Do you know how you can make a person float?
Well, not in real life, but a picture! Levitation photography is a fascinating thing. If you are just starting with photography, you might be wondering how to do levitation photography and tips that may help you.
Can you think of a little girl with a red balloon floating in the air? This image looks easy to create, but it is very difficult for a photographer.
But levitation photography is not always difficult. If you know the tips to do it the right way, you can create spectacular pictures. You need to understand how to combine two or three images into one picture.
In this article, let’s look at how to do levitation photography and tips and tricks to help you do it quickly and easily.
Things You Need For Levitation Photography
- A Camera. You can do levitation photography with a regular smartphone camera, but a DSLR is a better option to get a good quality picture.
- A Tripod. A tripod is beneficial and reliable to have.
- A Stool: You will need something to hold the object. To click pictures of people, you will need a stool or chair for levitation photography. To click pictures of food or any object, you need a string or any connector to hold the object.
- A Fan. A fan can give a floating effect and make the model look like their hair is flying in the wind.
How Do You Make People Float In Pictures?
To take levitation pictures, you need to be very creative. You need to think out of the box and experiment with things. Firstly, think of how you want to take a picture. Do you want to make an object float or a person float?
If you want to make a person float, you need to make them pose on a stool or chair to heighten. Make sure the model or the subject balances well in the stool.
To make objects float, you will need to do it differently. You will need something to attach the object with the other. A string or a wire may get the work done quickly.
Technique Used In Levitation Photography
- First, you need to feature a person or the product you want to levitate.
- Then you need to take a picture of an empty background without any person or object involved. Make sure both the pictures have the same background.
- You can use a tripod to make sure the position of the picture does not shift. Also, make sure to use the fast shutter speed for the best results. It will further help remove any motion blur.
- You can then use an editing tool like Photoshop to combine the pictures.
Essential Photography Gear Needed
The main thing required is the camera, a tripod, a stool, and a model you want to levitate. You can have a fan to make the hairs of the model float in the air. It gives some effect to the picture. Some reflectors for lighting and other props as needed.
Ensure the model can balance in the stool or chair, as it might not be very comfortable. A tripod is beneficial and reliable to have.
Other Things Required
You will have to look at even the small details like the model’s clothes. You need to have an idea of how you want to levitate the picture.
To make the picture float, choose clothes that can easily float in the air and affect. Levitation pictures come out great in long gowns and scarves.
You need to think of the object that will look great with the scene. Place them up accordingly.
Weather
Try shooting pictures in sunny or cloudy weather. If you take photos in the evening or the dark, it will be hard to edit the images afterward.
Sometimes, some people hold the model or the object to make them levitate. Please make sure the shadow of the person is removed and make it look natural.
Camera Angle
The camera and your shooting angle are also essential to consider. The angle from where you capture makes a lot of difference in the picture.
If you shoot from a low angle, the picture will look like the model is floating very high in the air. Make sure you can also see the props in the picture along with the model.
And if you click pictures from a high angle, it will look like the person is falling. You can try up with different angles and look at what pictures come out good.
Ideas And Tips For Levitation Photography
#1 Model’s Pose
It is essential to consider how your model poses. The model has to pose in such a way to make the picture look natural. The photographer will have to guide the model on how to pose.
A photographer may want to defy gravity or make a person float in the air.
You can click pictures of a model sitting in a meditation position. Make them float in the air. Just standing very casually against the wall will not give that effect.
#2 Balancing Two To Three People
Do you know how to make two people float in the air?
Think of the pose you want to create. Please make sure everyone balances perfectly and their shadows are also looking good. You can try making one person float and the other holding him up and making them fly.
You should think of creative and innovative ways to create some good pictures. Along with that, the person or model should also feel comfortable balancing and posing.
Make sure while editing the pictures, the pictures look natural and believable. It includes their clothes, shadows, expressions, and even hairs.
#3 Using Green Background
Using a green background helps you add the picture or subject to any background. It lets you change any setting.
You can edit the pictures in the green background using editing apps like photo enhancer or Photoshop.
The good thing about a green background in levitation photography is that you can change the lighting as you want and change the props.
#4 Lighting
If you are doing levitation photography in a studio, you can set the lighting as per your need. Choose a low contrasting light, as it is an excellent option to go for. You can adjust the lighting anytime.
If you are shooting outdoors, cloudy weather will give you low contrasting light. Shooting in sunny weather may not provide a good effect.
High contrasting light will not make the photo look real and natural. So try to capture images that will look real.
#5 Use The Right Colors
You can give an effect to your pictures by using the right colors. Like red is love and passion, Blue represents the sky, and black means power and fear. You can use dark tones in the background to express sadness around the person. While creating a picture, you can add such details to the photos.
#6 Try clicking All Pictures At The Same Time
If you think of taking the same picture the next day, it certainly won’t be possible. It is not possible to recreate the model’s position and adjust the lighting the same way.
So it’s better to capture all the pictures on the same day and time. Click three to four images together. Take a picture with the person or model. Then take one without the model from the same angle. You can adjust the focus.
If you are using a green background, try to match the focal point of the lens and adjust the lighting and colors accordingly.
Here are some shots you need to take without changing the camera position and angle:
- Take a picture of the model with the props. The image should be such that what the model is doing is clear.
- Try focusing on the model’s expressions and hairs. Try capturing the model’s hairs floating with the help of a fan or a dryer.
- You can also click pictures of the movement of the model’s clothes if required. Make sure the clothes easily float in the air.
- Take a picture of the background with the model and any props. It will help you edit the pictures
#7 You Can Create Your Own Story With A Picture
Levitation photography is exciting and innovative. You can create your own story with levitation pictures.
You can make a person float above the bed and convey how deep he is into his dreams. You can even make a young man with a heart floating above the ground and convey how deep he is in love.
You can think of such creative ways to create a story with just one picture.
#8 Combine All The Pictures
After clicking all the pictures, you will need to combine them. First, you need to adjust all the colors equally for all the pictures. Some photo editing tools will let you do all editing of the pictures in one go.
The bottom layer should be the empty background. Then you can place the picture with the model as your top layer. You can mask the layer to remove any extra things popping up.
How To Edit Levitation Picture Using Photoshop
You can edit the pictures in Photoshop using layers. Let’s look at the step-by-step process below.
- Open the pictures in Photoshop that you want to edit. Add one photo with only the background. Then add the other photo of the person floating.
- Add both the pictures in the same document with different layers. Make sure the background picture is at the bottom layer. The picture with a floating person should be at the top layer.
To do this, you need to go to “Select” and “Close all.” Then go to “Edit” and click copy. Paste the picture on the top of the background picture. The background picture is hidden.
- Now you need to mask the picture. Just go to the layer menu and select layer mask. Then choose reveal all. In the palette on the right, you can see a white box.
- Now the layer mask is added. You need to paint the object which you want to levitate. Use a black paintbrush from the tools and paint it black. Have a look at how the background looks like.
- You can make any corrections you want and make the picture look perfect and natural.
Levitation Pictures In Luminar
Editing levitation pictures in luminar are very easy and done in simple steps. You can even edit just one picture of a person balancing on a stool using luminar.
You can edit pictures in luminar using tools that will help you remove unwanted objects from the image. Let’s look at these tools:
Using Clone And Stamp Tool
The clone and stamp tool removes the unwanted objects from the photos. For this, first, you need to set a point from the pixels you want to replace. Paint the areas you don’t want in your picture. A plain background picture will help you remove unwanted objects with ease.
Most people use the clone and stamp tool to remove the dark spots and scars from the skin. But it works excellent to edit floating images as well. You can also use brushes to give some effect to the pictures.
Using Erase Tool
Another tool used in luminar is the erase tool. For this, you just need to select and paint the areas you don’t want in the picture. Like you can remove the strings and shadows from the objects.
Luminar will look over the picture’s background and generate a contrasting texture based on the background you select.
The erase tool will contrast with the lighting and texture of the original pictures. It is very easy to use and quickly removes unwanted objects from the picture.
Conclusion
Levitation photography may seem difficult, but it is not. It is entertaining and exciting to do. With the correct technique and using the right tools, you can do it quickly.
The pose of the model must be realistic and natural as much as possible.
I hope that you have learned how to do levitation photography and tips to help you do it with ease in this article.
