Levitation Photography

This style of photography is a fantastic vehicle for furthering the exploration of surrealism in photos. The main idea is to create a composition with a subject that is levitating to aid in telling a story. Think of reasons why you would possibly see someone floating or flying through the air to aid in telling your story (Really windy day and someone is being taken by a gust, or possibly someone in deep meditation which has caused them to float in mid air). These photos work best when there is an underlying story to be told - randomly taking a photo of someone jumping in the air and capturing them doesn't really create interest - there must be a story!

Part 1: Research and Report

Your first task is to research the following website: http://yowayowacamera.com/ A Japanese photographer who has essentially mastered the art of levitation photography.

Choose a photo from her works and save the image onto your Z: drive. Bring this photo into Microsoft word and briefly tell me what story you think she is trying to tell and what she is using in the image to help tell the story. Maybe she has included certain elements in the foreground, is holding an object, has used a particular shutter speed with a degree of effectiveness, etc.

Here are some guidelines to aid in your response other than the ones mentioned above:

Take a close look and quickly note if something jumps out at you.
Start with an interpretation: "When I look at this photo, I feel...." and explain your emotions when reviewing the image.
Analyze the composition: Centre of interest? What's the camera's angle? Rule of Thirds?
Background - Does it add or distract from the message? How?
Do the technical elements such as tack sharp focus, motion blur, freezing motion aid in telling the story?
Point out the good points - "I like the sky" is useless..."I like the colour of the sky" is a little better...."I like the deep blue colour of the sky because it contrasts nicely with the other colours in the photo" is best!

I don't need an essay! Just one or two paragraphs should suffice to cover everything - this is worth marks but it's also meant to create the mindset necessary to approach this assignment.

When completed, print and submit!

Below are some examples of Yowa Yowa's work!

Part 2: It's Your Turn

You will be working in groups of 3 to complete your photos. One thing to remember is that you will NOT be allowed to use Photoshop to complete this assignment. Just like the "Painting with Light" assignment, you will be submitting the JPEG straight out of the cameras so take the time to get it right when shooting!

Pay attention to details like whether or not your feet should be flat in the photo, hair flying around, keychains, keeping eyes open and closed, proper facial expressions and ultimately asking yourselves the question: "Does this work with my story?"

Shooting in Manual Mode will allow you to capture a good exposure as well as setting your shutter speed fast or slow enough to achieve your desired effect.

Shoot in Landscape mode.

Tips and Tricks to help you along:

1. Gather your equipment

Camera, Tripod, Willing (or forced) model

2. Clothing can make or break believability

Objects like hats and keychains can be dead giveaways because they can either float or stick to the body. Try to wear consistent clothing in terms of fabric.

3. Shoot from a low angle

The lower your camera, the greater the perspective of your subject flying much higher than they actually are!

4. Shoot on a cloudy day (If outdoors)

Harsh sun may create unwanted shadows, cloudy and overcast days create soft and even light which makes it easier to keep your images consistent

5. Take Multiple Shots

Anything can happen like clothing not cooperating, a blinking model, an unwanted shadow, etc. Take many shots to increase your chances of coming away with a winner

Safety!

In order to complete this assignment you are going to have to be jumping and/or contorting your bodies to obtain the desired effect. Be mindful of a few things:

If you are shooting away from the studio, remember not to block any emergency exits or block any doorways.
Do NOT disrupt any classes.
Do NOT jump off any stairs! You will only hurt yourselves and/or others.
Be mindful of others around you. You may need other people in the shot to tell your story which is fine, just make them aware of what you are doing so everyone is safe!
If you question if doing something is unsafe...it probably is! You don't need to put anybody in danger to complete this assignment.

When finished...

When you're done and have captured your image. Bring the image into Microsoft Word and include a couple sentences about the story you are trying to tell in your photo. You don't have to discuss technical details like you did with Step 1, just simply state what your photo is about and how the levitation portion aids in telling the story.

Submit the Word document when complete!