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05/19/2013 05:12:35 PM · #1 |
Hi,
Need some advice on what should I be taking when it comes to the photo shoot of the dance performer. The idea to use green screen first on a moving studio setup and will driving to the location where the dance performance is and perform photo shoot before taking actual event photographs.
Need help to suggest some of the setups like studio lights, stands, what will be needed and what can be ignored!
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05/20/2013 11:52:29 AM · #2 |
Background is crucial for dance photography. Often arms or legs are extended above the head or out from the body, requiring a good deal of non-dancer in the picture to avoid chopping off limbs. Double-check that your green screen is tall enough to allow you to include an arm fully extended upward while the dancer is on pointe. If not, you can limit the poses to what will fit on your green screen. Obviously, choosing the background to replace your green screen with is also critical.
Costumes can be sparkly and light-reflective. You can use / avoid this as desired, but it is something to look for anyhow.
If you can, I suggest attending several practices or performances before trying to shoot the live event. This helps you learn the dance - where the jumps are, where the pauses, etc.
I suggest shooting the live action in Full Manual. If the performance is indoors, low light will be a problem. I've had the best results at ISO 800, f/9, 1/160 - but that is only with full lights - fade in / fade out lighting is too dark. |
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05/20/2013 12:09:23 PM · #3 |
| Good advice, David. Although I'd open up the aperture to about 5.6 and raise the shutter speed (or shoot speed priority), or you'll be getting a lot of blurry shots. Of course, I'm not familiar with how your camera works, and as David has the same one as you... |
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05/20/2013 12:23:40 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by tanguera:
Of course, I'm not familiar with how your camera works, and as David has the same one as you... |
sheesh you Nickon users... the 60D is not the same as the 6D. |
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05/20/2013 04:10:34 PM · #5 |
Why do you want to green screen them? Unless your screen is massive it will really limit the amount of movement you can have them do.
Leaping, spinning, lunging are reduced to posing if the area they have to stay in is too confined. Plus you have to use some of your lights to light the screen evenly, which take away lights you could use to light the dancers.
I like enough ambient light to give some blur to the movement, and then a second curtain flash to freeze the action,. Light from both sides and flags to keep the light from spilling to the back of the stage so it keeps a black BG.
Here is a nice Strobist discussion on lighting dancers.
This is of course useless if you are talking about shooting a performance. However in the run up to a performance shooting the technical performance is often an option as long as the lighting is not still being worked on.
PS, I see more dance photography ruined by allowing too much ambient light. Set your aperture so there is almost no ambient light captured, and allow the drama of the movement caught by the flash to be the story.
Message edited by author 2013-05-20 16:17:55. |
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05/21/2013 02:44:46 PM · #6 |
Yeah, I'd like to hear why you want to greenscreen as well. Essentially, if you want it to look right, you need to try and match up as many of the parameters of your final venue as you can in your studio shooting. This includes but is not limited to: lighting scheme, distance to subect/stage, focal length, aperture used.
If you have discrepancies in these, you will be facing a long fight with photoshop in order to make them appear normal when you put them in. And you'll still need to remember to insert shadows. |
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05/21/2013 03:38:34 PM · #7 |
| I think I was not clear! What I was asking is before go in the dance floor, they would be some photo shoot outside in a room where I would like to setup. The idea with the setup was to have a green screen so that I can replace the background with whatever I want. I take photographs of all the dancers in the room before they hit to the floor. The green screen is not for the dance floor :) |
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05/21/2013 04:11:17 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by pgirish007:
I think I was not clear! What I was asking is before go in the dance floor, they would be some photo shoot outside in a room where I would like to setup. The idea with the setup was to have a green screen so that I can replace the background with whatever I want. I take photographs of all the dancers in the room before they hit to the floor. The green screen is not for the dance floor :) |
Gotcha- For the performance shots I'd suggest you take your 50 1.8 and 85 1.8, crank your ISO and do the best you can. If you start using flash you're really going to disrupt the whole thing for everybody else attending. If you have an affiliation with the group performing, I'd suggest you do a lit setup during a dress rehearsal so the audience's experience isn't ruined. Then you can set up your flashes wherever you want, get better photos, and still preserve the audience's experience. To that end, I'd follow the earlier posted thoughts on setups. |
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05/21/2013 10:43:36 PM · #9 |
I don't think the pre-show portraits are all that different than other portraits as long as you are not trying to capture action and the dancers can pose within the limits of your green screen.
Out of concern for the dancer(s)' safety, I would not use a flash during a performance - or even a dress rehearsal. Last thing the dancer(s) need is to be blinded by an unexpected flash - it really is a safety issue.
You need the tighter aperture to get enough dof to keep dancers in motion in focus - especially with a zoom and some distance between you and the dancers. Don't forget to factor in the depth of the stage / performance area. 1/120 - 1/160 with good spot / general lighting puts adequate lighting on the dancers. While arms & legs in rapid motion will blur, generally the dancer's body and face are not moving fast enough to blur.
Shooting the performance - it also helps to be very familiar with the program - it helps anticipate the dramatic moves and the "poses" along the way.
And yes, the 6D is quite different than the 60D. |
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