Dance photography? Is that a subgenre? You bet your bottom dollar it is. Capturing dance's fluidity, passion, and emotion through photography is both exhilarating and challenging. This is especially true for beginners.
First and foremost, dance is an art form that combines movement and expression, making it a unique and dynamic subject for photographers. Whether you're into photographing ballet or hip-hop, contemporary or ballroom – the following tips and techniques will help you capture the magic of dance every single time!
Understanding the Basics of Dance Photography
You Gotta Know Your Subject
The first thing is…understanding the dance form you're photographing. It's critical, and not every dance is the same; therefore, not every photographic approach should be the same. Each style has its own unique movements, singular rhythms, and emotional expressions. Spend some time observing rehearsals or performances to familiarize yourself with your dancers' key moments and signature moves. Ultimately, this knowledge will help you anticipate and, yes, capture the most expressive and dynamic shots possible.
Choose the Right Equipment – always important, right?
I get it—photographing dance can seem overwhelming, with many elements to consider. But don't stress! One thing you can definitely nail down is having the right gear. The good news is that you don't need the priciest equipment to capture amazing dance shots. What's crucial is having the "right" tools. The right camera with the right accessories can make all the difference when your subjects are ready to bust a move.
Camera
A DSLR/mirrorless camera with fast autofocus and low-light solid performance is a great place to start. Your autofocus has to be on point! And if the camera is good in low light, you can increase your shutter speeds. This means you'll be able to freeze some of that awesome boogie-woogie.
Lenses
Yes. You guessed it: wicked-fast prime lenses ( 50mm f/1.8 or 85mm f/1.8, for instance) are the bomb for capturing sharp images. They'll also help you maintain that beautiful background blur. Oh, and a versatile zoom lens (like a 24-70mm f/2.8) can also be great to keep in the bag. Gives you a little versatility without sacrificing quality and speed.
Tripod
This is a no–brainer. A tripod is useful for lower-light situations, helping you get steadier shots when you have to slow down the shutter speed.
Extra Batteries and Memory Cards
Always, always, always… have backup memory card to avoid missing important things or not being able to last the whole dancing session.
Mastering the Technical Aspects
Shutter Speed
What does capturing dance mean? Capturing dance means dealing with a lot of fast motion. So, you'll need a quicker shutter speed to catch those moments perfectly, freezing them in time for posterity. Try aiming for at least 1/500th of a second. This should cover most dance styles. And if you're photographing jumps or spins, you might need to crank that baby up to 1/1000th, or even higher, to get those crisp, freeze-frame shots that capture that mind-bending move mid-bust.
Aperture
Our old friend, aperture. As always, using a wide aperture (meaning a low f-number) lets more light into the camera and makes your dancer pop by separating them from the background, creating beautiful and blurred shallow DoFs. Just remember to be careful with your focus. This is because a very shallow depth of field might leave some parts of the dancer out of focus, too. What good is that when you want to see how the dancer dominates the floor? Am I right? Start out with an aperture around f/2.8 to f/4. This usually strikes a good balance.
ISO
While aperture is an old friend, perhaps you think of ISO as an old foe due to all that NOISE it can create on your photos (less and less these days as the technology has gotten truly other-word). Since it's common knowledge that dance performances often happen in dimly lit venues, like theaters or studios, you might need to bump up your ISO to get well-exposed shots. As I mentioned above, today's cameras can handle higher ISO levels pretty dang well, but you'll still want to try and strike a balance to keep noise to an absolute minimum. Try starting with an ISO between 800 and 1600 and tweak it as needed…
Composition and Framing
Rule of Thirds
If you don't know, the rule of thirds is a fundamental composition technique in photography. It can add balance and interest to your photos, drawing the eye where you want it to look. Now, imagine your frame divided into nine equal parts by two horizontal and two vertical lines—see it in your mind? Then, place the dancer along these lines or at their intersections to create a more dynamic and engaging composition. Boom!
Leading Lines
You can find these in life, everywhere. Natural lines in the environment are even used to guide the viewer's eye towards the dancer. When I say "lines," I literally mean any line you find in the frame within your photo; this can be the lines of a stage, the edges of a dance studio, or even the lines created by the dancer's limbs – all if equals a "line" and you want to use those lines to "lead" to your subject.
Related article: How to Use Leading Lines in Photography?
Negative Space
No, this isn't a downcast state of mind. Negative space—or the empty space around the subject—can be used creatively to emphasize the dancer and their movements. It's a pretty cool process of turning nothing into something. Negative space can also convey a sense of freedom and fluidity, enhancing the overall impact of the image.
Capturing Emotion and Movement
Focus on Expressions
As you probably already know, dance is not just about movement; it's also about the passionate emotion exuded by the dancers. Try to capture the dancer's facial expressions, which can add depth and even a deeper meaning to your photos. Do your best to look for moments of intense concentration, joy, and passion… things that pop off of your two-dimensional image and go POW.
Freeze vs. Blur
This idea gives you extra creative autonomy when creating your image. Since freezing motion is a common technique in dance photography – to show the precision of the subject – experimenting with motion blur is another way to produce stunning results that reveal a different "side" of dance photography. Maybe it has something more to do with the movement and passion involved in dance. So, to capture motion blur, you have to use a slower shutter speed (1/30th to 1/60th of a second is a great starting place). Then, pan the camera along with the dancer's movement, which will reveal the flow of the dance. This technique can convey a sense of speed and energy, as well.
Timing is Everything
Just like in life, timing is essential for success in dance photos. You have to anticipate the peak moments of a dance routine. This is key to capturing expressive shots. Keep an eye out for jumps, spins, and extensions. Practice your timing by watching rehearsals and/or learning the choreography. Experience and expertise go hand in hand when getting the most out of your dance photos.
Working with Lighting
Natural Light
Don't forget about your bright friend in the sky: the sun! If you're photographing inside a dance studio, take advantage of large windows if they have them, using up as much natural light as possible. Try positioning the dancer so that the light falls on them from the side, creating soft shadows and adding depth to the image… Another way of saying make sure you're adding a little contrast and getting the most out of your uncontrolled natural light source.
Stage Lighting
The nice thing about using a stage is that stage lighting can be used when shooting in a theater, but don't forget that it can be both a blessing and a curse. Stage light creates dramatic effects, yes, but it can also be unpredictable and overpowering. Set your camera to manual mode and adjust your settings based on the lighting conditions. Pay extra close attention to changes in lighting cues and be ready to adapt because the show must go on.
External Flash
If all else fails, bring your own handy external flash. Natural or stage lighting is often insufficient, so think about using an external flash, as you would with many other photo situations. Just remember that disrupting the performance or blinding the dancers are possibilities. Try to bounce the flash off a wall or ceiling to diffuse the light and create a softer effect, which will be less distracting to the dancers and, ultimately, more effective in creating an atmosphere.
Practical Tips for Beginners
Start with Rehearsals
Practice while they practice! Yes, photographing rehearsals is a great way to get a workout without the pressure of a live performance. With this approach, you'll have more freedom to move around and experiment with different angles and settings.
Be Respectful and Discreet
It should go without saying, but dance is an intimate and personal art form, so you don't want to be in the way while trying to get your masterpiece shot. Always respect the dancers and their space – they're working too! If you can, avoid using flash during performances unless it's allowed and encouraged, and always ask permission before sharing photos publicly.
Continuous Shooting Mode
It's super helpful to get rolling. Use the continuous shooting mode (also known as burst mode) to capture a bunch of images very fast. This increases your chances of getting the perfect shot, especially during fast movements, and doesn't pressure you to find the ideal moment.
Review and Learn
Just a good tip: After each shoot, review your photos. Analyze what worked and what didn't. Definitely pay attention to focus, exposure, and composition above all else. Learn from your mistakes and successes, which will help you improve your skills. No one is perfect right out of the gate, so give yourself time to improve.
Conclusion
It's true; photographing expressive dance moments as a beginner may light it far beyond your skill set. But that's not true because, with practice and the proper techniques, you can create stunning images that convey the dance's beauty and emotion. Just remember to do your best to understand your subject and master the technical aspects. Focus on composition and emotion first and foremost, and work with lighting creatively – because you're as much of an artist as the dancers you're snapping pictures of.
Most importantly… enjoy the process! Let your passion for photography and dance shine through your work, making the viewer feel like they're following in the conga line. If you show patience and dedication, you'll be able to capture the magic of dance every single time.
Related article: Capturing Motion: A Guide to Achieving Stunning Motion Blur
Related article: Glitch Reality: How to Capture Real-Life Scenes with Glitch Art Effects
Related article: Symmetry and Symmetrical Framing
Related article: Shallow Depth of Field: A Guide to Better Storytelling
Related article: How to Use Prism Photography to Create Creative and Abstract Images?
