Irish Dancer
My daughter in her Irish Dance hard shoes (or heavy shoes) preparing for the regional competition. I like the reflection of her shoes in the dance floor and her...
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My daughter in her Irish Dance hard shoes (or heavy shoes) preparing for the regional competition. I like the reflection of her shoes in the dance floor and her blurred image in the mirror, showing her mandatory 'arms at the sides' posture. The traditional socks are called "Poodle Socks". :)
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Nov, 2017Views
1357
Likes
Awards
Contest Finalist in Stunning POV Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Cool Shoes Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Genius
Top Ranks
Top 20 rank week 2Top 20 rank week 1
Top 30 rankTop 30 rank week 1
Top 30 rankCategories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken in a workout studio at our local YMCA! My daughter was practicing for a dance competition and I wanted to get a photo like this for a ‘Cool Shoes’ photo contest. I tried taking a few in our small home dance studio but the background didn’t work well and I just wasn’t pleased with them. Here, the polished wood floors reflected her shoes beautifully and the big mirror behind gives a glimpse of the rest of the dancer and the traditional Irish dance posture.Time
It happened to be midday on a Sunday, but it didn’t matter because it’s an indoor studio without natural light.Lighting
I rolled around on the floor, trying out different positions for shooting, making certain to capture the reflection of her shoes with the overhead lighting.Equipment
Nikon D810. Hand held. Laying on the floor and looking like a weirdo, I’m sure. No flash because I didn’t want the flash to reflect off the mirror.Inspiration
The Cool Shoes photo contest on ViewBug and my daughter’s amazing passion and dedication to Irish dance. I thought it would be a great shot for her to keep as she grows up and I think the ‘hard shoes’ (similar to clogging) are unique shoes and the sparkly Swarovski crystals (added for competition) add interest to the shot.Editing
There were large yellow exercise balls stacked along the wall behind my daughter. They were too distracting I the image so I switched the photo to black and white to eliminate the distraction of the balls. The photo lends itself beautifully to black and white, it turns out, making the black shoes really pop against the stark white poodle socks and it emphasizes the reflection in the floor as well. Minimal other edits.In my camera bag
Nikon D810. Utility kit zoom lens and at least one prime portrait lens (50mm or 85mm - 1.8/1.4). Sometimes additional lenses if I’m not sure what I might be shooting. ND filters. 3 batteries. Small cleaning kit. Extra SD card. Remote shutter release and tripod almost always.Feedback
I am just an amateur photographer and I love shooting almost anything. Most of the time, I just carry my camera around, looking at the world around me from a photographers standpoint and shooting what strikes my fancy. In this case, I saw the Cool Shoes contest listed on ViewBug and it gave me the idea ahead of time. I had to truly create the image I wanted and it took a few tries and changing the location. We put on her crystals. Changed her clothes to not distract. It was a different mindset for me to have the idea of the image in my head and then to go out and try to create it. Either way, though, you are always learning. Always keep your camera, at least the basics, at the ready, and look at the world through your photographers lens. Visualize the cropped shot and take lots of photos. And when inspiration strikes you for creating a photo, go for it. Make it happen. Don’t be afraid to lay on the ground in public. Who cares what people think?! :D Modify as you need to until you’re happy with it. And then shoot some more. :)
