Theatre production photography

[DB73]

I have been asked if I would like to attend our school's drama production to take photos. Normally this is a point & shoot affair with predictably grainy & poor results. So I thought it might be a good time to take my DSLR along & have a go.

I'm using a Canon 500D with kit lens. I was looking for some advice on camera set-up. The stage will be lit with various stage lighting. The hall will obviously be dark apart from this. I don't want to use a flash because that will just annoy people off in hte audience. I'm thinking widest apature possible with a high ISO will give me a shutter speed fast enough for hand held shots that will capture the performers. I should be able to position myself right infront of the stage as well.

Is this is a good starting point? What else should I be doing with camera set-up?

Cheers,
db.

 

[wadeinthewater]

I have the 500D and I'm in love with it. I've done theater photography in the past, and it does come with its challenges.

You have the right idea, (i.e. no flash, widest aperture, etc..) but the problem is that the kit lens does not have a wide enough aperture. The 18-55mm's widest aperture is 3.5, but you're going to need something in the range of 1.4-1.8 in order to capture the low light.

Pick yourself up the 50mm 1.8. It's cheap and effective. It's a prime lens, so you won't be able to zoom, but seeing as how you are going to be close to the stage, it should be ok!

If you have any more questions, just ask!

Cheers and good luck,

Wade

 

[hotdog321]

If you can buy or rent a 200 f/2.8 lens, this would be a tremendous asset. I've done a fair amount of theater (and theatre) shooting over the years. No flash. Wide open. Probably shooting around EI1600 or whatever you need to freeze action and camera shake.

RAW files would be ideal if you know how to process them. Otherwise play with your camera's color balance. Your results may look best when shot with tungsten balance, but it depends on the theater lights, which can be a weird mix sometimes.

 

[James Cafferty]

I have the 500D and I'm in love with it. I've done theater photography in the past, and it does come with its challenges.

Snip... but you're going to need something in the range of 1.4-1.8 in order to capture the low light.

Pick yourself up the 50mm 1.8. It's cheap and effective. It's a prime lens, so you won't be able to zoom, but seeing as how you are going to be close to the stage, it should be ok!

I have taken my fair share of theater pictures. And, I agree with your suggestion of the 50mm f/1.8 lens as the best choice.

Also, if possible, try to attend a rehearsal or two. This will help you to know who is coming when and where; and how and where to use lighting to your advantage.

If your hands aren't steady, consider a monopod to steady the camera.
--
All the best,
Jim

Photographers take pictures, not cameras.

 

[DB73]

Thanks for all the advice so far. Very useful. It looks like one of these could be in order;

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/12878/show.html

I don't have much to spend on a lense at the moment but I have considered a nifty 50 before so it might be a good time to buy.

What about metering? Should I maybe use spot metering for this?

 

[hotdog321]

Yeah, spot metering is the way to go, but keep your eye on the exposure constantly. Lighting may be uneven on the stage, and they often raise or lower lights or hit the star with a spotlight.

 

[tclune]

I have shot school productions of various sorts, and here is my experience:

1. A prime just won't do. Any play or performance I have seen requires you to range from the individual performer somewhere on the stage to a stage-wide group shot. I have a Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 that is almost bright enough and has almost enough zoom if I am sitting near the front. An f/2 that zooms from 18-120 would be better, but I don't know of any such lens.

2. At f/2.8, you will need to up the ISO to somewhere around 2500. So you'll need good noise reduction software. I use the Neat Image plugin for PhotoShop and similar, and have been happy with it. But I'm sure there are other NR ultilites that are also excellent.

3. When you reduce noise, you need to resharpen. I really like the Focus Magic plugin, which is much more sophisticated than that crap USM approach that most PP software relies on.

4. Don't get fancy -- I always shoot with spot metering and center focusing, and worry about composition beyond simple zoom control in PP. Shoot Aperture priority, and set your aperture to max out. Don't let the camera auto-range on ISO. The amount of variation in ISO for most productions is not huge. If you've upped the ISO to get you normally in the 1/100s to 1/150s range, just let the shutter speed do what it has to. Expect motion blur if people are moving much, and try to shoot when they are mostly stationary. Take multiples of everything you want to capture.

5.Finally, you may find that there is a particular time where you just plain need to get up and move. Try to do that as rarely as possible. I find that the final curtain call may be a good time to move back to cover the entire stage, and you won't irritate people if you move into the center aisle to capture the full stage at that time. If you have attended a practice before you shoot, you should have a good idea of where you want to sit to best capture the production (get there plenty early and, if possible, have your seat marked as reserved) and plan for when you want to move. With some auditoriums, you may be able to shoot the whole production with something like a 70-200 f/2.8 by standing at the back of the theater. That would allow you to move during the production as needed to cover the action. But I've generally found that I can get what I need from a single seat near the front if I know how the play is staged. If the angle to the stage isn't too bad, sitting in front is preferable (perspective correction may be needed when the performer comes up to the front of the stage). Aisle seats are best, especially if you aren't in the front row. And remeber to make sure that you get at least a shot or two of every performer. FWIW

 

[DB73]

Fantasticly detailed information there, tclune. Some great tips. Many thanks ;-)

 

[AdriaanMeijer]

I do do some theatre photography (only at school performances). Things that I do:

• don't rely on the flash. I do use it from time to time (reduces subject movement), but you tend to be quite far away for flash, as you said you don't want to disturb the audience and flash only will wash away all the color of the stage lighting.
• I normally am at the side of the audience, so I can move around a bit without being too intrucive.
• I try to make a mix of close ups (well, one or two persons full in frame) and a few overall shots.
• I like my 70-200 f/4, especially for focus and shakereduction for this kind of photography. the 50mm f/1.8 is too hard to focus in such circomstances (IMHO), the kitlens does work, especially in wide angle. Zoom, in my taste telezoom, really adds to your possibilities.
• the subjects will often be in light with lots of darkness around it. AE compensation (minus 2 or something) does something, also setting up a right exposure and setting to manual makes you less depending on the meter. Be aware the light does change dramatically.
• for WB i prefer daylight, so the full color aspects come to life. Then again, I shoot RAW, so I can do a lot in PP on this aspect.
• I mostly use the highest ISO possible. Even as that does mean noise (I own a 400D, yours is really a leap ahead here), I can do something (not everything) with noise, but I can't with motion (be it the subject or my hands).
• Poor man's antishake (burst mode shooting a shot or 4) does help too. expecially as the motion of the subjects is hard to predict. I do end up with shutter times like 1/20th or slower and a human head will be like a basketball when the subject turns his/her head. Again: using the flash can help at reasonable distances.
• When I do flash I use either the build in flash, just for fill flash, or an external flash but that one only bouced (have a bounce-thing like this:

• If you're able to be at rehearsals you'll have a chanche to have other locations to shoot from, won't disturb as much using the flash and you'll know what to expect in the show, so you'll have the right position and lens at the ready.

--
All in my humble opionion of course!

If I seem to talk nonsense or you can't understand me, it's probably my English

 

[beagle1]

Unfortunately the 18-55IS is not a large aperture lens which would useful for low light theater shots. Get as close as possible so you can use f3.5, then manual mode with ISO 3200 and a high enough shutter speed to freeze action.
Next time get the Canon 85mm 1.8 or 50mm 1.8 !

I have been asked if I would like to attend our school's drama production to take photos. Normally this is a point & shoot affair with predictably grainy & poor results. So I thought it might be a good time to take my DSLR along & have a go.

I'm using a Canon 500D with kit lens. I was looking for some advice on camera set-up. The stage will be lit with various stage lighting. The hall will obviously be dark apart from this. I don't want to use a flash because that will just annoy people off in hte audience. I'm thinking widest apature possible with a high ISO will give me a shutter speed fast enough for hand held shots that will capture the performers. I should be able to position myself right infront of the stage as well.

Is this is a good starting point? What else should I be doing with camera set-up?

Cheers,
db.

 

[DB73]

Thanks again for all the tips people

I spoke to the producer today. He didn't want me moving about to much incase I distracted the audience. Fair point. I said it might be better if I can get close to help get better shots. So he is going to reserve me a seat in the front row. This way I won't have to keep moving about. The stage is quite small so this shouldn't be a problem. This is happening in a couple of days time.

So then. Camera settings people have suggested;

No flash (of course)
Highest apeture possible
High ISO for low light
Centre focus
Spot metering
Daylight or Tungsten WB

Is that about right?

Cheers,
db

 

[zackiedawg]

That's about right - and the only other variable is going to be precisely how well lit the stage and the performers are. You might get all prepared for an F1.4 lens wide open and ISO3200 all nervous about getting anything usable, and find out that the lighting is so bright on stage that at ISO1600 you can comfortably use F4 - 5.6 and still get lovely shots and a fast enough shutter speed.

If you have any chance at all before a show, try to get to the theater and 'test' the lighting - maybe you can hit a dress rehersal, and that'll let you know if you're coming up short and might want to consider a faster lens.

I'd agree that a zoom would be more useful overall for all purpose stage shooting, as you could vary constantly between wide production shots and individual performances and performer closeups. If the lighting is decent, you can often get away with F4 or so at ISO1600 - 3200 and get 1/200 or better shutter speeds to freeze action. And while you might think your camera unimpressive at ISO3200, there is a big difference in a well-exposed, well-lit ISO3200 and a dark, underexposed ISO3200. Even older cameras with so-so sensors for high ISO work can still do pretty decent at ISO3200 with good lighting.

--
Justin
galleries: http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

 

[tclune]

Just a couple of points -- first, iif you do use a bright prime, you may want to stop down a step or two from wide open. The depth of field below f/2 may be so shallow that it would be unacceptable. If you use a zoom, though, open it as wide as it'lll go.

Second, if you usually shoot raw, you'll worry less about WB (and exposure, for that matter) than if you're shooting JPEG. If you don't usually shoot raw, you may want to either keep shooting JPEG or shoot JPEG+raw, because you don't want to learn on an important shoot. But, if you haven't made the switch to raw yet, you should consider doing so in the future for just these kinds of occasions.

Finally, enjoy the moment, and break a lens!

 

[DocHolliday]

Attending a dress rehearsal or two would be invaluable. Not just to get to know the play, but you could get some really good shots there as well. A dress rehearsal should be just like the real thing without an audience to irritate. You could move around a lot and get some shots that will not present themselves come showtime when you aren't allowed to move. It's nice to have shots from an actual performance, but if you can't see the audience in the shot, there really shouldn't be much difference between dress and live.

 

[graybalanced]

Just a couple of points -- first, iif you do use a bright prime, you may want to stop down a step or two from wide open. The depth of field below f/2 may be so shallow that it would be unacceptable. If you use a zoom, though, open it as wide as it'lll go.

That is a good point, that if you are all the way open, your focus had better be spot on or it's going to be distracting when the actor's shoulder is sharply focused but their eyes are blurry.

Also, watch your skin tones carefully, because a mistake many make is letting the meter tell them what to do, and a dark theater background can fool the meter into blowing out the faces into white blobs. The theater might be dark, but a spotlit actor may be many stops above that. If you find that you can lower your exposure a bit, that is actually going to help you out if it means you can up the shutter speed, stop down a little, or lower the ISO. When you find the exposure that works properly for the faces, switch to manual and lock it down.

If you are using a lens without IS you probably have to be more careful about camera shake. I like the "poor man's stabilization" burst mentioned earlier, I use that all the time.

 

[Richard Weisgrau]

I have photographed at least a hundred plays over the last 30 years. I do it with zoom and prime lenses not although 3 decades ago it was with primes only.

Here is the secret to getting good photos. Shoot the full run through dress rehearsal. No audience to deal with so you can roam the area. If the light is too low you can use flash because no audience is there to be disturbed by it.

--
Richard Weisgrau
http://www.weisgrau.com
Author of
The Real Business of Photography
The Photographer's Guide to Negotiating
Selling Your Photography
Licensing Photography