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| *SoulEyes Photography>>>Professional Photographer |
Has anyone got any tips on taking photos for a school play? |
I'm a professional photographer and desperately need some tips under dark lighting, e.g. a stage. I can't use flash so apart from the obvious, any tips/ideas would be great! The fact that you call yourself a professional and then have to come here saying you "desperately need some tips" really disturbs me. If you consider yourself a professional, you should know your own limits and not take a paid job if you have to come in an internet site begging for advice on how to not screw everything up. If it's not too late to back out of the job, that really would be your best option. Don't forget the 3/20 rule-for every three people a happy customer tells, an unhappy customer will tell 20. If you're photographing a school play and you mess it up, you might have an awful lot of unhappy mothers to deal with. that could completely ruin your business. If you're locked into doing it, though, I suppose some advice can't hurt. First of all, when I photograph plays, my "bread and butter" lenses are my 135mm f2, or 50mm 1.4 for full stage shots. This is for sitting a few rows back, a point from which I find I really like the perspective. If I'm going to be right up on the stage, I will also often throw in my 24mm f2. Stage lighting is often very high contrast. The actors themselves will be quite bright, while other portions of the stage can be signifcantly darker. For that reason, I will typically use a low-contrast high speed portrait film like Kodak Portra 400NC or Portra 800. Since stage lighting is often tungsten, it's a good idea to overexpose these daylight balanced films a little bit to make it easier for the printer to print with neutral results. Another traditional favorite is Ektachrome 320T, which is a tungsten balanced slide film. In any case, though, I find manual exposure mode easiest to use. Generally, lighting will be fairly consistent, at least on the actors. For that reason, I find it easy to just find a couple of different value that are reasonably close and run with them. Stage lighting will tend to throw off most meters unless they're used very, very carefully, so sticking to one or two exposure values that you know work will make things easy. If you're using digital, just remember that you'll probably need to keep your ISO up. Most of the above suggestions will work equally as well for digital, however you do have the advantage of having a histogram to tell you whether or not your exposure is correct. I still suggest sticking to manual, though, rather than trying to remeter each shot. Take the pics at rehearsals to minimize interference. you don't say what type of camera but all this basically applies to all cameras....... Use the fastest Glass you own (largest aperture f/2.8,1.4) Bump up the ISO (400,800,1600,etc) Use the fastest shutter speed you can..(helps to minimize blur) Use a tripod if they allow it.....If not use a monopod ummm....Get as close as you can...to take advantage of the available light Depends on many factors. Is this a 3rd grade play, or a dramatic production by a high school drama club? Will the stage be lit by overhead fluorescent, fixed or following spot, cans from a truss and beam, or a combination? The biggest issue with professional stage lighting is the extreme range of lighting applied to a set, where a performer's face can be 2000 candles on one side, and 1 candle on the other. It would be ideal if you could do a lighting test before the actual performance, and plot out shots by attending a full rehearsal. How high of an ASA/ISO can your rig shoot? Do you have a fast telephoto or zoom lens? Do you have a fluid ball-head on your tripod, or savvy with a monopod? Is there a balcony to shoot from? How about an orchestra pit? Can you set up a tripod on a platform in the back of the room? Is there a sound booth? I'm going to assume that you're shooting with a digital SLR, and have a fast zoom lens, and you're located at the back of the theater. I'd recommend about 50mm-500mm lens to catch full stage, and 2-actor close-ups. Use the highest ISO you can, opening up for close-ups with accordingly higher shutter speed to stop action. Presumably the stage is in some form of multipurpose gym, with a flat floor where the audience will be seated. I would get permission to set a couple equipment cases behind the last row, set up a tripod on one, and you stand on the other. Remember that the performers are projecting to the center of the 'forth wall', or front of the stage, so most shots are best caught center stage above the audience, at or above the actors' eye level. Watch for light glare off the stage floor. With dramatic lighting, meter the highlights and shoot RAW at +1 full stop. This should provide enough latitude to pull out some of the shadows in photoshop without burning out your highlights. Pay close attention to lighting changes, and change your perspective by occasionally catching a scene from a different angle. Try to keep your relocation during scene changes or it can distract the performers. Years and years of experience Sure that you're pro ? MANUAL SETTING ISO 400 / 800 f/2.8 - 50/60/80 sec |
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