Theatre and dance

What this beautiful image may lack in exuberance is more than compensated by the elegant composition and sophisticated treatment. The square crop, along with the centred pole and figure, lend a natural balance to the frame, while the monochrome conversion, vignetting and subtle texture in the backdrop bring additional depth. The mood that the photographer has created is calming and restful, something that we imagine is probably quite at odds with the effort required by the dancer to hold this position.

Long exposures, zoom bursts and intentional camera movement are popular creative techniques for introducing motion blur to an image and conveying the energy of a dance routine. This photograph takes it to the extreme, producing an abstract play of light and shade which allows mere hints of the performer's movements to be recorded during a rehearsal. There are invariably many misses when taking a more experimental and fluid approach to photography in this way, but you only need one frame to make it worthwhile.