Layering...

I had the idea that dance is about movement - particularly ballet dancing. I had so many aerial shots and wasn't quite sure how to display them or anything, so I wondered how they would look if I overlapped them in some way to kind of create a multi ecposure style image. I used a prgram called photostudio (cheaper version of photoshop!!) to layer and resize my image and created these...

Considering I have never tried this before, and only thought of it on a whim, I think these images have a really effective quality to them. They really represent everything asscociated with dance - the positions and the variety of these. I basically took each imdividual image and created a new layer involving just me - the subject  - merged, resized, positioned and changed the opacity of the new layers to create the whole image. I really like the new images, the bottom two I feel are most effective and I am going to continue with this style of montaging through cutting and rescanning, multiple exposure with film and layering digitally...

Post Production....

Continuing with shoes....

Again, I increased the satuation of the first image and adjusted the tones to create a darker shadow and harsher highlights, particularly of the shoes themselves. With the second image, I simply changed it to black and white and increased the shadow and highlights. It gives a very reminiscent feel to the image.

Next...

There is a very sinister hauting feel to these images, as if they are plagued with something. Also because it has been cropped just of legs, there is no emotion or personality linked to it at all, they look like dolls legs.


Next...

These have a lovely airy quality about them, really empahsising the beauty of pointe shoes. The pure white background adds a really nice brightness to the image, and where I increased the shadow, it gives the impression that these shoes have been worn, but are precious because of how they are positioned.

Post production...

So my next step was to edit my inital idea shoots in some way to create a perspective when looking at the images. These aren't based on any photographer in particular at the moment but might have a distant link somewhere along the line...

I started with the images of shoes that I had taken...

I feel like by changing the hue of each image to change the colour of the grass represents a season.
Green = Spring
Red = Summer                                       -All suggesting a love for dance is never ending??.....
Purple = Autumn
Blue = Winter

Second shoot!

Second shoot.

Location - Garden

Camera - Sony A450

I like this shoot. There are some good images and here are the best...

As you can see, I added an effect called 'Wind' to the first images to really highlight the sense of motion capture. Some are aerial shoots and because of the brighter weather I felt this was more appropriate. The images are nice and I am going to try some post production work to transform the images. Again, this shoot was based on Ballet Zaida and my empahsis was on creating a contrasting mood to the previous shoot by using a higher saturation of image and brighter colours.

First Shoot!

So I've finally taken my first inital shoots! Yay! This first shoot is based on the photography company Ballet Zaida, with influences from Richard Calmes aswell. I think the shoot is okay, it is definately a good starting point and a good point to start developing from. Here are the best ones...

Firstly, I have to say they are self portraits and this was mostly due to who was avaliable on a wet and windy day in February, but I think because dance is such a personal subject to me, self portraiture really works. The contrast of the black dress and the brighter background works well to define line with these images. The images, purely due to weather actually look quite moody and dramatic because the sky is white and overcast. The first image I have reproduced in black and white and I think this adds another dimension to it. It comes across and quite self indulgent, as if I am presenting the landscape. The poses I chose are static and line based, which gave me (the subject) a relationship with the landscape.

Lois Greenfield

Lois Greenfield is another inspirartional dance photographer. Here is a link to some articles about how and why she has created the works she has...

http://www.loisgreenfield.com/about/library.html