Theatrical Photography: Best Tips From A Professional

Theatrical Photography: Best Tips From A Professional https://www.theatreartlife.com/lifestyle/photos-theatrical-photogr...
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Tom Fairchild considers himself lucky to have

of work experience in various industries and
the past 12 years he has lived abroad in the
and Asia.
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1 of 14 8/9/20, 10:31 pm
10 Tips For Great Theatrical Photos
Tom Fairchild considers himself lucky to have had a wide variety

of work experience in various industries and various places. For
the past 12 years he has lived abroad in the Caribbean, Turkey,
and Asia.
READ FULL PROFILE
2 of 14 8/9/20, 10:31 pm
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wsslleetttteerr ttoo rreecceeiivvee tthhee llaatteesstt iinndduussttrryy iinnffoorrm
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Tom Fairchild is a travel and portrait photographer wss!!who
ootthheerr eexxcciittiinngg nneew
also specializes in capturing events and stage

performances. Live theatre and events are some of the
Enter your email address
most difficult and challenging environments to be a
photographer.
Tom Fairchild In theatrical
considers himself photography,
lucky toBy using this form you subject
have had a wide variety items
agree with the storage
of work experience in various industries and
and various places.
handling of Forby this website.
your data SUBMIT
are dark, things move quickly and ligh'ng is a challenge
but here are ten 'ps to help you take great theatrical
and Asia.
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photos.
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1. An'cipate – Know Where the Ac'on Will Be

© 2020 TheatreA
ArrttLife. All rights reserved.
You know the show – take advantage of it! The oVen-
quoted street photography pioneer, Henri Car0er-
Bresson, coined the term “The Decisive Moment” to
describe that one precise sliver of an instance in 0me
that captures a larger feeling. Think about when and
where those points are in the show and be ready for
them. Have your framing, composi0on, exposure and
se]ngs all ready to go so once that “decisive moment”
strikes, you are ready for it. Make up a shot list ahead of
0me to help prepare and organize your limited 0me
shoo0ng.
3 of 14 8/9/20, 10:31 pm
Have everything – exposure, camera se]ngs, framing,
Read
etc. more...
– dialed in and ready before the moment happens.
This punch was on my shot list so I knew to be ready for
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Theatre
Part 1 Gig
©Tom Fairchild Photography
2. Ask Around – “Phone a friend”

Every department knows ofAan
Take amazing
Deep Breath &photo moment
Exposure Or Serial
in aShow
My
and Asia. show if only
Saver by Annasomeone were
Other Tips there to take it.Killers?
For Entry Find outYouTube, Talent Mental Health during
Robb Level Crea0ves Shows & Specialty Acts COVID-19: Simple Steps
what that is! Ask performers, ask the crew, and ask the
frontFULL
READ of house staff what
PROFILE they consider to be key
moments of the show and what they have always felt
were par0cularly drama0c or impacùl moments.
Incorporate their ideas into your shot list and refine your
plan of where and when you want to be in various places
around the theatre.
Ask ar0sts, directors and also technicians about where

great photos are hiding. Don’t forget the technicians are
watching the show every single day, usually from unique
perspec0ves.
4 of 14 8/9/20, 10:31 pm
3. Study the ligh'ng
Of all the departments to talk to, the ligh0ng

department is the most important. These guys have a lot
of experience and are paid a lot of money to make the
show look good; it is wise to make the most of all their
knowledge. This is doubly true if you are shoo0ng a
show that you have never seen before. Low fog, hazers,
and smoke will all have huge effects on ligh0ng and
therefore your photos. These are just the guys to explain
to you considers
Tom Fairchild how. Lampies will direct
himself lucky to have you
had ato many
wide great
variety
photogenic
of work moments
experience in – plusand
various industries they want
various to show
places. For off their
crea0on of impressive ligh0ng states just as much as any
and Asia.
performer!
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The ligh0ng in this photo is what makes it. The
contras0ng colors combined with the backlit water
drops makes it extremely impacùl.
5 of 14 8/9/20, 10:31 pm
4. Don’t be afraid of the dark
One of the most common mistakes I see in theatre

photos is one that your camera makes. When set to full
auto, cameras will try to take the best average exposure
of experience
of work lights andindarks.
various A lot of the
industries 0me on
and various stage
places. For though
the past 12 years
there he has
will be livedswaths
large abroad in
ofthe Caribbean,
dark with aTurkey,
couple of
and Asia.
extremely bright highlights under the spots. Typically,
this means photos will come out as a blotchy shadowy
READ FULL PROFILE
mess with completely unrecognizable white spots where
your ac0on is supposed to be. To counteract that, set
your exposure manually if you are comfortable enough
doing it.
If you are not, or if the ligh0ng condi0ons are changing

too rapidly to keep up with manually (as they oVen are
in circus, concerts, or other fast ac0on shows), use spot
6 of 14 8/9/20, 10:31 pm
metering to expose your brightly lit subjects correctly.
Most importantly, don’t be afraid of the dark! Let your
blacks fall off to be completely black. Theatre is different
than most other photography situa0ons and it is
completely ok to lose your deep shadows. As an added
bonus this allows you to shoot with a faster shuner
speed and/or a lower ISO which means sharper, less
noisy photos!
If the camera tried to choose the correct exposure, this
photo would just be a noisy shadowy mess with a really

and Asia.
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7 of 14 8/9/20, 10:31 pm
5. Vary your posi'on
A whole set of photos from the same posi0on is boring.

If at all possible, move around during the show and get
photos from a variety of angles and a variety of places. It
is even bener if you can get up to the balcony, the
orchestra pit, the wings, catwalks, or anywhere else
where you can get a unique perspec0ve and a good
shot. Don’t overdo it but a couple shots going back into
the crowd can be good too to show the size of the
venue and give some context.
Get high, get low, even get underwater to get a different

perspec0ve on the ac0on.

and Asia.
READ FULL PROFILE
6. Shoot Wide, but Mostly Shoot Tight
In a similar idea as the previous 0p, vary up the focal

length (“zoom”) of your photos. Wide shots are great for
establishment, or when the whole stage is filled with
ac0on but don’t rely on them too much. Tighter shots
are what people usually want to see, especially in drama
and comedies. Have a range of photos but by and large,
the closer and 0ghter you can get, the bener. Well-
renowned war photographer Robert Capa once said, “If
8 of 14 8/9/20, 10:31 pm
your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close
enough.” The hair, makeup, and wardrobe departments
will love you too for showing off all of their hard work!
Actors work hard on their expressions – capture them!
Tom Fairchild
7. considers himself
Emo'on lucky to have had a wide variety
is everything
A big advantage to shoo0ng 0ght is capturing the
and Asia.
emo0on on stage. All too oVen I see photos of theatres
that look like s0ck people standing on a set. The whole
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idea of theatre is conveying emo0on and it is up to you
as the photographer to capture that. If you have made
your previously-men0oned shot list, you should know
when all the key moments of the show are coming and
should be ready to get in close and really capture that
moment. Don’t be afraid of what you’re missing – focus
on what you’re ge]ng. Think to yourself about what you
want the subject of your photo to be and fill the frame
with it.
Body language and expressions both convey emo0on on

stage, as does the direc0on that performers are looking.
9 of 14 8/9/20, 10:31 pm

8. Look for depth – Foreground, midground,
Just like taking photos outside of a theatre, typically

speaking the more depth your photo has, the bener.
Very oVen in theatre photography, you’ll see pictures
that are “flat” – lacking depth or perspec0ve. If at all
possible,
Tom Fairchild try tohimself
considers have foreground elements,
lucky to have had midground
a wide variety
of work experienceand
elements, in various industrieselements.
background and various places.
WhatFor is even
bener is to have “leading lines” that draw the eye into
and Asia.
the photo and give the illusion of the 3rd dimension.
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Having foreground, midground, and background
elements gives this 2-dimensional photograph a
3-dimensional feel.
10 of 14 8/9/20, 10:31 pm
I purposefully leV this point to the end because I think

en0rely too much anen0on gets paid to it.
Photographers
Tom Fairchild always
considers himself look
lucky at ge]ng
to have bener
had a wide gear
variety as a
way
of work for them
experience to getindustries
in various bener photos and
and various yet gear
places. For is almost
always not the thing that is holding them back.
and Asia.
However, theatres are an extremely tricky environment
to shoot in – arguably the trickiest – and having quality
READ FULL PROFILE
gear can make a difference. If you have the choice
between a fast prime lens with a large aperture or a kit
zoom lens, go with the prime lens as you’ll want to
capture as much light as possible. Just about any camera
will do a bener job in low light than a cell phone. Some
photographers like to use tripods or monopods for
theatre shoo0ng but personally I tend not to bother with
them and consider them to be more trouble than they’re
worth. And as a final reminder: make sure your flash is off!
DSLRs are great but GoPros can go anywhere –

including underwater!
11 of 14 8/9/20, 10:31 pm
10. Shoot tons, Post few
I’ve saved arguably the best 0p for last: shoot tons, post
few. Early on in my photography career, I got some sage
advice – “If you want to be twice as good of a
photographer
of work overnight,
experience in various post
industries andhalf as places.
various many Forphotos.”
These
the past days
12 years heare heavy
has lived within social
abroad mediaTurkey,
the Caribbean, and the
and Asia.
tendency is to take absolutely everything you’ve shot
and throw it up online. Be picky with what you put out!
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People get surprisingly quickly bored of photos and only
post the best of the best. When was the last 0me that
you looked at every photo of a 150+ photo gallery a
friend posted on Facebook? Can’t choose between two
shots of roughly the same thing? Flip a coin. If you really
can’t choose then it doesn’t maner which one you pick.
Looking back at my own data, in one night I shot 1,877
photos between two shows. Out of those, I only have
757 saved (1120 were immediately deleted), 302 are
flagged, and I delivered 153 to the client. 153 is s0ll a
huge number!
One of the 153 lucky photos that survived out of the

original 1,877.
12 of 14 8/9/20, 10:31 pm

So go out there, shoot, and don’t forget to have fun with

it! Hopefully, these 0ps will help you capture some of
the magic that gets made on stage. As I said at the
beginning, theatres are incredibly tricky to shoot in but it
makes ge]ng that special shot all the more sa0sfying.
Embrace
the past 12 yearsthe challenge
he has and
lived abroad go Caribbean,
in the get someTurkey,
good photos!
and Asia.
Also on TheatreArtLife:
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Environmentally Friendly Travel: Tips for those On The
Move
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and Asia.
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Theatrical Photography: Best Tips From A Professional https://www.theatreartlife.com/lifestyle/photos-theatrical-photogr...

# search... ! LOG IN " JOIN

| Igni'ng connec'ons across the globe.

| Automa0on | Rigging | Ligh0ng & Projec0on | Music & Sound | Wardrobe

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Tom Fairchild considers himself lucky to have

READ FULL PROFILE

10 Tips For Great Theatrical Photos

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Tom Fairchild considers himself lucky to have had a wide variety

READ FULL PROFILE

JOIN | CONTACT US | ABOUT | A&A | OUR CONTRIBUTORS | CONTRIBUTE

ADVERTISE WITH US | OUR SPONSORS

SUBSCRIBE TO FIND OUT FIRST | JJooiinn oouurr nneew

also specializes in capturing events and stage

1. An'cipate – Know Where the Ac'on Will Be

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Coming Out as Gay and

©Tom Fairchild Photography

2. Ask Around – “Phone a friend”

Ask ar0sts, directors and also technicians about where

©Tom Fairchild Photography

3. Study the ligh'ng

Of all the departments to talk to, the ligh0ng

READ FULL PROFILE

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

©Tom Fairchild Photography

4. Don’t be afraid of the dark

One of the most common mistakes I see in theatre

If you are not, or if the ligh0ng condi0ons are changing

Tom Fairchild considers himself lucky to have had a wide variety

READ FULL PROFILE

©Tom Fairchild Photography

A whole set of photos from the same posi0on is boring.

Get high, get low, even get underwater to get a diﬀerent

Tom Fairchild considers himself lucky to have had a wide variety

READ FULL PROFILE

©Tom Fairchild Photography

6. Shoot Wide, but Mostly Shoot Tight

In a similar idea as the previous 0p, vary up the focal

Actors work hard on their expressions – capture them!

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

©Tom Fairchild Photography

Body language and expressions both convey emo0on on

©Tom Fairchild Photography

Just like taking photos outside of a theatre, typically

READ FULL PROFILE

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

©Tom Fairchild Photography

I purposefully leV this point to the end because I think

DSLRs are great but GoPros can go anywhere –

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

©Tom Fairchild Photography

10. Shoot tons, Post few

One of the 153 lucky photos that survived out of the

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

So go out there, shoot, and don’t forget to have fun with

READ FULL PROFILE

Stage Managers: How to deal with Stress

Join TheatreArtLife to access unlimited ar'cles, our

Love to write or have something to say? Become a

SHARE | $ & ' ( )

READ FULL PROFILE