L_ in the Studio

This was my second time working with L_ dancing (the first was in 2005), though it was the first time the session that I worked with L_ dancing nude, as well as clothed.

Digital Original

I lit the session pretty much identically to our first dance sessions, two lights per side, with two providing rim light (placed beside the backdrop) and two providing the main and fill light (places to the left and right of the camera. All through the session the flash heads were set to minimum power to ensure fast, efficient refreshing, so I could photography as quickly as possible while L_ danced.

I actually hadn't thought of the possibilities inherent with dancing nude (as our previous session had focused so much on the belly dance photos, it just never occurred to me that another approach could work) and it was only when L_ showed me several silk veils she had with her that I decided we'd start with nudes.

Digital infrared original, 6 frame stitch

L_ was kind enough to indulge me in the experiment, and once the lighting was finalized, she began moving and dancing with the veils. In the end, it turned out that one move in particular, spinning with the veil thrust out, worked the best and for about half of the time we work with her dancing nude, L_ was spinning in place! Not an easy feat.

Digital original

The final portion of the session was spent working with L_'s variety of belly dance costumes, mirroring pretty much the session from 18 months earlier.