As I upload some images from tonight’s dance competition, I started thinking about the way I try to shoot dance. I didn’t have stategy in mind, but as I looked over the images, I was noticing what was similar or different from the way I shot the same routine before.

I have been conciously thinking that I should try not to shoot the same shot during a routine. Try to get something new each time. But as I paused at certain images from tonight’s edit that I really liked, I saw that it was very often one of the dancer’s best moves in that routine. There’s a reason I took that shot and there’s no reason I shouldn’t try and get it again. If the dancer is going to get better at performing it over time, I might as well try and perfect the shot each time myself right?
Images from the same routine will look different each iteration. The stage lighting and background are the biggest changes, but other things like my shooting position, camera settings and technical proficiency (did I say that?) also vary. When I edit the images, I may go warmer or colder for any given event. I might want a little more contrast, or a lot more contrast. I might be favoring a particular setting that month or using a different lense.

Next time I shoot, I want to allow myself the indulgence of shooting all those particular instances in a rountine that I can get each time. Make it better each time. I’m still going to go after whatever is working during the shoot, but I’ll let myself hit those posts with the signature poses.