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
Title : THEATER PHOTOGRAPHY
Description : Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anyti...