO- 200
1/320 sec
F.16
200mm focal length
2 Lights (one on left- one on right with no soft box)
She probably had a spot to jump at, so I feel this is an action shot with plenty of focal depth of field to keep her sharp.
I would imagine this was done in a gym or something with a lot of space. You probably Photoshopped the background out (bleacher and such).
Nice shot!
How did I make this picture?
Is it a lucky snapshot?
NO
Is it lit?
Yes
If so, how?
Sandwich Style –
Strip Soft Boxes on either side of model, and grid spot on left for her face
The camera Settings?
ISO 200
400th @ F9
The direction?
Leaping Ballerina,multiple uses from Ballet Company to stock imaging
Post production?
Pumped the “Drama” in with aperture and PS burn
Very cool image, wish I’d taken it.
Here are my two cents: That’s a half stag jump, so Chase would be slightly higher that her… The torso is never that forward in ballet, so that rules out the plexi-glass. As far as the lighting, it looks like there’s a light on either side of her… Your favored “sandwiching” method. Both of them with grids for harsher, direct light. Chase is probably on a ladder too… And then the backdrop is most likely black velvet to absorb and not reflect as much light as possible. This is definitely not a lucky snapshot, this is planned and carefully organized in the thrown-together style of Chase Jarvis. I’d say this is at about 1/200 @ f/11? Then boosted contrast and desaturated color in Aperture. Very minimal post production. Otherwise, a very impressive shot, I love it!
strobe under body stage left with large soft box, and maybe a reflector above for fill. large light source stage right. f11 at somewhere around 250th of a second. She is fully jumping, and its great timing, maybe a still from a video. Post production was done in LR or ACR, boosted the contrast, blacks, and clarity.
Here goes:
The front of her front foot is dark and flat which leads me to believe that she was posed on some type of a clear box/platform above the camera. I suspect her right hand (camera left) was resting on something that allowed her to hold the pose as effortlessly as her facial expression implies. The angle of the camera and its position makes it look as though she is jumping through the air with her right leg in the lead but in actuality her right foot is on the floor (clear box/platform) with her right leg supporting her. and she is bent over – not jumping.
The main light was camera left (her right) and higher than her. body. The angle of the pose makes it appear as though the light is behind her but again, that is the camera angle more than anything else. There is a second light camera right (her left) creating the same illusion of being up and back but it is more to camera right. No fill light in front so as to create a more dramatic contrast and to allow the other two lights to accentuate her pose. Probably played with the intensity of the light to get the contrast you were after.
The photo is pretty sharp throughout but the front foot is slightly blurred as compared to her hands/arms and so I am thinking F4 or 5.6 with a shutter speed of somewhere around 50 and ISO of 400 but I would have to play with it to get the effect – hard to say without a camera in my hand.
Post prduction was to remove the background, whatever she was touching to balance herself and any remnants of the clear box/platform she was standing on. You probably shot in color and converted to black and white and then played with contrast and levels to get some more drama out of the contrast.
That’s all I got for now – good luck to me 🙂