Long Work Days
Not every photo shoot produces the same results as the next, but not in the way that I expected. Of course, I try to get better photos each time that I go out there. Like a musical or athletic performance, you can get into a zone where everything goes right, sometimes you can get into a slump, and if it is a particularly long assignment, it can be a combination of both. For some multi-day ballroom dance events, I can get fatigued with the length of time in between some awards breaks. I can feel that my concentration is not as good, and I try different kinds of things to snap me back to task.
The first thing I try to remember is that every photo I make will have to be looked at again later in post. That means, I first try to make sure I have a clear view of one face, or two faces before I release the shutter. If I only have pictures of backs, that just takes time to look at, and delete. It may seem like it will not take that much time, but if you have thousands to look through, every second counts!
Photography Patience
Next, I try to wait for some really good action from dancers. If they are just standing there waiting for the music to start, or holding a starting position before they start to go, you can get a really nice photo of them. It will likely be in focus, with perfect composition, but no “life”, no action, and no real reason to spend time with the photo. This is something that I did a lot more when I first started photographing dancers. I really like the images from a technical standpoint, but it was not much different than what you could get with a cell phone at the event, and did not have the spontaneity that comes from the best dance photos.
So now, I try to avoid “dead dresses” where the fabric is just hanging down to the floor. Even if it is just their first few steps out of the gate, having the dress in the middle of a move – up and away from the body is much better. You will come away with more keepers from a collection of static images of dancers that more resemble statues than dynamic figures.
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