Dance Workshop

[Mata]

I did this workshop a few weeks back. Trying to capture a sense of movement was a little bit challenging.

The images I did get showing movement were slightly soft off focus.

I intend to do a few more Dance workshops in the New Year to get a better understanding on how get that crisp shot.

I was hoping to get some symmetry with the pair but proved rather difficult. I came close in one of the Images below.

[Mike Farley]

The images I did get showing movement were slightly soft off focus.

I was hoping to get some symmetry with the pair but proved rather difficult. I came close in one of the Images below.

Were the couple moving by any chance? If so, you should really have used continuous AF, otherwise by the time the shutter has fired the subject is no longer where the lens was focussed. Flash and/or a fast shutter speed also help to freeze movement. Provided there is nothing obtrusive in the background, you could try a smaller aperture to increase DOF.

Framing a moving subject can be tricky. It is usually better to shoot wide and crop afterwards rather than frame accurately at the time of capture. Most cameras have more than enough pixels to allow some to be discarded later and still maintain quality.

You might also have found that shooting a burst of images rather than a single shot would yield better results, although the danger there is that you can miss the moment if it occurs when the camera is not firing. Knowing your subject and anticipating what is going to happen are key. If you press the shutter when you see the shot in the viewfinder, it's too late as your reactions will never be quick enough and the instant will have passed.

[Mata]

Yes they were moving. I was giving them instruction on the type of movements I was looking for. But capturing it – well that is whole different ball game.

As you say’ ‘Framing’ a moving subject is difficult. They were moving sideways as well as forward and backward.

I am making a list of changes I intend to try the next time and see the difference.

Do you think with a moving subject such as ‘Dance’ you would ‘ideally’ need a fast zoom?

Using a prime lens I have to physically move back and forward to capture the moment which goes rather quickly even thought I was anticipating the movement.

[Mike Farley]

Do you think with a moving subject such as ‘Dance’ you would ‘ideally’ need a fast zoom?

Using a prime lens I have to physically move back and forward to capture the moment which goes rather quickly even thought I was anticipating the movement.

Depending on the direction in which the dancers are moving, you might or might not need a zoom. A prime lens makes life easier as focal length is one less thing to worry about in a fast moving situation. With a prime, you can just concentrate on the action, shoot and worry about the cropping later. On a 24 MP camera such as yours you can discard more than half the pixels without sacrificing image quality.

I am surprised that these and my previous points were not raised by the course instructor.

[Mata]

Having attended quite a few workshops on various topics, I am coming to the conclusion that just because a person is a good photographer doesn’t mean they make good workshop facilitator?

I have run regular workshops in the past and one thing I learned long time ago was (A) to be prepared and (B) have a good solid introduction covering the basics of your topic before the start. Unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be happening in these workshops. There is a quick pep talk and that’s it. If there is a full house, meaning up to eight people, you do get left to fend for yourself unless you make the effort to grad the workshop leader. Some are more helpful than others.

I have to say up till know there is only one person I would personally recommend and that’s Anthony Sinfield of Park Cameras at their Burgess Hill branch. He takes you through whole set-up, step-by-step and will stop and answer any questions you may have.

A facilitator has to have a wide range of communication skills not necessarily related just to camera setup. Which are sadly missing from most of these photography workshops.

[Mike Farley]

Having attended quite a few workshops on various topics, I am coming to the conclusion that just because a person is a good photographer doesn’t mean they make good workshop facilitator?

Very true. They are two very different skills. When you are an expert, it is very difficult to comprehend that there are some who do not have anything like the same level of knowledge as you do and that even the basics are a revelation to some.

[Mike Farley]

One further thought about technique. If your models are sufficiently competent to take direction and repeat their moves, you could ask them to perform and just watch. That way, you could decide beforehand on focal length etc. and when to take the shot. Even if you do not nail it at the first attempt, there's nothing wrong in getting them to do it again until you do. That's almost certainly what a professional tog would do in a controlled situation.

[Mata]

I have started to make a list of all the workshops I have attended and what I have learned so far and which areas need further fine tuning.

Sometimes when there is a ‘full house of eight people’ you have limited time for setup as you would like.

[Mata]

Slowly getting more involved in dance and movement. Few shots of different dancers I have taken over the past few months. Not yet fully edited.

[Mata]

Another set.