Naperville Photographer, Chicago Dance Photographer

So, I knew I was going to do a composite image for some young dancers from Extreme Dance.  When we started talking about ideas, I learned they had done a hip hop dance with ninja costumes.  I immediately started getting ideas in my head.  Originally, I wanted a street gang fight with opposing sides, and I had pictured two tall buildings close together and a girl leaping from one balcony to another.  That was the main image in my head.  Well, as I started creating the background scene (before the photo shoot), I realized that wasn’t going to be feasible in the architecture.   I just couldn’t really make it work while still giving notice to the other dancers.  So then I had another thought of a dance battle where two are dance fighting center stage and the others are sort of surrounding them in a semi-circle in an alley with graffiti and stuff.  I really liked this idea, so I went and found my graffiti wall and another wall.  I created a concrete ground.

Then the dancers came to the studio and had a great time.  Since I am not a dancer, I was grateful that we were able to take what I was saying and seeing and they could translate it into moves.  We went one by one on ideas and assigned each girl a move.  Then separately, I photographed them in the pose, which usually took several takes in order to get it just right.  When I started editing them, though, and placing them in that semi-circle with two up front, it just wasn’t’ working.  So I took out the background completely and started putting them together.  Then I added the backgrounds.  With the girls placed how I wanted, I had to manipulate the walls, changing the perspective from straight on to angled.  I’m very proud of the end result.  I also added burning garbage cans to account for the backlighting on the girls.

Here is the final image – Dancing in the Streets:

 

And here are the elements that I used to create the final image:

 

 

 

The ground I created myself.  Hope you enjoy seeing my composite work. It is great for a sports team or when you want to do something really different and unique.  Pricing for composite work is not the same as my regular photography, so be sure to inquire.

Firefly Nights Photography is an internationally award-winning studio located in downtown Naperville.  If you are looking for a photographer for your children or family or athletes, be sure to give us a call!