Some great shooting these past couple weeks. I shot the dancers in Children’s Dance Theatre’s production of Pinocchio one Saturday then show photos for RCT’s Beauty and the Beast the next. I really do enjoy photographing performance artists, young and old. The dance photos were solos and groups, and my goal there was to illuminate them in a way that pulled them from the background in something of a spotlight look.
The B and the B show photos were the typical posed shots from various scenes of the show I’ve discussed here before. But every show is different and has some different characteristics that affect me as photographer.
Often, it’s cool gel’d lighting that I just love shooting. There was some of that for this show, but that’s not what grabbed me this time. The scenes in Belle’s village take place in front of painted drops like this one. Those painted backgrounds along with the rich, colorful costumes bring to mind an overall painted look.
Once in Lightroom, I started working a few of the images to give them a smoother feel with reduced detail. Somehow, for me, it comes alive in a different way.
These small versions don’t show this detail – or lack of it! But you can sort of get the idea. It’s also very apparent why I like photographing these scenes. Greg, the director, tells the actors the particular scene and moment – and I’m always amazed they know exactly what he means given the short description he uses. They arrange themselves, we move people around a bit for the photo, mostly moving them closer together.
Then they pose themselves usually with very little input. I’d love to claim I posed the shot above. Yes, I may have moved them a bit and moved myself to frame the image I wanted. But the looks, the eyes, the expressions – they become their roles even for a still photo.
The shots in the Beast’s castle were great, too, with no lack of color. The castle itself was rather muted making the colorful people stand out nicely.
But I keep coming back to these painted background photos. They pull me and make me ask myself how I can use what’s there and accentuate what I’m seeing, make the reality more like what I see in my mind. Lightroom provides a good start, but I’ll probably play in the Photoshop sandbox a bit.
I was already seeing the possibilities during the shoot, there in front of me and on the camera’s LCD. A stage, a set of stage lights, costumes, a set. The same collection of ingredients, yet every show says something different. A camera and lens, a bit of skill, a little luck, and the right light. A story can unfold in a still photo. It’s really remarkable and what keeps me passionate about this art form.
