Dance photography is needed in order to capture the beauty of the movements and emotions that appear during the dance. If you photograph dances, then it can be hundreds of photos, and only a few will seem really successful. Photographing dances is interesting, but not easy. It’s not just white balance photography where you need to adjust the color to make the image more realistic, but the ability to press the shutter at the right moment and the right time to capture the movement and all that mass of emotions.
Therefore, you should not go on a long voyage without a couple of practical tips so that dance photography becomes a real vocation and not a pleasant pastime.
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Before shooting, determine the style of the photo and choose the right lens
There is no moment in dance photography that cannot be thought through, what can be avoided in a static photo. You need to think not only about where the photographer will be located but to study the movements of the dance in order to understand what will be in the photo.
You need to know if the dance will be indoors or outdoors in order to understand how much space the photographer has at his disposal. Therefore, the lens is so important, because the photographer has to work with this lens for a certain period of time. If natural lighting photography and close-up photo is expected, then a camera with a zoom lens is needed, which is quite obvious. The most suitable lens will be with a focal length of up to 105 mm.
Catch dance dots and poses
Each dance is not chaotic movements, even if it is improvisation, but a set of points and poses with which the photographer will have to work. The photographer is faced with a difficult task — to put an end to and fix a static pose in order to share the sensations of the dance with the audience.
And the dance is a change of points and postures, which, in movement, give rise to a new form. Without special equipment for shooting dances, a photographer can spend time on the dance floor without taking a photo of at least one pose — without capturing a single point.
To catch the point, you need to understand what poses you have to work with, and what point the dancer is working on, whether it is an enclosed space or an open space. After all, it also depends on this point where it will be possible to catch the whole range of emotions that is born in the dance. The dancer directs all emotion and movement toward the viewer or the judges.
The photographer needs to determine this point so as not to miss the opportunity to capture the dance. If the dance is a kind of combat, then it makes sense to hide behind one of the fighters. Yes, and a romantic photoshoot for couples will not seem such a difficult task if you do not miss the moment with a period.
Need bright lenses
Dance photography will require additional equipment, including a tripod and lenses. Additional inventory is needed so that the ISO sensitivity does not increase, but only vice versa. By keeping the ISO low, you can get rid of visible noise or reduce it to a minimum. Spare batteries should be in an additional inventory so as not to miss the opportunity to catch the desired point in the dance a few hours after working with the camera.
Use manual mode
Even though the auto-shooting mode is tempting, it’s better to shoot in manual mode. Since this is the path to success in dance photography. For studio shooting, the minimum distance between the subject and the camera lens should be 50 cm to avoid distortion. For a dance photo, the most optimal light sources are 1000–1500 W, and the distance to the model is 3–4 m so that the whole body of the model gets into the frame. Photographers should use both octoboxes and softboxes. In this way, better lighting can be achieved. To avoid overexposure, reflectors, and masks will not be superfluous. There is also smoke and powder, transparent fabric for dynamics and volume.
Shutter speed
If this is a static photo, then the photographer needs to increase the shutter speed and reduce the ISO. Whereas in dance photography things are a little different — you have to change the shutter speed. You have to work not with a long shutter speed, but with a short shutter speed, which is 1/500–1/1000 of a second. But not only a short shutter speed, but also the maximum open aperture will become reliable companions of a dance photographer. These settings are needed to get the most attractive picture at the output.
Although the moment of shooting can be planned, it is often the moment of intuitive pressing the camera shutter. This understanding comes with experience, so you should not demand too much from yourself at the beginning of the journey. Initially, we follow the rules, then we establish our own.
Not without creativity
To give the image dynamics, you need a little creativity — and powder. You can also use colored powders. The main thing is that the particles are not heavy, as is the case with sand. There are hardly any serious restrictions on the use of additional materials because many professional photographers have been working with them for a long time. You can use photo editing apps like photo editor to blur the background, but it’s better to make the most of it while shooting.
Don’t Forget Stroboscopic Lighting
Stroboscopic lighting is not part of the planned shoot but is part of the program. But such lighting not only distracts dancers but also photographers. To work in such an atmosphere, you have to be quick-witted. For a dance photographer, such effects should not become an obstacle, but, on the contrary, an inspiration for work.
Pay attention to the background of the photo
Everything can be corrected, something added and removed, but some things can be thought out in advance. For example, the background of the photo can be chosen in advance, as this is a planned shoot, not a street photo. The photographer has an idea of what he has to work with.
In a black and white photo, it is not necessary to include the entire body of the dancer
Although poses and points are important in dance, you should not forget that there is also a close-up. There are emotions and the face of the actor, which conveys the mood of the show, dance, and attitude to what is happening. The face is important, but the legs are no less important. These photos can be really successful, as the legs are always well-lit in the dance.
Stay in constant motion
In dance photography, not only the dancer must move, but also the photographer in order to feel the rhythm and catch the jump. If you shoot jumps, you need the exact time and pay attention to the aperture. If the jump is already starting, but the camera shutter did not work, then the photographer is too late. You cannot rewind the frame, but you can wait for the next jump if it is part of the dance.
Sometimes the music helps the photographer, and the melody can tell the photographer when there will be a jump. But then again, the photographer is probably familiar with the dance of the couple, so he can safely use the music as a guide, unless, of course, there have been no changes in the process of the dance itself. Setting landmarks is important, but do not miss the moment of surprise here and now.
Show respect for dancers and audience
For the sake of photography, the masters are ready for a lot but do not forget why everything is collected in this hall. For the dance itself! Therefore, the photographer must still show respect for the dancers and spectators, and keep a safe distance. Before capturing any couple outside the dance floor, it’s best to ask for permission to avoid unforeseen situations in the process of shooting. The photographer may simply not have time to sort things out with the audience. In order not to waste time, it is better to think over the poses of the dancers. At the request of the photographer, the dancers can repeat this or that pose, but he must understand what he wants to get at the exit.
Preparation is important
Before you go to the general shooting, you can visit a rehearsal of a dance or a dance performance. This is necessary at least in order to think over the poses and angles in advance so that in the process of the performance you can already work with the available material. And in order to succeed in photography, over time, not only new ideas are born, but also techniques that can help aspiring dance photographers. You can also shoot on the tables if such an opportunity is provided. Even if this is a hidden shoot, still the photos can turn out to be of high quality, albeit a little extraordinary.
