Levitation Photography Tips and Tricks: 20 Ideas to Spark Your Creativity!

by Meghan Boilard

Last Updated: June 21, 2022

Editor’s Key Takeaways: Defying Gravity: The Art of Levitation Photography

Getting started in Levitation photography

Levitation photography involves creating the illusion of people or objects floating or flying in defiance of gravity. This style of photography, though relying on an imaginative and experimental approach, doesn’t actually require photographers to make things levitate. Instead, with a touch of creativity and proficiency in Photoshop, this effect can be easily achieved.

What is Levitation Photography?: This genre of photography is based on creating images of subjects seemingly suspended in mid-air.
How To Take Levitation Photos: To capture such shots, you’ll need a camera, a reliable tripod and something to “hold” your object up. Respective platforms or connectors for human subjects and smaller inanimate objects are also needed.
Staging the Scene: Choosing an ideal subject to float and appropriate staging are the initial steps. Human subjects can be posed on a stool or chair, while smaller inanimate objects can be suspended with a string or similar connector.

Introduction

Seeing an object defy gravity forces any audience to stop and stare for obvious reasons. So, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to learn that levitation photography has garnered a strong following.

levitation photography

But how, exactly, is this illusion possible? What goes into creating levitation photography?

To answer your questions, let’s talk about how to create your own photographic magic. Read on for our best levitation photography tips, tricks, and ideas!

Levitation Photography Tips & Ideas:

Levitation Photography Tips

Levitation Photography Tips

What is Levitation Photography?

Levitation photography encompasses any image featuring a person or object floating or flying. Defying the laws of gravity, these photographs seem to show subjects suspended mid-air.

Of course, photographers don’t actually have the power to deviate from reality and make things levitate. What you’re seeing is an illusion rather than a display of superhuman ability. With a lot of ingenuity and a bit of effort in Photoshop, the effect is actually pretty easy to recreate!

Related Post: How to Edit Photos

How To Take Levitation Photos

To help you crack the code and master levitation photography, we want to explain how to go about capturing these images. Levitation photography allows you to be creative, imaginative, and experimental. Once you understand the basic concepts that make this style possible, the possibilities are endless!

Levitation Photography Tips

What you’ll need…

To create levitation photography, you’ll need a few things:

Your camera gear
A reliable tripod
Something to “hold” your object up
- Human subjects can use a stool, chair, or similar balancing platform.
- Smaller inanimate objects can be suspended with a string or other connector

Staging the Scene

The first thing to determine is what you’d like to have floating around in your photographs.

For people, try posing your subject on a stool, chair, ladder, or anything else that gives them a little height off the ground. Part of “selling” the illusion comes from giving your subject the ability to balance. Providing some sort of stable platform for your model to sit or stand on does just that.

For levitating products, you can adopt a somewhat different approach. As long as you have a solid foundation to attach one to the other end, you can actually hang inanimate objects. String, rope, or wiring will get the job done.

Regardless of which method you use, you’ll need to make two separate exposures:

The first should feature the levitating person or object within the scene.
The second should feature the background on its own, without the subject.

It’s important that the two images that you make are virtually identical, aside from the presence of the subject.

Use a tripod to ensure that your position or shooting angle doesn’t shift between exposures.

For best results, be sure to utilize a fast shutter speed. This will eliminate any motion blur and further add to the illusion that your object is “frozen” in mid-air.

Once you’ve got your images, you can start editing to really bring the illusion to life!

Processing in Post

Once you’ve imported your shots, bring them into Photoshop or a similar post-processing tool. For this step, you’ll want to create a layered composite. Essentially, you’ll want to mask out any undesirable details that give

Photographer Peter McKinnon has a great video outlining the techniques he uses to create levitation images. Check it out below:

FLOAT YOURSELF

Tips and tricks to make exceptional levitation photos.

Of course, every photographer has their own tailor-made techniques that they swear by. But once you’ve nailed down the basics, you’ll be able to customize to suit your own unique style!

Levitation Photography Ideas

Now that we’ve shown how levitation photography is made, it’s time to get creative. Here are a few examples to help inspire your personal work.

Pay attention to your surroundings when building a levitation image. This photographer lucked out by finding a mural that the model could easily interact with.

A relatively plain, solid background can really help your levitating element stand out.

Using the light to turn your subjects into silhouettes is another effective way to highlight levitation. We love the way this model is framed between the ground and the trees

Location isn't the factor you should take into consideration. Clothes like this flowy dress can further highlight the levitation effect and show the force of gravity. — Location isn’t the factor you should take into consideration. Clothes like this flowy dress can further highlight the levitation effect and show the force of gravity.

Sometimes, you don't need to go through all the fuss of building a composite in Photoshop to create a pseudo-levitation photo. This photographer likely instructed the model to jump, then used a fast shutter speed to create a crisp exposure while he was airbound. — Sometimes, you don’t need to go through all the fuss of building a composite in Photoshop to create a pseudo-levitation photo. This photographer likely instructed the model to jump, then used a fast shutter speed to create a crisp exposure while he was airbound.

Likewise, the photographer probably instructed this model to jump from a higher perch to a landing outside of the camera's field of view. However, the model's pose totally sells this as a levitation photo. — Likewise, the photographer probably instructed this model to jump from a higher perch to a landing outside of the camera’s field of view. However, the model’s pose totally sells this as a levitation photo.

Here's another example of levitation photography featuring silhouettes. The dock leads our eyes straight to the action. — Here’s another example of levitation photography featuring silhouettes. The dock leads our eyes straight to the action.

Speaking of posing, pay close attention to your model's body language and positioning. Although this image uses a similar technique to the image above, the model's pose creates an entirely different narrative and mood. — Speaking of posing, pay close attention to your model’s body language and positioning. Although this image uses a similar technique to the image above, the model’s pose creates an entirely different narrative and mood.

Posing isn't the only way to evoke a reaction from your audience. The angle of the lens, the surroundings, and the angle of view work together to create this anxiety-inducing shot. — Posing isn’t the only way to evoke a reaction from your audience. The angle of the lens, the surroundings, and the angle of view work together to create this anxiety-inducing shot.

Although this image also features a floating DSLR lens, the photographer's aesthetic choices give this shot a calm, magical feeling. — Although this image also features a floating DSLR lens, the photographer’s aesthetic choices give this shot a calm, magical feeling.

Try playing around with your angle of view with human subject's as well. This shot taken from below is surreal, but not in the same way as more traditional levitation photographs. — Try playing around with your angle of view with human subject’s as well. This shot taken from below is surreal, but not in the same way as more traditional levitation photographs.

Levitation photography tips are especially valuable in the world of product photography. It's a way to add some life to otherwise inanimate objects. — Levitation photography tips are especially valuable in the world of product photography. It’s a way to add some life to otherwise inanimate objects.

Food photographers in particular seem to enjoy the technique. It's a way to bring a little bit of height to a flat still life. — Food photographers in particular seem to enjoy the technique. It’s a way to bring a little bit of height to a flat still life.

By building your still lives upwards rather than out, you can create entirely new, almost abstract compositions.

Levitation photography is also a great way to show off all the parts that go into a whole product. Normally, a few layers of ingredients in this burger would be invisible to the camera. But when the bun begins to float away, all those toppings are suddenly on display!

Of course, you can take the concept of showing several different components and apply it to something outside of food photography. Here, it's easy to see all of the items that go into a shaving kit. — Of course, you can take the concept of showing several different components and apply it to something outside of food photography. Here, it’s easy to see all of the items that go into a shaving kit.

Of course, not all levitation photography has to be otherworldly or unrealistic. Here, it's used to show a leaf as it falls to the ground – an event that most photographer's aren't naturally able to predict and prepare for. — Of course, not all levitation photography has to be otherworldly or unrealistic. Here, it’s used to show a leaf as it falls to the ground – an event that most photographer’s aren’t naturally able to predict and prepare for.

Likewise, throwing dice into the air isn't exactly surreal. However, with levitation techniques, the photographer can capture the perfect composition in one or two shots rather than after a thousand tries — Likewise, throwing dice into the air isn’t exactly surreal. However, with levitation techniques, the photographer can capture the perfect composition in one or two shots rather than after a thousand tries

There's no need to stop short at one levitating element! Let your imagination go wild and feel free to suspend as many objects as you'd like to get the shot you're looking for. — There’s no need to stop short at one levitating element! Let your imagination go wild and feel free to suspend as many objects as you’d like to get the shot you’re looking for.

Finally, don't forget to have fun with your levitation photography! A simple prop can create a story and explain "why" your subject is floating. — Finally, don’t forget to have fun with your levitation photography! A simple prop can create a story and explain “why” your subject is floating.

Levitation isn’t just a cool trick. This technique opens up an inventive new way of viewing photography. We hope that our levitation photography tips have challenged you to rethink all that you and your camera is capable of!

Have you ever created levitation images of your own? Share your experience with us in the comments below!

About the Author

Meghan is an artist and writer based out of Boston, MA. With an interest in everything from instant film to experimental videography, her work has been featured internationally in a variety of photographic exhibitions and publications. You can connect with Meghan on Instagram.

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