Month: October 2011

Light diagrams for dancers (Part 2)

by Stanley Learylighting / Off Camera Flash
Reading Time: 3 minutes
 
We liked the lights in the photo to give that backstage feel and decided to rotate some dancers through and go with the best one rather than changing things a great deal.

I like giving my clients options. We tried a few different looks with different dancers. You get a different look by swapping dancers in the same lighting scheme. If we had more time, you could have tried a few more outfits to give you more options.

Photographers need to understand that by shooting vertical and horizontal photos of the same subject, the client now has options that help them do much more from the time they invested with the photographer. More important than the options is the best photo looks even better when they see you tried to get more.

If a photographer only shows one image from the shoot, then a client will wonder why you didn’t try something more. By offering them a variety, they see how the photographer tried different things, but the subject didn’t make it happen. Type, of course, is why you sometimes pay for a professional model who can give you the best expression and body language options as the photographer is trying to do with camera angles, composition, and lighting. 

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Lighting Diagram for the photo above

These photos are not all that different in lighting, but the difference is in the dancer, the way they pose, and the expression they bring to the moment.

Which one of these do you like the most? Can you tell me why you like it better than the other photos?

Business

Just like you vary the lights and the poses and do everything to give the client choices, do this in your estimates.

I try to offer some options whenever possible. The client may choose the cheapest package, but by providing the opportunity where you had unlimited funds, you could do this; the client appreciates your creativity and willingness to be flexible.

Sometimes I must give an even cheaper package and show that it lacks what they need to show them I can be flexible on price, but they might have to lose something.

I hope you remove the concept of going the 2nd Mile and give superior service by providing the client more options.

Sometimes the subject’s attitude, in combination with the composition and lighting, can create the mood you are looking for.  [NIKON D3S, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Manual, ISO 200, 1/160, ƒ/16, (35mm = 112)]
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Lighting diagram for the photo of the dancer on the bar
We got a different look with very little change by just bringing the dancer forward and moving the grid to highlight her face.
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Lighting diagram of a dancer in front of the bar

Light diagrams for dancers

by Stanley LearyPhotography
Reading Time: 2 minutes
 
The client was looking for a “Gritty Look,” We decided to use a brick wall to look like you are backstage and toss in the lights with gels in the background to add to the effect.

“Our dance department needs some photos for a poster to promote the department,” was the request. After discussing the proposal and what they wanted in more detail, I realized we would wing this one.

I packed up in my van all my lights and backgrounds. Of course, I had most of my cameras and lenses with me.

They wanted gritty and edgy in one photo. Then the college wished to other traditional images for ballet.

Here are two from the photo shoot with the diagrams of how I used lights in the photos. In my next blog, I will also show a couple more pictures from the shoot.

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Here is the lighting diagram for the photo above.

Do you have a favorite of these two? If so, why did you pick it over the other one? What would you change if you could on these photos? There is always a place to comment on these blogs below.

This photo is more of a classic look, and I liked the moment a lot. The columns were in a lobby, and we decided to use these to help set the mood. I used a warm gel also to help convey a warm moment.
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Here is the diagram for the Ballerina by herself.