THEATER PHOTOGRAPHY

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

There may come a time when you are asked to photograph an event at a theater. This can be a tricky endeavor, as you will be dealing with situations beyond your control. Here are a few pointers for successful theater photography:

1. Ask the management what areas of the audience you can photograph in.
2. Use a tripod, as you will not be allowed to use a flash.
3. Set your camera to Aperture Priority, and place the f-stop at its lowest number (f2.8, f4, etc.)
4. If you are using film, choose a high ISO film.
5. If you are using digital, change the digital ISO until the shutter speed is 1/125 of a second or faster.
6. Make your exposures so that the face of the lead character is properly illuminated. This may result in everything else being dark, but that is a sacrifice you may have to make. If you expose for any other element on stage, the main subject may be too dark or too bright. This is easy to judge with digital cameras, as you have access to the monitor. If you are using a film camera, use a spot meter and judge exposure from the face, and add one f-stop.
7. Try to take the pictures when the actors or musicians are loud. This will mask the sound of your shutter.
8. Photograph in places that are a fair distance away from the audience. They will be able to hear your camera and it may be distracting.
9. Theater lighting is often multi-colored; there may be no way to get proper color balance, but it won't matter. When people see the photos they already know that theater lights can be many different colors and intensities.

I took this photo of the Eastern European Szeged Contemporary Ballet, while doing their interpretation of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com

Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

CHEAP STUDIO LIGHTING

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

If you are a photographer who is just starting to get paying clients, but don't have the money to buy strobes (studio flashes), there is a way to get similar results for interior portraits or subject matter when natural light is unavailable.

The only purchase necessary for this technique is a yellow construction light available at any hardware store. They are high powered lights that have their own tripods, and you can often see them being used on construction sites. They are not very expensive, and come in a variety of wattages. Make sure to get the strongest light you can get; 500 watts minimum.

The next item needed is a normal white bedsheet. The sheet doesn't need to be large. At the location of your photo shoot, pin the sheet up with clamps so that the sheet is a bit higher than your subject. Then place your construction lights so that they shine on the bedsheet, in the direction of the subject. The bedsheet acts as a diffuser, and softens the light.

You will find that the amount of softness will change when the placement of the sheet and lights change with relation to the subject. Experiment with these three elements, and you should end up with a nice image. You will probably need a tripod, as the power of the light reduces dramatically as it is diffused, which causes slower shutter speeds.

One final note: As these lights are incandescent, they will produce a yellow/orange color shift in the final photo. To correct for this, use a blue filter if you are using a film camera. If you are using a digital camera, Auto color balance should work, or switch to the indoor light bulb setting.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com

Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com