Lighting dance/gymnastics

[PatrickO]

I'm planning a shoot doing some dance/gymnastic shots. I am working with a gymnast who is keen to collaborate. I also have access to a high ceiling dance studio in Norwich.

My question is what lights will I need to light and freeze the action for jumps, mat work and fast movements. I can get the studio fairly dark by closing all the blinds.

At present all I have is a SB-900 speedlight and a stand + small softbox for it.

Do I needs a set of studio flashes for something like this?

Patrick

 

[Garry Edwards]

What are the shots going to be used for?
If it's just small prints or web use then image quality won't be a big issue and the very limited power from your SB-900 will be enough, although I doubt whether there will be enough power to allow you to turn it down to get very short flash durations...

Obviously studio flash, and more than one, will make your life easier but for a one off shot I personally would go for hotshoe flash - although it would be much better and easier if you can borrow a second one as well

 

[PatrickO]

Hi Garry, thanks for your advice.

The shoot is just a personal project and a learning experience for me and the gymnast. I'm not planning to produce big prints.

I'd be keen the get the flash duration short enough to freeze fast movements. Not sure what flash duration I'd need to freeze dance/gymnastic movement. Would around 1/500 do it? or would I still tend to get movement blur.

I can probably borrow an extra speedlight. The other alternative is to hire some studio flash for the day.

Patrick

 

[Garry Edwards]

Hi Garry, thanks for your advice.

The shoot is just a personal project and a learning experience for me and the gymnast. I'm not planning to produce big prints.

I'd be keen the get the flash duration short enough to freeze fast movements. Not sure what flash duration I'd need to freeze dance/gymnastic movement. Would around 1/500 do it? or would I still tend to get movement blur.

I can probably borrow an extra speedlight. The other alternative is to hire some studio flash for the day.

Patrick

I doubt whether there are many studio flashes that will freeze that kind of movement. It isn't an exact science, because the existence/degree of blur will depend on magnification and direction of travel as well as speed - for example a F1 car doing 200mph a long way away coming straight towards camera is far less likely to blur than an ant crawling across the front of the lens. A hotshoe flash is far more capable of freezing movement, but only if the power is turned down low, which quenches the tail of the flash and effectively makes it much shorter. I doubt whether you'll be able to turn the power down much.

I think it's really just a case of seeing what you can do within the limitations of your equipment and being happy with it. Not that SOME movement blur in hands and hair is necessarily a bad thing anyway, it makes the shot look real, as long as the face is sharp.

 

[PatrickO]

Just updating this after the shoot.
Used two speedlights : a Nikon SB900 and a cheapo Chinese light off ebay.

I'm not saying they are great photographs, but the speedlights did a good job of freezing the movement:

 

[PaulJC]

Great results for only a couple of flash's