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Motion, Video & Creative Techniques

Levitation Photography

A composite technique creating the appearance of a subject floating, by combining a supported pose with a clean background frame.

Measured in count

In depth

The method is straightforward and depends on discipline: one frame of the subject supported by a stool or ladder, one identical frame of the empty scene, and a mask that removes the support. The camera must not move between frames, the light must be identical, and any shadow the support casts has to be handled deliberately.

Examples in practice

A subject photographed lying on a bench and composited onto an empty street appears to hover above it.