Back in 2011, photographer Natsumi Hayashi burst on the scene. Her series of photos, which she posted online as "Today's Levitation", made a big stir in Japan and around the world.
"Dangerous jumping makes it look like you are floating," Hayashi said in a piece Sankei Biz published this week. And that's exactly what her self portraits seem to depict: the young photographer defying gravity.
Her work look like precursors to one of this year's most interesting PS Vita games, Gravity Daze. But the photos are all her own.
According to Hayashi, to achieve the illusion, she's photographed as she hits the highest point of her jump. To complete the effect, she must point her feet upwards and lean forward at various angles. "I've fallen and hurt myself," said Hayashi. For some photos, she'll jump something like 300 times.
Her floating photos depict a variety of locations, whether it's something banal like a train station or something much closer to her, such as her grandmother's funeral.
"I don't think about what or how I'm photographing," said the young photographer. "For me, because the lighting conditions are key, if I find light I like, I'm going to photograph it." And Hayashi will float in that light as she does.
Have a look at Hayashi's website for more of her seemingly weightless work.
セルフポートレート「本日の浮遊」 重力を操る少女 [SankeiBiz]
Yowayowa Camera Woman Diary [Official Site]
Correction: The woman in the yellow dress is Paula Chang, another levitating creator.
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