Theater Photos

[SaraJean]

Hi,
I'm just looking for some input from you all.
I'm going out tomorrow to get some picture of a play, and i was wondering if more senior photographers have any tips on getting a great shot. Here's the details.

It's in a formal theater, the only lighting will be stage lighting
No flash allowed
and discretion is key

Thanks for any advice you can give!

[lputman]

You are at the mercy of your equipment. More than likely, you will need to shoot at higher ISO and opening up the aperture. What camera and lens will you use?

[SaraJean]

Originally Posted by lputman

You are at the mercy of your equipment. More than likely, you will need to shoot at higher ISO and opening up the aperture. What camera and lens will you use?

I only have one at the moment, my equipment allowance hasn't come in yet. The camera is a nikon d60, and the lens is a standard nikon 18-55 mm, I have a tripod as well, which hopefully i'll get to use. .

[lputman]

I can't speak on the capabilities of the Nikon and the lens will probably max at f/5.6 if it is zoomed to 55 mm. A tripod would be very helpful because more than likely your shutter speed will be quite slow to allow more light in.

[OsmosisStudios]

Look into renting fast glass, and something longer, too. I'd suggest seeing if you cant borrow/rent a 85 f/1.8D

[dcclark]

The sound of your shutter clicking can be very distracting in a theatre. The actors, director, house manager, etc. may ask you to silence your shutter -- which you can't do. (Newer Nikons have a "silent" mode, but I don't think the D60 does).

The only real answers I have to this are:
- You can get as far away from the stage as possible, or
- You can grab photos only during loud bits, or
- You can go somewhere unexpected, such as if you can get permission to go up into the flys (above the stage, or perhaps somewhere else raised).

It's a tricky situation... good luck!

[inkista]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

I'd suggest seeing if you cant borrow/rent a 85 f/1.8D

Actually, a 135 f/2 might be a better choice.

[OsmosisStudios]

The problem with that is that the only one Nikon makes is the DC version, and its rare/not cheap.

[Decran]

Hi,

No1 amateur here. I took a series of pictures at a stage show last year, similar scenario that you are describing. All photos were shot in RAW and generally the settings were;
around f5
around1/100 sec
with a focal length between 26 and 300.
I was about 25 metres from the front of the stage and about 4 metres above. Unfortunately since I have recently discovered (as I thought it was me) the lens was knackered and did not give perfectly sharp pictures. I am certain that doing the same shoot with my new lens, the fruits of my labour will be sweeter, and will be having another go shortly. Hope this helps but probably raise a few eyebrows.

[adamg32]

I'm by no means an expert, but I do a lot of theater photography at my college. The trick that I've found is to use a tripod and get the widest aperture you can, because theater lighting is generally on the darker side. Remember that this means if you have the standard Nikon lens, as you zoom in you are going to effectively loose an f stop or so.

I've also had to play with the white balance at times, and I find myself switching between Incandescent and Automatic. I don't like using a custom set white balance because the lighting changes too frequently for me to be able to keep up with a new white balance setting.

A tripod can be a little awkward because of the seats, so if you have a monopod, it might be worth a try, it makes it easier to move around/climb over seats (if they let you).

If you're taking photos at a rehearsal or run-through at the request of the director/producer/whoever is in charge, they'll usually let you ask the actors to freeze so you can avoid motion blurring.