Levitating Your Subject


I belong to several Meet-up groups. They are a great way to hang out with other photographers and shoot different things than you normally might shoot. I was intrigued recently when I got an invite to join a session of "Levitation Photography." People floating in thin air? How can we make that happen? I was wondering if there was going to be some machinery that allowed people to be blown by strong air currents into a floating position. No such luck.

When we arrived, it was explained to the group by the leaders, that Levitation Photography is actually a popular cult technique that students and photographers are playing with. Google it and you'll see all kinds of images others have come up with - you'll even find several You Tube videos telling you how to attempt it. Or, go here to see more.

Organizers Bryan and Allen told us all that there are two basic ways to achieve a "floating blissfully in the air" look. One is by instructing your subject to jump but be aware that they need to look like they are NOT jumping. Hair can't be flying, clothes can't be moving upwards, feet need to be flat.

The second method requires a tripod, several exposures and some photoshop expertise, by merging layers of the scene before the model steps into it and after.  A large group of us broke into two smaller groups and experimented with both methods. The experience was fun!

Don't know where I can ever utilize this experience, but I will say I enjoyed the camaraderie and seeing the results of other meetup members and it is always great to discover new photographic challenges.

Thanks to our very talented models! Keep shooting, friends!

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