Tag: dance photography

Shan Light: Choreographing Time and Illumination

Shannon Quinn’s photograph, taken at Void Studios, symbolizes the photographer’s exploration of long-exposure light painting in collaboration with a dancer. The composition highlights a figure in black, illuminated by vibrant light trails, merging technical skill with performance. This work exemplifies an ongoing artistic journey, emphasizing collaboration and the evolution of creative expression.

Studio portrait of go-go dancer Shannon Quinn wearing a blue wig and dark outfit, surrounded by curved orange light trails created through long-exposure light painting.
Shannon Quinn (ShanOSteel) photographed at Void Studios Denver during a collaborative light painting and long-exposure studio session.

In this striking image from Chapter 6 of Greg Urbano’s Top 100 Journey—titled “The Road Ahead: Recent Work & Ongoing Exploration”—the photographer ventures into territory that merges technical experimentation with performative energy. Shot at Void Studios in Denver during a collaborative session with dancer Shannon Quinn, the photograph represents a deliberate pivot toward long-exposure light painting, a technique the photographer had not previously explored in a controlled studio environment.

The composition centers on a figure clad in black with a blue-toned wig, positioned against a muted backdrop while wielding LED wands that trace vivid arcs of orange and yellow light through space. The long exposure—achieved through rear curtain sync flash combined with continuous LED sources—captures both the frozen stillness of the subject and the kinetic energy of movement, creating a visual paradox that challenges our perception of time. The metallic sheen of the vest catches ambient light, adding textural contrast to the otherwise shadow-heavy figure, while knee-high boots ground the composition in the physical realm even as the light trails suggest something ethereal.

What distinguishes this work within the photographer’s evolving practice is its collaborative foundation. Unlike many studio portraits that position the photographer as sole author, this image emerges from a dialogue between creator and performer. Quinn’s background as a go-go dancer informs the dynamic posture and confident spatial awareness visible in the frame. The choreography of light becomes inseparable from the choreography of the body, suggesting that technical mastery alone cannot produce such results—it requires a willing, skilled collaborator who understands how to perform for extended exposures.

The technical apparatus employed here—a Nikon Z7ii paired with Godox TL30 LED wands and an AD100 strobe—speaks to a hybrid approach that balances ambient light sculpting with decisive flash illumination. Rear curtain sync ensures that the sharpest rendering of the subject occurs at the end of the exposure, allowing motion blur and light trails to accumulate before the final moment of clarity. This reversal of typical flash timing creates a sense of forward momentum, as though the figure is moving into her frozen state rather than away from it.

Within the context of Chapter 6, this photograph embodies the spirit of its subtitle: ongoing exploration. The photographer’s willingness to attempt unfamiliar techniques in a new setting demonstrates an artistic practice that refuses stagnation. Rather than retreating to established strengths, the work here shows someone leaning into uncertainty, using collaboration as a catalyst for discovery.

The color palette—dominated by warm oranges against cool blues and deep blacks—creates a retro-futuristic aesthetic that recalls both 1980s cyberpunk imagery and contemporary LED performance art. Yet the image avoids pastiche. Instead, it synthesizes influences into something distinctly contemporary, a visual language appropriate for documenting this moment in the photographer’s trajectory.

As part of a curated selection representing his strongest work, this image signals not arrival but continuation. It captures the photographer mid-journey, experimenting with new tools and partnerships, documenting not just a subject but a process of becoming. The road ahead, as the chapter title suggests, remains open—and this photograph marks one compelling point along that route.

Downtown Denver Dance in the Streets with Nina Harrington

Nina Harrington’s dance pose in downtown Denver exemplifies a sophisticated blend of environmental portraiture and spontaneous movement. The photographer skillfully uses off-camera flash and a low angle to enhance the scene, revealing dynamic interplay between light, architecture, and the dancer’s grace. This image highlights the artist’s technical evolution in outdoor portrait work.

Dancer balancing on one foot along a yellow centerline in a city street, arms extended, with buildings lining both sides.
Nina Harrington performs a dance pose in the middle of a downtown Denver street.

In this striking urban portrait, the photographer demonstrates a sophisticated command of environmental portraiture, transforming a mundane city thoroughfare into a stage for dynamic human expression. The image captures dancer Nina Harrington suspended mid-leap above yellow road markings in downtown Denver, her body forming an elegant arc against the crisp Colorado sky. The composition exemplifies the photographer’s evolving approach to outdoor portrait work, where controlled lighting meets spontaneous movement in public spaces.

The technical execution reveals deliberate choices that elevate this beyond documentary street photography. Shot at midday—traditionally challenging lighting conditions—the photographer employed a Godox AD100 pro strobe without modification to combat the harsh overhead sun. This off-camera flash technique creates a subtle but crucial fill that prevents the subject from becoming a silhouette while maintaining the natural warmth of the ambient light. The decision to forgo light modifiers preserves the hard-edged quality of the urban environment, allowing the concrete, asphalt, and brick architecture to retain their textural integrity.

Compositionally, the low vantage point proves essential to the image’s impact. By positioning the camera near street level, the photographer achieves multiple objectives: the dancer’s figure dominates the frame against the sky, creating separation from the complex urban backdrop; the road’s yellow double lines converge dramatically toward the vanishing point, providing powerful leading lines that anchor the viewer’s eye; and the surrounding buildings—including the distinctive Paramount sign—frame the action without overwhelming it. This perspective transforms the ordinary into the theatrical.

The choice of the Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 lens suggests a working distance that allowed the subject freedom of movement while maintaining compositional control. The focal length appears moderate within that range, neither compressing the perspective dramatically nor exaggerating the spatial relationships. This middle-ground approach serves the narrative well, presenting the scene as the viewer might experience it while standing in that same intersection.

Within Chapter 4’s exploration of portraits created in studios, outdoor environments, and workshop settings, this photograph represents the photographer’s confidence in synthesizing multiple disciplines. The image incorporates studio lighting principles applied to an uncontrolled environment, the collaborative relationship between photographer and subject typical of workshop environments, and the opportunistic awareness required for successful street photography. The dancer’s athletic grace becomes a vehicle for exploring light, geometry, and decisive moment—themes that recur throughout his portraiture work.

The post-processing in Luminar AI enhances rather than transforms the captured scene. The color palette—dominated by blues, warm earth tones, and the vibrant yellow road markings—feels authentic to the high-altitude western light. There’s a clarity and dimensional quality to the image that suggests thoughtful tonal adjustments without the oversaturation or artificial drama that often plague urban photography.

What distinguishes this work within the photographer’s broader journey is the seamless integration of technical skill and artistic vision. The image requires split-second timing, precise exposure calculation, spatial awareness, and the ability to direct movement—all while working in a public street with its inherent unpredictability. That such complexity appears effortless in the final result speaks to the photographer’s maturation in outdoor portrait work, where preparation meets spontaneity in equal measure.