Mastering Movement: Tips for Photographing Dynamic Dance Poses

Dancing is a form of expression, and capturing dance poses is a wonderful way to highlight the strength and determination of a dancer.

Using the best poses, capturing leaps and jumps, and expert use of lighting can bring static images to life. Photographing a dancer is also about forming a connection and understanding that mistakes happen. Allowing grace for yourself and your dancers is key to a successful photo session.

Sports Star Photography has some tips and tricks to elevate your dance photography session and bring a still portrait to life.

Best Poses for Dance Photography

The number one pose for dance photography is the one that your subject is most comfortable with. This is where forming a connection with your dancers is important. Understanding their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to dancing can help you direct and photograph the best images possible.

Dancers are very strict about technique, so allowing them to view your photos on set will help them adjust their bodies and perfect their poses. This will allow them to love their finished photos.

Talk to your dancers and ask them which poses they feel the most comfortable putting on display. Not every dancer will like the same poses, so allowing them to choose will make for a better photography session.

Capturing Leaps and Jumps

Capturing leaps and jumps in dance photography is all about anticipation. You may have to practice a few times to get the timing just right, and even then, the jumps and leaps may not look the same every time. However, there are ways to adjust camera settings to capture the moment perfectly.

To catch a crisp image of movement, alter your camera settings to 1/500s shutter speed. On a bright, clear day, a shutter speed of 1/2000s can freeze any human movement.

This is perfect for running and jumping. If you’re photographing outside, this will help make the images look amazing. In addition, encourage your dancers to wear lightweight clothing to really make the jump and leap stand out.

Another way to help freeze a leap or jump is to use a flash.

Use of Lighting and Flash

Natural sunlight is perfect for dance photography, but it is not always a beautiful, sunny day. That’s why we have to make adjustments to our plan depending on lighting.

If you don’t have enough ambient lighting, using flash or extra lighting can help bring your photos to life. When photographing movement, sometimes, a flash can help freeze motion and highlight the strength within the dancer as their muscles shift through movement.

Using different flash durations can change the look of the photograph as well. If your ambient lighting is low, use a lower flash power and faster flash duration.

Additional lighting can be used for dance photography, particularly when filming indoors or in a studio. Some techniques include using a beauty dish, a grid, or a strip with a grid. This will help you capture more contrast in the photos. Always be mindful of where the lighting will fall on the dancer as they move through a leap or jump or when they settle into a pose.

Creative Techniques for Better Photos

If you want to get experimental with your photos, there are plenty of ways to have fun and try something new. You can experiment with different angles, both on a tripod and handheld, and experiment with lighting and editing techniques.

A few ways to have a little fun with dance photography include:

• Using smoke bombs

• Incorporating mirrors and reflections

• Photographing in silhouette

• Shoot-Through using foreground objects

• Motion/Long exposures

• Colored gels on flash composites in post

• Creative cropping techniques

While these may be fun, always remember that you’re photographing the dancer to highlight them, not necessarily your photography skills. Your skills will shine when the dancers are happy with their final prints.

Photograph Your Dancers Today with Sports Star Photography

At Sports Star Photography, we can photograph a variety of sports portraits, which includes dancers. If you are a studio owner and want to capture dynamic and beautiful images of your dancers, contact us today for more information. We can capture group images and individuals in poses, highlighting their abilities as a dancer.

Call us today at 612-824-3509 or send us a message on our website. We look forward to working with you!