Lighting with Flash: Capturing a Dancer in Motion

Photographer David Hobby captures the strength and grace of a dancer in motion, lighting her against a "blow-away white" background.In this installment of the Lighting with Flash series, photographer and Strobist.com publisher David Hobby demonstrates using strobes to freeze action while capturing the strength and grace of a dancer in motion. After working through the lighting challenges of a dance studio, David sets up a white, seamless background and shoots some test shots, adjusting the flash units to create a white "blow-away" background that will enable the photo to be easily composited. Next, he photographs the dancer, working with her to capture a relaxed expression as she leaps and strikes various poses. After the action shots, David lights and shoots a portrait. Topics include: Assessing a space and setting up a background Lighting a background to create a "blow-away white" Working with umbrellas and ring light adaptors Lighting to show musculature and form