# Bill Wadman's Dancer's in Motion how to....



## rexbobcat (Sep 22, 2012)

Dancers in Motion (15 photos) - My Modern Metropolis

I cannot figure out how to do this. I've tried just using one light and a long exposure. Didn't work. Then I tried using the modeling light on my strobe and flashing the strobe intermittently to capture some stillness in the movements. Didn't work.

Every time the subject is too transparent and doesn't have the smooth opaqueness of these.


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## Buckster (Sep 22, 2012)

Joe McNally did a similar thing in a tutorial type thing I saw recently, though I think he strobed them to show the dancers in overlapping sequence multiple exposure type composition in single shots.  I think it was on the Kelby Training site.

Anyway, both methods require a completely dark environment so that you don't get any light on the background, and very little under their feet, while shooting the long exposure.  Light ONLY the dancer during that long exposure, and control light spill so that it doesn't contaminate the background and stage.  That means you'll need a continuous light(s) with grids and/or flags to pull it off.  It/they will have to be far enough away from the dancer to light the dancer well without being in the shot, diffused so that you don't get harsh light and shadow, and bright enough to pull it off from that distance, even in a long exposure, since we're talking about continuous lighting here.


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## rexbobcat (Sep 22, 2012)

But how did he get the dancers so clear? Every time I just use continuous it's a big blurry mess.

I also can't get the ribbons of movement. It's just faint blur from one point to the next.


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## BillWadman (Sep 22, 2012)

Hey Rexbobcat-  

You were really close with the modeling light. It was one modeling light into a softbox right above their head. 3-4 second exposure.
I wrote up some advice in an interview for Popular Photography a couple months ago. Might help.

Tips From a Pro: Use a Slow Shutter Speed to Capture Bodies in Motion | Popular Photography

Good luck! 

-Bill Wadman



rexbobcat said:


> Dancers in Motion (15 photos) - My Modern Metropolis
> 
> I cannot figure out how to do this. I've tried just using one light and a long exposure. Didn't work. Then I tried using the modeling light on my strobe and flashing the strobe intermittently to capture some stillness in the movements. Didn't work.
> 
> Every time the subject is too transparent and doesn't have the smooth opaqueness of these.


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## Big Mike (Sep 24, 2012)

Whenever someone asks 'How did 'such&such' photographer do this...I suggest that they just ask the photographer directly.  It usually doesn't get them the answers they want...but it's worth a shot.  But it's even better when the photographer in question shows up here on the forum.  

My thought is that the movement of the dancer is what really gets the look that we're seeing here.  You can't just choose a certain shutter speed and hope that it works.  For example, I image that for these, the dancer would pause or delay at certain points in the movement, which gives you the more clear spots in the photo.


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## KmH (Sep 24, 2012)

Big Mike said:


> Whenever someone asks 'How did 'such&such' photographer do this...I suggest that they just ask the photographer directly.  It usually doesn't get them the answers they want...but it's worth a shot.  But it's even better when the photographer in question shows up here on the forum.


 :thumbup: Bada Bing, Bada Boom :thumbup:


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