I had my husband shoot a show for me in Summer 2022. I was using a Cannon Rebel T6 DSLR. I had accidentally dropped it once and had to have the flash replaced. For some reason, I couldn’t get the ISO high enough and the shutter speed fast enough while also keeping the F stop low enough to capture the images. My dance company performs in a Black Box Theater. This is hard for lighting. And I found out that red lighting (a favorite choice for dancers) is also hard to take photos in. I had to put the camera in sport mode. This is not adequate for dance photography. The motions are too quick for the settings. Below are some examples of the blurry photos.
I am not sure if some of the frustration is that I began to realize the limitations of my starter camera, or that I have now learned more about taking photos. It could be a combination of both. I started searching for a new (to me) camera. I am still trying to build this business, so I didn’t want to spend a large amount of money, however, I did know that I needed to spend more than I did on my first camera. I also had heard that going mirrorless is a great way to go with dance photography. You can capture images quickly and can take multiple photos in a fraction of the time that a mirror camera can. I found a camera that had a good deal. It came with 2 lenses to start. I also found an adaptor so that I could use a specific lens that was for my Rebel T6. Win win all around. I settled on buying a Cannon M50 Mark II. Since I teach dance full time, I haven’t had much of a chance to use it. We had a performance in February and that was the first time, I really got to see what this camera can do for my photography. There is a much higher ISO setting. I also have a lower F stop. And the shutter speed is much higher. This is great for dance photography. I won’t lie, I was getting a little discouraged with my previous camera. This has re-energized my excitement to photograph dancers. I will be heading to Pas De Deux Photography conference in July 2023 and I’m excited to learn even more about this camera. Below are some samples of the performance my dance company had.
If you would like to see more about my dance company, you can visit www.thedanceeclectic.com