# Levitation!



## JoshuaSimPhotography (Aug 17, 2012)

Recently there have been some amazing pics of levitation photography going around on the site. SO I decided to start this thread! I&#8217;m sure that many of you would have not tried it before, but when you do, you&#8217;ll get hooked (it&#8217;s basically a drug)! It involves a subject to look as if it was floating in mid air, giving a sense of ecstasy. So if you want to try it, here are some links for tutorials or inspiration.

&#8218;æ&#8218;í&#8218;æ&#8218;í&#402;J&#402;&#402;&#8240;&#402;E[&#402;}&#402;&#8220;&#8220;ú&#8249;L(yowayowa) famous levitation photographer
How to do Levitation Photography - YouTube
Photoshop How To - Levitation - When Light Falls - YouTube
Photography Tutorial: How To Float In Mid Air - YouTube

Levitation has a neat effect! Give it a try or post some pics you already took!

Looking forward to seeing the pics,
J SIM


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## The Barbarian (Aug 17, 2012)

Or you could find someone who actually does levitate.


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## bleeblu (Aug 17, 2012)

The Ease of Falling by Mark Harless, on Flickr


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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Aug 17, 2012)

Wow nice!


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## rexbobcat (Aug 18, 2012)

Tried it today. I'll probably try again tomorrow if I can think of neat ways to do it in a less generic way. lol


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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Aug 18, 2012)

Glad that someone tried it! Nice pic!


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## jake337 (Aug 19, 2012)

rexbobcat said:


> Tried it today. I'll probably try again tomorrow if I can think of neat ways to do it in a less generic way. lol



Just needs some shadows for realism.


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## rexbobcat (Aug 19, 2012)

jake337 said:


> rexbobcat said:
> 
> 
> > Tried it today. I'll probably try again tomorrow if I can think of neat ways to do it in a less generic way. lol
> ...



That's how it actually looked, though. It was a really rainy day. Heh.  In the first one there's a really small shadow from the stool I was on but that's all there was with the super diffused light.

If I added more shadows it would look odd since the lighting is pretty even throughout. I don't think it'd be possible without it looking too fake.


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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Aug 19, 2012)

Hmm, I understand what u mean by the lighting, it is quite a dark day. But is still great!


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## The Barbarian (Aug 19, 2012)

The second shot is remarkably good for a first time attempt.  You look very relaxed, and engrossed in the book.


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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Aug 20, 2012)

Yeah, most levitation shots should be elegant and not trying to actually represent &#8216;I&#8217;m floating, OMG!'


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## Photographiend (Aug 20, 2012)

bleeblu said:


> The Ease of Falling by Mark Harless, on Flickr




This is so freakishly amazing! Did you really do that? Wow... *drools* 

I should clear up that I am not into chicks. Just amazing photography.


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## rbeistegui (Aug 20, 2012)

rexbobcat, the methodology you used was the one of the bench, right? or jumped?

In the tutorials there are 2 different ways of taking this type of pictures, how do you think this girl Yowayowa takes the pictures? jumping?


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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Aug 21, 2012)

Yes, she is frozen has no editing. the Digital Rev vid explains that. But, she had a friend who took the pics, and rexbc was using a bench. As it is veery hard to freeze urself&#8230;by yourself!


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## jake337 (Aug 21, 2012)

JoshuaSimPhotography said:


> Yes, she is frozen has no editing. the Digital Rev vid explains that. But, she had a friend who took the pics, and rexbc was using a bench. As it is veery hard to freeze urself&#8230;by yourself!



Remote trigger and timer on 10 seconds should do the trick.


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## jake337 (Aug 21, 2012)

rexbobcat said:


> jake337 said:
> 
> 
> > rexbobcat said:
> ...



True.

Try this, take you exposures into post.  Get a duplicate layer going for your body and tweak your curves, bringing up the highlight side and pulling down the shadows.  Layer mask and paint your body.  Flatten image and burn(5-20%), very very slightly, the ground underneath you.  Flatten image and add a slight vignette.  Now you have created some extra lighting form above and a shadow.


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## bleeblu (Aug 22, 2012)

We Share The Same Soul by Mark Harless, on Flickr


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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Aug 22, 2012)

:hail:


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## henryalg01 (Aug 22, 2012)

rexbobcat said:


> Tried it today. I'll probably try again tomorrow if I can think of neat ways to do it in a less generic way. lol



photoshop ?


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## henryalg01 (Aug 22, 2012)

well i just want to post levi thing , i tried this morning but can't handle the sun ..anyone help me to edit ?

1.


 

2.
 

3.
 

4.


5.Dad's New Magic Broom lol



try this ..http://yowayowacamera.com/


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## rexbobcat (Aug 22, 2012)

The urban Meditator. I like both the black and white versions (it was originally just going to be b&w) so...yeah...

Still working on it...lol


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## henryalg01 (Aug 22, 2012)

rexbobcat said:


> The urban Meditator. I like both the black and white versions (it was originally just going to be b&w) so...yeah...
> 
> Still working on it...lol



yeah...more better if someone shoot for you ...i'm using chair..no tripod yet and using brust mode...


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## henryalg01 (Aug 22, 2012)

hi rex...will you help me to edit mine ? ty...


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## rexbobcat (Aug 22, 2012)

What do you need help with?


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## henryalg01 (Aug 22, 2012)

can you make my photos more dramatic ... ihave no idea how to deal with editing..i saw yours and very nice


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## rexbobcat (Aug 22, 2012)

It mostly has to do with lighting.  What I noticed in yours is that you have ALOT of overexposed, blownout portions of sky. Try to find some shade that gives you some even lighting. Then in GIMP or Photoshop play with the levels/curves until you get the look you want. If you have even lighting, then you have more latitude for editing without losing detail. In my last photo it was a cloudy day so I just positioned the model towards the sun, which was nice and diffused.

Also; if you have a DSLR you might consider using wide apertures to blur the background.

Here's a good resource if you're wondering about how to make your portraits pop.

Portrait Photography Tips
Understanding Natural Light Portrait Photography: A Guide to Learning to See Light


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## henryalg01 (Aug 22, 2012)

ic...another interesting me...i am using bridge camera now


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## jaicatalano (Aug 22, 2012)

I sometimes like to fly in my hallway when the kids are asleep.


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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Aug 22, 2012)

Im really glad that other&#8217;s are actually trying this, it has great pics!


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## henryalg01 (Aug 23, 2012)

i'm starting to love levitation...its fun lol ...try to shot this afternoon ... i hate to control lighting....:

1.SUPER ME



2.DOES HE REALIZE ?


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## mishele (Aug 24, 2012)

bleeblu said:


> The Ease of Falling by Mark Harless, on Flickr



[h=1]Photo of the Month Nomination[/h]


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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Aug 24, 2012)

Wow, congratz beeblu!


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## bleeblu (Aug 25, 2012)

Sol by Mark Harless, on Flickr


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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Aug 25, 2012)

Nice! I&#8217;m really loving these, I myself was thinking about including a balloon in some of my pics. Great!


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## GrantH (Aug 26, 2012)

My very first attempt, and first real "edit" I have done outside of exposure and tonal correction.


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## GrantH (Aug 26, 2012)

Here is another of my pup. Just quick ones while I am bored at home. This is something I look forward to really playing with.


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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Aug 26, 2012)

Love how u added a whole new perspective!


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## MK3Brent (Aug 26, 2012)




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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Aug 26, 2012)

Attack of the fridge!! Nice!


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## arrested_truth (Aug 26, 2012)

First post on here... and also first attempt at levitation. Feedback is greatly welcomed...


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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Aug 26, 2012)

wow! well done, nice warmth, lighting, shadows, I really love ur interpratation


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## arrested_truth (Aug 27, 2012)

Thank you very much!  Originally I was intending on leaving the 'natural' colors for show, but I really loved the sepia warmth combined with the shadows, that I started working with


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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Aug 27, 2012)

Yes, but it only works as there is an actual light. And it would look unnatural if the sun gave off those colours. But that light can.


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## henryalg01 (Aug 28, 2012)

nice work...i love to see real flying not edit ...this nice levi jump...for me doing levitation with real jump is more than editing.
Good Job


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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Aug 28, 2012)

Yes agreed, but good work to everyone! These are great!!


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## Bram (Sep 1, 2012)

These are insane! I want to try now!


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## arrested_truth (Sep 1, 2012)

As this was my first attempt, I have yet to try out the jumping levitation method... should be interesting I think


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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Sep 1, 2012)

I want so see them!


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## proberok (Nov 1, 2013)

*Air Swimming*


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