How It’s Done
The best thing about being a photographer is having your unique style, but there are certain elements that is wide-spread in terms of technique. A levitation photograph is mastered in a number of ways, either through jumping, using a chair or a stool to ‘float’ on, or, finding your own way.
Below is a step by step for using a chair as your basis for a levitation photograph.
1. Test the lighting and arrange your backdrop if you’re shooting indoors, or construct the scene outdoors in the fashion that you’d like it. Remember, if you want to add anything to the image later, such as another object, it would be best to capture the object in the same lighting parameters as your actual photograph. That way it will save you a bit of editing later on.
2. Take a few test shots to see if you’re happy with the lighting and overall presentation of the image. This is optional, but it sometimes helps you to see where you need to make adjustments.
3. Take a ‘blank’ – which means, take a photograph with nothing in it besides the background and any objects that won’t be floating, this includes your model or yourself if you are doing self-portraiture. You will use this image to edit onto later on.
4. Without adjusting the settings on the camera and preferably using a tripod so that the image is the same on both the blank and levitation photograph, arrange the model or yourself on top of the chair and in the preferred pose. Of course the pose and motion of the model is completely up to you, but when editing you will use the first picture and the picture with the model to create the illusion.
There are many other ways to master levitation photography, but the above steps are a very basic outline of how to accomplish a levitation photograph.
An American photographer Stephanie Ann has a tutorial on how she masters levitation photography.
The YouTube ID of l9gZVaYsqvs?feature=player_profilepage is invalid.Examples Of Levitation Photography
Click on photograph to see source
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Our interview with the lovely Brooke Shaden can be found here.