My daughters final dance showcase
Nov 24, 2016 13:48:42 #
Hello all,
My daughter has been studying ballet, jazz, & tap since she was about 4 years old. Last May was her final dance showcase as she completed her Associate level jazz certification. I have the good fortune to have the studio's permission to shoot at the showcase and sell photos to the families (at very competitive prices compared to most of the services out there).
The photo below is from the start of her final solo. Initially I hadn't thought much of the shot but it has grown on me greatly and I'm curious what others (i.e. not her biased father) think of the shot. I'm very limited in what I can do - I shoot from a specific location and the studio director wreaks havoc with the lighting.
Let me know.
My daughter has been studying ballet, jazz, & tap since she was about 4 years old. Last May was her final dance showcase as she completed her Associate level jazz certification. I have the good fortune to have the studio's permission to shoot at the showcase and sell photos to the families (at very competitive prices compared to most of the services out there).
The photo below is from the start of her final solo. Initially I hadn't thought much of the shot but it has grown on me greatly and I'm curious what others (i.e. not her biased father) think of the shot. I'm very limited in what I can do - I shoot from a specific location and the studio director wreaks havoc with the lighting.
Let me know.
Nov 24, 2016 14:15:39 #
romanticf16
Loc: Commerce Twp, MI
If you captured in RAW you should be able to work with contrast, midrange and highlight to improve the lighting. The pose itself looks Clasic for a dancer.
Nov 25, 2016 12:49:50 #
Ditto the previous critic/poster. I like the shot but the shadows (esp. on the the face) need to be lightened a bit and the burned out areas on the shoulder, arm, and legs need to be darkened down for a tad more detail.
Unfortunately, lighting people, especially in schools where funds are limited and they themselves are often only learning, light for effect on the live audience, not photographers. To capture great images in those situations taxes the best equipment with the widest dynamic range.
Adobe lightroom can help if you are shooting RAW, and sometimes make the difficult manageable. If you have photoshop, you might be able to select the dark "mask" on your daughter's face, feather the selected area a bit (so you don't get sharp edges on your alterations) and bring up some detail in the face. Deselect, then take your "burn in tool, set it to about 7%, highlights only, and fully feathered with a large circle that's about 1/4 her size, and go over the brightest areas to see if there is any detail that can be brought out. You do this again and again until the areas go gray and then back off in "history" to find the tone that pleases you. There are other tricks with selected color balance changes that can make those areas more natural looking as well, but now we are getting very technical.
Anyway, I DO like the "mood' set by the spot in the photo and the gradually lighter blue background (though I would probably enhance that) and the fact that her face/hair appears very sharp.
Unfortunately, lighting people, especially in schools where funds are limited and they themselves are often only learning, light for effect on the live audience, not photographers. To capture great images in those situations taxes the best equipment with the widest dynamic range.
Adobe lightroom can help if you are shooting RAW, and sometimes make the difficult manageable. If you have photoshop, you might be able to select the dark "mask" on your daughter's face, feather the selected area a bit (so you don't get sharp edges on your alterations) and bring up some detail in the face. Deselect, then take your "burn in tool, set it to about 7%, highlights only, and fully feathered with a large circle that's about 1/4 her size, and go over the brightest areas to see if there is any detail that can be brought out. You do this again and again until the areas go gray and then back off in "history" to find the tone that pleases you. There are other tricks with selected color balance changes that can make those areas more natural looking as well, but now we are getting very technical.
Anyway, I DO like the "mood' set by the spot in the photo and the gradually lighter blue background (though I would probably enhance that) and the fact that her face/hair appears very sharp.
Nov 25, 2016 22:25:11 #
It's a beautiful pose, Wayne, but perhaps you could work on the lighting?
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.