Young Greg Heisler on Photographing the American Ballet Theatre

Yesterday, we shared an interview with a young Annie Leibovitz, in which she discussed some of her most iconic photos. For today’s blast from the past, we have this short interview with Greg Heisler, in which a very young version of the Heisler we know and love tells the story behind his photographs of the American Ballet Theatre.

Part of the old World of Photography TV program, this “Moments with the Masters” video caught Heisler discussing the technical difficulties that he experienced when photographing the dancers — namely, they were just too darn fast for the strobes he could get at that time. Even using the fastest strobes he could get his hands on in the limited time he had, you can still see hints of movement at the tips of the dancers’ fingers and/or toes.

Fortunately, Heisler ended up loving this effect, as it conveyed the motion the dancers were actually going through. He couldn’t have changed it even if he wanted to, but it’s nice that a limitation in his gear’s abilities actually yielded better photos.

(via ISO 1200)

Discussion