How to Photograph Someone Flying on a Broom

Photography Tips

This is a fun little shoot that you can do with very little equipment: a DSLR, a lens, and an eager volunteer. Oh, yes, you also need a broomstick! This project is all about capturing a subject flying on a broom. And just in case you’re wondering if Wingardium Leviosa actually works—it doesn’t, and there’s no actual flying involved here:

So, how is it done? Well, the protagonist of the flying broom trick holds a broomstick between his legs and jumps off a box. A fast shutter speed freezes the moment when the subject is in the air, before he comes back down to earth.

A low camera angle is a must; you should be shooting up to make the final image appear realistic. Also, if you can find a vantage point several stories high, that would be excellent for the background, since it makes it look like the subject is flying way up high.

Daniel Norton used a Profoto strobe to fill in some of the shadows created by the angle of the sun and also to help freeze the moment, but this trick can be done without any extra lighting.

Camera Settings

•  camera settings used were 1/1600 of a second
• f/5.6

This looks like so much fun!