Photo Exploration: The Bird (or Movement IV)
Aerialists are incredible. Flat out, hands down — some of the most entertaining performers combined with incredible physical abilities. Twisting, pulling, turning, falling — it’s amazing. Seeing an aerial performance is great. Always, always, always go if you have the chance. The photo below is from the 2014 Sideshow Fringe Festival. This session was with the FALL dance company and Aerial Fabricators.
It’s been a long time since the last photo exploration post. The fall and winter were a productive time, just not for updating this part of the website. So let’s dig in one a photo taken around the time of the last photo exploration!
Long exposures a great. They are easy to do, fun to share, and usually provide some very interesting results. Almost every photographer I know has gone through a waterfall period, which usually involves considerations for ND filters, low-as-possible-ISO, stopping down the lens and looking for the shadiest spot possible to get a good image of creamy water over still rocks. For that matter, I still do those shots when the opportunity arises!
However, when working in a black box theater with high contrast spot lights, it’s much easier to do long exposures than anything else. The question is, just HOW long should that exposure be? 1 second? 5? 1/2″? It’s trial and error at the start, and with performances you might not get a second chance. Pro tip: auto-bracketing helps tremendously in this situation. But once you get the settings dialed in for the scene, some fantastic work can be captured.
I remember the piece being incredible. Bursts of motion overlaid on still and gentle crossings of the stage. When the performers were climbing, it seemed like they could have stayed aloft forever. When one came down, it was like a bird emerging from the egg and immediately taking flight. Enthralling, to say the least!