TABLE OF CONTENTS:
How To Photograph Fire Performers and Flow Artists
Fire spinning is a dangerous and beautiful art form. The best fire performer photography depicts the art, and the danger, of fire performance for maximum impact. In my experience, many photographers obsess over finding the perfect camera settings to capture pretty fire textures and siiiiiiiiick fire spinning trails while they unfortunately ignore the human performer who is risking serious injury or death every time they light their props.
As a flow artist photographer, the simplest way you can show any performer at their most primal is to focus your attention, and thus your viewer’s attention, away from the fire and on to the performer where it always belongs.
I’ve put together a growing list of my best photography tips, tricks, and camera settings so you can improve your photography of fire performers and other flow artists. It is my hope that these photography techniques can help you add a new dimension to your photography. My intention is to help you learn to see past the fire itself in order to photograph the soul of the performer by combining the best photography techniques from photojournalism, sports photography in particular, with different elements from portrait photography.
How To Photograph Fire Performers Like a Photojournalist
The best way to photograph fire performers is to learn the skills unique to photojournalism and sports photography. This is my primary technique.
How To Photograph Fire Performers Safely
Something to ask yourself: is it really that difficult to ask for permission, or are you just lazy, entitled, and possibly predatory? Always. Get. Consent.
How To Photograph Fire Performers Like a Soldier
In Part 3 of this Series on improving fire performer photography, I present to you the Four Fundamentals of Basic Rifle Marksmanship. Wait, whaaaaaaat?
How To Photograph Fire Performers On the Move
We’ll continue learning to think like a combat shooter because Army fundamentals and good fire performer photography fit well perfectly. Here’s how.
How To Photograph Fire Performers With Boredom
Photographing fire performers and flow artists became boring for me a long time ago and that is perfectly okay. In fact, boredom can be a powerful asset in your creative…
How To Photograph Fire Performers By Thinking
Looking for the best camera settings to use when photographing fire performers? I’ll give you a hint. There aren’t any. Read on to see what I mean.
How To Photograph Fire Breathers
Wanna know the best camera settings to photograph fire breathers? HINT: I don’t care about getting siiiiiiiiick fire textures.
How To Photograph Fire Fans and Palm Torches
Here’s how to use fire fans and palm torches as a simple two-point photography lighting system for beautiful portraits and action shots.
The Best Advice for New Photographers
This is the very best advice I can possibly give to new photographers. It may, or may not, involve 120,600 googol years.
Bonus Fire Performer Photography Tip: The Most Important One!
If you want to create the best photos of fire spinners and other flow artists, then the most important thing you can do is to forget about the fire. Learn how to see the human being behind the pretty flames, instead. I promise that your flow artist photography will improve!
The Most Important Fire Photography Tip
Do you want to schedule a photoshoot with fire?
If you already have a working concept, safeties lined up, and a budget in mind, you’ll get pushed to the front of the line!