Tiny Dancer
Feb, 2014Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This is a photo of my daughter with her dance teacher. I took the photo in the dance studio. Whenever my daughter danced there was something sweet and innocent about her and I wanted to capture that feeling and the place and time. She has already grown so much since then and it's a moment I will always treasure. Photography isn't always about getting the perfect settings. For me photography is about capturing emotions or creating a feeling. When I look at a photograph I want to be moved by it.Time
This photo was taken in 2012 at 9am when my daughter was only 2years old. It was an early class and the dance studio had the morning sun streaming through a window and because the studio walls are lined with mirrors the light just bounced off all the walls and ceiling and created a warm and soft glow.Lighting
The morning sun created an atmosphere that was inviting and gentle. It had a glow about it that softened everything, it was balanced there weren't any dark corners of the room or shadows the sunlight filled the room and it was ambient.Equipment
This image was shot on a Nikon D90 f /1.8 no flash 1/45sec ISO 200. I didn't use a tripod because the subject moved around and I had to keep repositioning myself to get the right angle.Inspiration
The inspiration came from wanting to capture a precious moment in time. The subject just looked so little and innocent. I wanted to be able to keep that vision of her little ballet shoes and sweetness forever. I was taking the photo to document history, her story and her love of dance.Editing
I did do a small amount of post-processing obviously changing the original photo to black and white. I always enhance my blacks and whites to create more contrast and sharpen the image but I was careful not to over do it as I wanted the overall image to remain soft.I added a black vignette and softened the edges. The overall feel for the image was dreamy.In my camera bag
My camera Nikon D90 and three lenses a prime lens which I love using for little people, newborns, small animals, flowers or really sharp headshots. The other lenses are 18-55mm and 55-200mm. I also keep a reflector, a speedlight flash SB-600, spare batteries, spare USB cards, my charger etc... If I am doing bigger jobs I have another carrier bag with a portable backdrop stand and black and white drop sheets plus my tripod and umbrellas. I also have softboxes that I can take on shoots.Feedback
I still don't feel like an expert after years of exploring photography. I just always try to be on the look out for special moments. Sometimes I think its great to be a wonderful technical photographer but for me it's all about watching and waiting to capture the emotion or context of a situation. I love that through photography a picture can tell a story and that when someone views a photo depending on their life experience the photo will evoke a different emotion for everyone. My only advice is to be observant, ready and live in the moment.
