Dance Photography: Intuition vs Luck
In dance photography, you either capture the moment or you miss it. Unlike videography where you can record continuously and catch everything, photography demands precise timing. There are no second chances when that perfect leap happens right in front of you.
Shooting the Unknown
Most of the time, I'm photographing performances I've never seen before. Dance productions typically include specific "wow moments". Those standout sequences that are choreographed to be the highlights of the performance. These moments often happen fast and only last a few seconds, so you need to be ready without knowing exactly what's coming.
Dance moves quickly from one phrase to the next, which means there's no time to stop and check your shots during the performance. I only find out what I captured and what I missed when I'm editing later. In the moment, you just have to keep shooting and trust your instincts.
Where Intuition Comes In
Sure, luck plays a part, especially when you haven't seen the performance and don't have a detailed brief. But intuition is what separates good shots from great ones. When I'm shooting live performance, I get into a focused zone where I'm constantly watching for cues about what might happen next.
This means reading the dancer's movement patterns, listening to musical buildups, and sensing when energy is building toward something big. Your camera needs to be ready before the moment happens, not during it.
Experience Matters Too
Maybe it's not just intuition versus luck…experience should be part of the equation. When you've shot enough performances, you start recognising patterns. You know where to position yourself, which angles work best for different types of movement, and how various dance styles typically structure their big moments.
Experience teaches you the technical side too: which camera settings work in different lighting conditions, how to track fast movement, and when to anticipate rather than just react.
Making Your Own Luck
The best dance photography happens when intuition, luck, and experience work together. Your intuition tells you something's about to happen, your experience puts you in the right place with the right settings, and luck ensures the timing works out perfectly.
You can't control every variable when shooting live performance, but you can stack the odds in your favour. Stay focused, trust your instincts, and be ready for anything. The more you understand about dance and performance, the better you'll get at being in the right place at exactly the right moment.
Dance photography will always have an element of unpredictability, that's what makes it challenging and all the more rewarding. But with enough experience and the right mindset, you can turn more of those "lucky" shots into calculated captures.
