Capturing Grace on Circus Lane: A Dance Photo Shoot with Rebeka

One sunny afternoon in Edinburgh, I strolled down Circus Lane, this adorable little street known for its charm and cobblestone path. It was the perfect spot for a dance photoshoot with Rebeka.

The Setting: Circus Lane

Circus Lane is a special place, with its walls covered in ivy and colourful flowers blooming everywhere. As a photographer, I’m drawn to locations with a strong sense of character, and Circus Lane has that. The sunlight on that particular day gave everything a golden glow, making the scenery even more enchanting and giving us plenty of lighting opportunities.

Dancer Rebeka on CIrcus Lane, Edinburgh. Image 1
Here I used a wide open aperture (f1.4) to blur the background as much as possible to isolate the dancer.

Natural Light: Making the Most of the Sun

Working with natural light is always challenging and a delight in outdoor photography. We started the shoot late afternoon when the sunlight was strong but soft enough to avoid harsh overhead shadows.

Dancer Rebeka on CIrcus Lane, Edinburgh. Image 1
The clouds cleared up in the background and for the rest of the shoot I used a smaller aperture to keep the lovely background somewhat in focus.

On that sunny day, the sunlight was our greatest asset and a tricky element to handle. Fortunately, I could frontlight Rebeka and have St Stephen’s church in the background.

Dancer Rebeka on CIrcus Lane, Edinburgh. Image 3
Rebeka showcasing her flexibility.

Capturing Movement: The Dance

We started with warm-up shots to get her comfortable with the space and the cobblestones beneath her feet.  I focused on capturing both the fluidity of her dance and the moments of stillness that added punctuation to her routine.

Dancer Rebeka on CIrcus Lane, Edinburgh. Image 4
My favourite image of this series.

Reflections and Insights

Shooting with natural light demands adaptability and a keen eye for how the light interacts with the subject and surroundings. Throughout the shoot, I adjusted my position and camera settings to take full advantage of the sunlight. The dance between Rebeka’s graceful moves and the light was a testament to the spontaneity and creative possibilities of natural light photography.

Dancer Rebeka on CIrcus Lane, Edinburgh. Image 5
For this pic we moved to a shadow area and I used a telephoto to compress the background to avoid distracting elements.

Rebeka’s performance, set against the backdrop of one of Edinburgh’s most picturesque streets, resulted in a series of photographs celebrating the elegance of dance and the unique beauty of this historic location.

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