This past weekend saw another item struck off my bucket list as I attended a workshop led by a photographer whose work I have been inspired by for decades. Joe McNally led an afternoon of dance portraiture at the Art Beat Dance Center in Cedar Park and we spent several hours watching Joe demonstrate lighting techniques and playing with various setups as four gifted, athletic and amazingly graceful dancers lept in front the lights.
Today’s picture shows Emmakate Franz, a ballerina with Ballet Austin, apparently suspended in mid-air. This shot involved three lights – a 5 foot diffused reflective umbrella camera left provided the main light with a small kicker at the same position reflecting off a silver disk on the floor to fill some shadows. The setup was completed by a warm constant light camera right to provide some edge definition.
I should note that any credit I get for this week’s images is solely down to pressing the shutter at a particular instant. The lighting was all Joe’s and I was just piggy-backing on his talent.
For the technically inclined...