sysop408 , to random
@sysop408@sfba.social avatar

There's a photography technique I use that I never see anyone else do so it's time I share it. I use it to capture action shots of people... typically dancing.

Most people would handle these situations by zooming in, spraying and praying, or being exceedingly patient for that ONE shot to materialize.

Those strategies were too unreliable for me so I learned to move with my subjects.

I pre-focus the lens for a set distance, wide-angle, full manual, and set the camera against my cheek. I move the camera only by moving my feet. If my subject twists, I twist. If they step toward me, I step back so they stay in focus.

Because I’m not using any viewfinder, my peripheral vision is good. You immerse yourself in the scene. When it feels right you shoot blind. With practice, your shots will line up.

You obviously will need good balance and confident footwork for this. I'm reaching back on years of Shaolin Kung Fu. If you've done dance or martial arts, you can get the hang of this.

#photography #dance #photographer

Two women dancing in front of a stage looking at each other with their arms raised. One woman has her back turned and one woman's jubilant face is visible.
In a darkened dance hall a man and a woman perform ballroom dance moves. The man is facing away from the camera. The woman is in the middle of a spin move and her hair is flying through the air.
A man and a woman in the middle of a darkened dance hall execute a spinning dance move.

sysop408 OP ,
@sysop408@sfba.social avatar

Movement strategies have always been a key asset in my techniques.

I was a physiotherapist and did . Understanding how humans moved was a chunk of my life. I developed camera techniques to leverage that background.

I use my legs to position the camera. This isn't "zooming with your feet." It's more like being a human tripod or camera rig. Putting your whole body into the camera makes it easier to keep the lens steady, get set, and then reset for unexpected action happening.

Here's a shot a friend took of me taking a photo with other photographers. I'm the guy in the classic Kung Fu/Tai Chi "horse stance" squat.

Which one of us three is best situated to quickly react if something exciting happened off camera? Much of the way I shoot comes from classic Kung Fu... questionable for fighting, but great for photography.

I'm not suggesting you need to learn Kung Fu to be a better photographer, but to be physically creative with movement strategies you already know.

Three photographers take a portrait of a person holding an antique top down lens box camera. One is in a half kneel balancing on the balls of his feet, one is kneeling with one knee on the ground, and one is in a square squat with both knees at 90 degrees and legs shoulder width apart.
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