I am a specialist performing arts photographer with 20 plus years experience based in London UK. I spend most of my time in the dark shooting in ridiculously bad lighting conditions. When I go outside I think my cameras have broken because the readings they give are so unfamiliar to me. (It can’t be that bright!)
I trained as an actor originally and spent twelve years or so crewing backstage for the likes of Kent Opera and English National Ballet which means I am very comfortable backstage and most importantly for my clients, safe.
Hello, I’ve been scouring your blog for the past 1/2 hour enjoying everything about your theatre experiences. I’m also happy to hear that magenta doesn’t exist. What a relief.
I may be stepping way over a line here in asking for a tiny bit of advice but I figure if I don’t ask you surely won’t accidentally send me the information I crave. So I’m risking it.
I have been shooting backstage and in the wings of the theatre for the past three years for a local ballet studio and company. They are young dancers and I absolutely love it more than any other kind of photography on the planet.
The studio director came to me yesterday to ask me to shoot the stage this year. I have never shot the stage (and told her so) but she is in a jam and likes my eye and trusts my abilities.
Of course as a photographer I know I am able and doubt myself completely all at the same time.
I was wondering which lens is your absolute go to lens when you are fixed in a seat and unable to move around. I’ll be shooting during rehearsals and the director wants me placed in a fixed spot.
Also if you have one piece of advice for shooting the stage if you wouldn’t mind sharing I’d be greatly appreciative. I totally understand if you can’t reply. But I appreciate your time in reading this and feeling my nerves.
p.s. I love Buddy peeing on the snowman.
Hi Michelle. Believe me I have the same confidence/self doubt as you. I shoot with three cameras during a ballet photocall. Two are on a tripod bar with a 70-210 f2.8 and a Sigma 120-300 f2.8. The third camera is round my neck on a Black Rapid single strap and has the 24-70 f2.8 on it. I use this by wedging myself between the two tripod mounted cameras for support. If I could only use one lens it would be the 70-210 but making sure that I was far enough away from the stage that the 70mm end would cover the whole stage width.
Try and use a tripod so that you are not carrying the weight but the head of the tripod is very important. I actually use a two way video head with the 70-210 and a gimbal head for the longer lens. Three way movement is unwanted. You only need to go sideways and up and down assuming your lens has a tripod collar. If you cannot use a head like that and you only have one camera then perhaps try resting on the back of the seat in front just to take the weight.
Don’t get too high in relation to the dancers otherwise they will all hate you for shortening their legs! But be high enough so you have some of the stage visible under their feet. 80% of my images that you see on my sites have been straightened in Photoshop so don’t be too obsessive about it on the day. Shoot RAW and shoot lots but as you know timing is everything.
Good luck with it. I tell people shooting dance is like having 500 weddings coming at you all at once.