How Did They Do That?! Episode 5

It takes a lot to create a great photo, and sometimes the process seems like a mystery to the casual observer. In each episode of How Did They Do That?!, I interview a photographer about the creative process behind one of his or her recent popular photos. This time, I talk to =lithiumpicnic about what went into creating Motion Study.







Can you tell me some of the technical details about this photo?



Two 800ws strobes, the lighting was a main light to her right pointing down with a beauty dish and a rim light with bare head shooting in from back left... the white tile on the floor bounced a lot of light back up... i think i was shooting at f9 250 ISO100. I just desaturated it a bit an pulled down the reds a little in post... I added a texture/grain layer as an overlay layer and reduced it down to just give it a hint of grunge... I also rotated it to make it more disorienting - there were no fans she was flipping her head back and kneeling on the floor.




What are you trying to say with this photo?



Like the title says - it was a motion study... just testing capturing motions, sometimes the best images don't have the intent of saying anything at all...



What kind of preparation went into making this photo?



We shot this at 3am. The bulk of prep was her makeup. The hair is a wig. She wasn't sure what to wear so i suggested nudes and the tule material I had bought and cut for a desert shoot a month before - we ended up not doing the desert shoot so it was around the studio...



Did you have a purpose in mind, or a goal for this shoot?



Lighting and capturing extreme motion - the trick was synchronizing the timing for taking the photo with the model's flips of hair and movements... there was no fan.



Did you have any problems or challenges with the shoot?



The wig flew off a few times. She got a headache after 40 or so "flips."







Motion Study is sheerly beautiful--pun intended--and captures the eye in an instant. It features the kind of precision lighting that takes years of practice to perfect. The model's compact pose and use of the long wig in motion fill the frame and create a compelling and effective composition. It's this kind of quality photograph that =lithiumpicnic produces time and time again that makes him one of deviantART's most celebrated photographers.



Thanks =lithiumpicnic for sharing some insight into your creative process. Until next time, ^superkev out!