This dance piece is based on the work of The Ashington Group, more commonly known as the Pitmen Painters.
This time Eliot arrived with various props including Davy lamps, pick axes and miners helmets. So just a regular day in the studio!
He then showed me some of the original paintings that he wanted to reproduce as publicity images for the production. They were set down a coal mine.
Now obviously the studio doesn't look much like a working coal mine so I knew I'd be putting backgrounds in with Photoshop.
The challenge was to get the lighting right on the dancers in a bright white studio, so that it would fit in with the chosen background later. I used a 300w studio light on a low power setting, fitted with a beauty dish and honeycomb grid. I positioned it at the same height as the miner's Davy lamp and as close to the models faces as possible without it being in shot.
The challenge was to get the lighting right on the dancers in a bright white studio, so that it would fit in with the chosen background later. I used a 300w studio light on a low power setting, fitted with a beauty dish and honeycomb grid. I positioned it at the same height as the miner's Davy lamp and as close to the models faces as possible without it being in shot.
Below is one of the images as it was shot.
And here is the final edit, with added coal mine! (click to enlarge)
I have to say I'm really pleased with how they all turned out.
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