Levitation Photography: Techniques for Defying Gravity – from PictureCorrect

Levitation Photography: Techniques for Defying Gravity – PictureCorrect

Photography: Techniques for Defying Gravity

by Swee Shiong Chong

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Levitation is one of the most intriguing subjects in trick
photography; it has inspired millions of people since its invention in
the mid-19th century. The ability to harness the creative aspects of the
photographer and combine it with real-life images has resulted in a
combined revolution of art and science.

“Photographer Levitation” captured by Louish Pixel

One of the simplest, yet most overwhelming and inspiring feelings is
found in the types of photographs where the subject seems to levitate
above the ground. Levitation photography is still one of the most
eye-catching and spectacular types of photographic subjects. However,
despite the seemingly complex nature of these photographs, many of them
are simple to achieve, either all in-camera, or with the use of
technology such as Photoshop or an application on your phone.


For most amateur or aspiring photographers, the ability to improve
picture-taking skills is actually easier than we might think. This
article shows you how to incorporate this type of special effect into
your repertoire. The following techniques will help you accomplish
levitation photography:

Jumping Technique

The most spectacular effects are the simplest of all to photograph.
The subject simply jumps in place, above the ground, and then the
photographer snaps the picture. There are no post-production or editing
effects required, since everything takes place inside the camera.
However, it does take more than just simple jumping to achieve the
effect.


Stationary objects should also be included. In other words, the
levitation effect is more pronounced when we see objects that are
normally stationary in the frame of the picture, such as a house,
vehicle, furniture, or any type of stationary object in a levitated
position.


The human subject must not look like he or she is jumping. You can
achieve this stationary position with a calm expression on the face,
slight bending of the knees so that the feet appear to be floating
effortlessly off the ground, and some kind of rigidity in the clothing
that does not give away the subject’s motion.

“Test” captured by Amy Constanza (Click image to see more from Constanza).

If your subject has long hair, it’s important to press the shutter
button during the middle of a jump and not in the final phase while the
subject is descending with their hair appearing to be hanging from the
sky. You can also use hair styling product to minimize hair movement to
make the shoot easier.


The shutter speed on your camera must be set fast enough so that
there is no motion blur. You can hire a skilled model, particularly a
dancer or athlete who is accustomed to jumping, to create a more
realistic effect.

Double Frame Technique

The next type of levitation trick is using objects, for example
stools and ladders, to support the subject. After this, you mask out the
subject in post-production editing with the use of photo editing
software (e.g. Adobe Photoshop). This is perhaps the most common type of
levitation photography.


This type of levitation photography can achieve some spectacular
effects if done correctly. You should ensure that objects used to
support the subject are easy to remove in post-production editing. To
perform the post-production editing, you will require double frames
(i.e. shoot two images for post-processing).

Double Frame Levitation Photography Tips

• Use a sturdy tripod to hold your camera, and place the tripod at a fixed position for the entire shoot.
• Use manual mode on your camera to achieve your desired lighting exposure, and maintain the same setting for your entire shoot.
• Use manual focus-mode on the camera lens to achieve the desired
  focus point on your subject, and maintain the same focus point for your
  entire shoot.
• Consider using a remote shutter release or set your camera on self-timer mode if you are modeling for your own shoot.
• While shooting multiple frames, the first image should consist of
  only the background without the subject and supporting object. The
  second image should consist of the exact same background but with your
  subject and the required supporting object.
• After capturing the images, you will need to use Photoshop or other
  editing software to align the two images. You can then easily remove the
  supporting object by using the masking technique.

In essence, there needs to be a significant color difference between
the supporting objects and the subject itself. This makes it easier to
isolate and remove the supporting object while editing.

Tips for More Realistic Levitation Photography

“Levitation” captured by Dan Stewart / dan2452 (Click image to see more from Stewart.)

• Try to include or create shadows of your levitating subject. You
  should shoot the picture under soft lighting to achieve soft shadows, as
  it will make your work easier during post-production editing. When
  necessary, you can clone out the shadow of the supporting object and add
  in artificial shadows using the burn tool in Adobe Photoshop.
• The more complex the background, the more believable the levitation.
  Using a simple, solid color background makes it very easy to achieve
  levitation effects. However, the more complex and natural the
  background, the more believable the image. Removing and replacing the
  support structure is more difficult to achieve.

If you apply the above tips and tricks, you will definitely add wings
to your existing portfolio. Expert levitation photography draws an
impressed audience at a quicker rate.




About the Author:

Swee Shiong Chong writes for SG East Photo, a photography blog on techniques and equipment that is used in creating all types of photography from around the world. You may also subscribe to his newsletter at www.blog.sgeastphoto.com .

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How to Photograph Fireworks Displays by Darren Rowse

 

 

Fireworks Displays are something that evoke a lot of emotion in people as they are not only beautiful and spectacular to watch but they also are often used to celebrate momentous occasions.
I’ve had many emails from readers asking how to photograph fireworks displays, quite a few of whom have expressed concern that they might just be too hard to really photograph. My response is always the same – ‘give it a go – you might be surprised at what you end up with’.

My reason for this advice is that back when I bought my first ever SLR (a film one) one of the first things I photographed was fireworks and I was amazed by how easy it was and how spectacular the results were. I think it’s even easier with a digital camera as you can get immediate feedback as to whether the shots you’ve taken are good or not and then make adjustments.

Of course it’s not just a matter of going out finding a fireworks display – there are, as usual, things you can do to improve your results. With 4 July just around the corner I thought I’d share a few fireworks digital photography tips:

1. Use a Tripod

Perhaps the most important tip is to secure your digital camera to something that will ensure it doesn’t move during the taking of your shots. This is especially important in photographing fireworks simply because you’ll be using longer shutter speeds which will not only capture the movement of the fireworks but any movement of the camera itself. The best way to keep your camera still is with a tripod (read our series on tripods and how to use and buy them). Alternatively – keep in mind that there are other non Tripod options for beating camera shake.

2. Remote Release

One way to ensure your camera is completely still during fireworks shots is to invest in a remote release device. These will vary from camera to camera but most have some sort of accessory made for them. The other way of taking shots without touching your camera is to use the self timer. This can work but you really need to be able to anticipate shots well and its very very hit and miss (read more on remote shutter releases).

3. Framing Your Shot

One of the most difficult parts of photographing fireworks is working out where to aim your camera. The challenge you’ll face in doing this is that you generally need to aim your camera before the fireworks that you’ll be photographing goes off – anticipation is key. Here are a few points on getting your framing right.

• Scope out the location early – Planning is important with fireworks and getting to the location early in order to get a good, unobstructed position is important. Think about what is in the foreground and background of your shots and make sure you won’t have people’s heads bobbing up into your shots (also consider what impact you’ll have on others around you also). Take note of where fireworks are being set up and what parts of the sky they are likely to be shot into – you might also want to try to ask some of those setting up the display for a little information on what they are planning. Also consider what focal lengths you might want to use and choose appropriate lenses at this time (rather than in the middle of the show).
• Watch your Horizons - One thing that you should always consider when lining up fireworks shots is whether your camera is even or straight in it’s framing. This is especially important if you’re going to shooting with a wide focal length and will get other background elements in your shots (ie a cityscape). Keeping horizons straight is something we covered previously on this site and is important in fireworks shots also. As you get your camera on your tripod make sure it’s level right from the time you set up.
• Vertical or Horizontal? – There are two main ways of framing shots in all types of photography, vertically (portrait) or horizontally (landscape). Both can work in fireworks photography but I personally find a vertical perspective is better – particularly as there is a lot of vertical motion in fireworks. Horizontal shots can work if you’re going for more of a landscape shot with a wider focal length of if you’re wanting to capture multiple bursts of fireworks in the one shot – but I don’t tend to go there that often.
• Remember your framing – I find that when I photograph fireworks that I spend less time looking in my viewfinder and more looking at the sky directly. As a result it’s important to remember what framing you have and to watch that segment of the sky. Doing this will also help you to anticipate the right time for a shot as you’ll see the light trails of unexploded rockets shooting into the sky.

4. Focal Length?

One of the hardest parts of photographing fireworks is having your camera trained on the right part of the sky at the right time. This is especially difficult if you’re shooting with a longer focal length and are trying to take more tightly cropped shots. I generally shoot at a wider focal length than a tight one but during a show will try a few tighter shots (I usually use a zoom lens to give me this option) to see if I can get lucky with them. Of course zoomed in shots like the one to the left can be quite effective also. They enable you to really fill the frame with great color. Keep in mind however that cropping of your wider angle fireworks shots can always be done later to get a similar impact in your photography.

5. Aperture

A common question around photographing fireworks displays is what aperture to use. Many people think you need a fast lens to get them but in reality it’s quite the opposite as the light that the fireworks emit is quite bright. I find that apertures in the mid to small range tend to work reasonably well and would usually shoot somewhere between f/8 to f/16.

6. Shutter Speed

Probably more important to get right than aperture is shutter speed. Fireworks move and as a result the best photographs of them capture this movement meaning you need a nice long exposure. The technique that I developed when I first photographed fireworks was to shoot in ‘bulb’ mode. This is a mode that allows you to keep the shutter open for as long as you hold down the shutter (preferably using a remote shutter release of some type). Using this technique you hit the shutter as the firework is about to explode and hold it down until it’s finished exploding (generally a few seconds).
You can also experiment with set shutter speeds to see what impact it will have but I find that unless you’re holding the shutter open for very long exposures that the bulb technique works pretty well.
Don’t keep your shutter open too long. The temptation is to think that because it’s dark that you can leave it open as long as you like. The problem with this is that fireworks are bright and it doesn’t take too much to over expose them, especially if your shutter is open for multiple bursts in the one area of the sky. By all means experiment with multiple burst shots – but most people end up finding that the simpler one burst shots can be best.

7. ISO

Shooting at a low ISO is preferable to ensure the cleanest shots possible. Stick to ISO 100 and you should be fine.

8. Switch off your Flash

Shooting with a flash will have no impact upon your shots except to trick your camera into thinking it needs a short exposure time. Keep in mind that your camera’s flash will only have a reach of a few meters and in the case of fireworks even if they were this close a flash wouldn’t really have anything to light except for some smoke which would distract from the real action (the flashing lights).Switch your flash off.

9. Shoot in Manual Mode

I find I get the best results when shooting in manual exposure and manual focus modes. Auto focusing in low light can be very difficult for many cameras and you’ll end up missing a lot of shots. Once your focusing is set you’ll find you don’t really need to change it during the fireworks display – especially if you’re using a small aperture which increases depth of field. Keep in mind that changing focal lengths will mean you need to need to adjust your focusing on most lenses.

10. Experiment and Track Results

Throughout the fireworks display periodically check your results. I generally will take a few shots at the start and do a quick check to see that they are OK before shooting any more. Don’t check after every shot once you’ve got things set up OK (or you’ll miss the action) but do monitor yours shots occasionally to ensure you’re not taking a completely bad batch.
Also experiment with taking shots that include a wider perspective, silhouettes and people around you watching the display. Having your camera pointed at the sky can get you some wonderful shots but sometimes if you look for different perspectives you can get a few shots that are a little less cliche and just as spectacular. Most of the best shots that I’ve seen in the researching of this article have included some other element than the fireworks themselves – whether it be people, buildings, landmarks or wider cityscape perspectives.

More Tips

• “Find Out the Direction of the Wind – You want to shoot up wind, so it goes Camera, Fireworks, Smoke. Otherwise they’ll come out REALLY hazy.”
• “Also, I find that if you shoot from a little further back and with a little more lens, you can set the lens to manual focus, focus it at infinity and not have to worry about it after that.”
• “Remember to take advantage of a zero processing costs and take as many pictures as possible (more than you’d normally think necessary). That way, you’ll up your chances of getting that “perfect” shot.”
• “Make sure you are ready to take pictures of the first fireworks. If there isn’t much wind, you are going to end up with a lot of smoke in your shot. The first explosions are usually the sharpest one.”
• “Get some black foam core and set your camera to bulb. Start the exposure when the fireworks start with the piece of foam core in front of the lens. Every time a burst happens move the foam core out of the way. You will get multiple firework bursts in one exposure”
• “Another tip I would add to this is pre-focus if possible (need to be able to manually focus or lock down focus for good) before the show starts so other elements in the frame are sharp They did mention that you only need to focus once but its a lot easier to take a few shots before the show starts and check them carefully rather than wait until the show has begun and you are fiddling with focus instead of watching fireworks!”

Tell us your fireworks display photography tips in comments below. Don’t forget to tell us which city you’re in and what the fireworks are like there!

Read more: http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-fireworks#ixzz2b6i1MHm9

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