Chris Dodkin
West Coast Correspondent
This site is just amazing - I'm in awe of the idea, and the execution of these shots - some of them are just superb!
Photographer Natsumi Hayashi lives in Tokyo with two cats (who star in some of the shots)
She photographs mostly levitating self-portraits (and cats not levitating).
She posts a blog of levitation images, which has really developed and taken on a life of it's own.
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Natsumi's now experimenting with stereo image pairs as well!
Natsumi provides in-depth tips on how to take levitation shots, and 3D shots
- Equipment and shutter speed
- Ask someone to press the shutter release button
When I take my levitation farther away from the camera than 10 second distance, I ask someone (mostly my friend) to press the shutter release button. First, I ask my friend to be a stand-in in a proper position to get a composition and a focus.
Then I go to the position to levitate, and my friend come to the camera (we switch our position) to press a shutter release button in time with my jumps.
- With a self-timer
EOS 5D Mk2 has a 10sec. timer as it's longest timer set up. This means that I can get away as far as 10 second distance from the camera after I press the shutter release button.
First, I get a composition and a focus manually.
Then I press the shutter release, run to the right position for a levitation as checking the camera's blinking red LED counts down 10 seconds and jump by my intuition.
In this manner, I need to jump over and over to get the right shot.
How to view/take Levitation (3D)
- How to view "Today's Levitation (3D)" (without using any optical glasses or viewer)
- "Parallel viewing" and "crossed-eye viewing" images
With "parallel viewing" images: Please see the image on the right with your right eye, the image on the left with your left eye.
With "crossed-eye viewing" images: Please see the image on the right with your left eye, the image on the left with your right eye.
When you feel natural depth of space, you are seeing the suitable set of images for you.
But I think that my explanation is still difficult for a beginner. If you feel it's too difficult, please see the following website by Mr. Greg Erker which gives us very useful information for viewing stereo (3D) images: How To Freeview Stereo (3D) Images
- How to take "Today's Levitation (3D)"
- I set two cameras (Canon EOS 5D Mk2s with the same PENTAX 67 lenses) on two tripods horizontally as close as possible each other and connect extended shutter release cables to each camera.
Both cameras need to be set up with the same ISO, iris, shatter speed and white balance. Since shutter speed of both cameras are quite fast (faster than 1/500 sec.) for levitation photography, I have to press both shutter release buttons as simultaneously as possible to get the same perfect moment for both cameras.
It's enough to give you wings!
Photographer Natsumi Hayashi lives in Tokyo with two cats (who star in some of the shots)
She photographs mostly levitating self-portraits (and cats not levitating).
She posts a blog of levitation images, which has really developed and taken on a life of it's own.
‚æ‚í‚æ‚íƒJƒƒ‰ƒE[ƒ}ƒ““ú‹L
Natsumi's now experimenting with stereo image pairs as well!
Natsumi provides in-depth tips on how to take levitation shots, and 3D shots
- Equipment and shutter speed
- Camera body: Canon EOS 5D Mk2
- Lenses: Canon EF50mm F1.2L USM, EF24-70mm F2.8L USM, PENTAX 67 lenses (with adaptors)
- Tripods: Gitzo's rapid-pole 3 steps with ball heads (from 1980s)
- Shutter speed: 1/500 sec. or faster (1/320 sec. can be used in a darker condition)
- Ask someone to press the shutter release button
When I take my levitation farther away from the camera than 10 second distance, I ask someone (mostly my friend) to press the shutter release button. First, I ask my friend to be a stand-in in a proper position to get a composition and a focus.
Then I go to the position to levitate, and my friend come to the camera (we switch our position) to press a shutter release button in time with my jumps.
- With a self-timer
EOS 5D Mk2 has a 10sec. timer as it's longest timer set up. This means that I can get away as far as 10 second distance from the camera after I press the shutter release button.
First, I get a composition and a focus manually.
Then I press the shutter release, run to the right position for a levitation as checking the camera's blinking red LED counts down 10 seconds and jump by my intuition.
In this manner, I need to jump over and over to get the right shot.
How to view/take Levitation (3D)
- How to view "Today's Levitation (3D)" (without using any optical glasses or viewer)
- "Parallel viewing" and "crossed-eye viewing" images
With "parallel viewing" images: Please see the image on the right with your right eye, the image on the left with your left eye.
With "crossed-eye viewing" images: Please see the image on the right with your left eye, the image on the left with your right eye.
When you feel natural depth of space, you are seeing the suitable set of images for you.
But I think that my explanation is still difficult for a beginner. If you feel it's too difficult, please see the following website by Mr. Greg Erker which gives us very useful information for viewing stereo (3D) images: How To Freeview Stereo (3D) Images
- How to take "Today's Levitation (3D)"
- I set two cameras (Canon EOS 5D Mk2s with the same PENTAX 67 lenses) on two tripods horizontally as close as possible each other and connect extended shutter release cables to each camera.
Both cameras need to be set up with the same ISO, iris, shatter speed and white balance. Since shutter speed of both cameras are quite fast (faster than 1/500 sec.) for levitation photography, I have to press both shutter release buttons as simultaneously as possible to get the same perfect moment for both cameras.
It's enough to give you wings!
