Photography - Theatre/Studio Stage shots What do I need?

[avidshot]

Starting tomorrow for the next couple of weeks, my boss is taping her upcoming series. What is the mandatory equipment I should try to have them purchase for me for my Canon Digital Rebel to shoot candid shots, yet useable for publication and web promos?

Thanks.

[johnlo]

for one thing i would NEVER use my own personal camera or equipment at work unless they will buy you a new one if something goes wrong with it... thats just my opinion.

[avidshot]

Yeah I have thought about that before. And really I agree, but I don't think I could convince them to buy a new DSLR. They would tell me to use their Kodak regular digital camera, but I want to take the best shots so I use my own.

Thanks though.


for one thing i would NEVER use my own personal camera or equipment at work unless they will buy you a new one if something goes wrong with it... thats just my opinion.

[RockSlut]

Try doing a search on "concert photography" there has been a lot of discussion on the joys of lowlight performance shooting.

Probably the best advice I can give you is to make sure that you have fast lenses in the focal length/s that you will be working. F/2.8 is good but f/1.8 or faster is better.

Below should give you a start.
http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/search.php?searchid=353919

[tucked]

My reccomendation would be the 85mm f/1.8. I just purchased this lens for use at dance competitions. Very sharp lens. Excellent focal lenght for the candids that you might want. Relatively inexpensive.

Here is a link to some pictures (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=90305&highlight=dance+nationals) that I posted previously using this lens and Digital Rebel in horrible lighting.

Another option would be the <$100 50mm f/1.8 or preferably the more expensive (but not insanely expensive) 50mm f/1.4.

[tim]

The information in this tutorial are applicable. If you want print-quality photos you're best of using a flash or three, and lighting things well so you can use a low ISO and a narrow aperture.

http://www.photo.net/learn/concerts/mirarchi/concer_1.htm

[grego]

The best time to photograph is during the dress rehersals. You can move around a lot and well get a lot of good quality shots.

[Halliday]

Shoot at the dress rehersal.
Don't drink any caffene the day of shooting.

I loved to shoot plays for the University of Iowa newspaper. I'd push 800 Fuji film to 1600 and shoot from the seats with my 70-200 2.8 propped on a chair back. Sometimes I'd lay on the floor at the foot of the stage and shoot wide too.

[Curtis N]

The advice to shoot dress/tech rehearsals is good. Each venue and production are different, but here are some things to consider:
1) The closer you can get (and the shorter your lens), the more shutter speed lattitude you'll have while avoiding camera shake, but subject movement is another story. If you want the images to give a realistic portrayal of a person or scene from the audience perspective, stay back at least 6 rows or so from the front.
2) Use a tripod if you can, or at least a monopod. I like to use a tripod with a pan/tilt head in these situations because it keeps the camera level - one less thing I have to fix later.
3) Fast primes will allow for faster shutter speeds, but they will give you two problems. First, unless you have multiple cameras, you'll miss a lot of shots because you were in the wrong place with the wrong lens on. The field of view you need for each shot will change moment-by-moment. Secondly, large apertures will blur the background, which isn't always best for shooting theatre. The set pieces and other actors in the background are carefully designed to be part of the story. Theatre photography is different from most other types of portrait/candid photography in this respect.
4)Relatively fast (f/2.8 ) zoom lenses are usually the best compromise. In most situations these will allow for fast enough shutter speeds at ISO 1600 for reasonably sharp images. Another option would be an f/4 image stabilized lens, which will help with depth of field but you'll have more blur from subject movement because of the slower shutter speed required.
5) ISO 1600 will usually be necessary. That will create some nasty digital noise with a Digital Rebel, so if you don't already have some good noise reduction software with batch processing capability, it would be a wise investment.
6) Shoot more than one rehearsal if you have the opportunity. You'll be better prepared to capture the pivotal moments the second time around.
7) Shoot RAW. It will save your butt. Theatre lighting is usually very contrasty and continually changing. Accurate metering is quite difficult.

[Joe R]

At smaller venues, I usually have an 85/1.8 on one camera, and the 50/1.4 on the other. If I shot at larger venues I would use a 135/2. Typical exposure under stage lights for me is ISO 800, 1/125, f/2. A zoom offers more framing flexibility, but a maximum aperture of f/2.8 will force you to ISO 1600, which is a big step down in quality.

[CoolToolGuy]

I have found that setting the White Balance to incandescent does a slightly better job than AWB (provided it is normal stage lighting).

The dress rehearsal idea is a great one - you can move around without getting in the audience's way.

The faster the lens the better. I would not consider anything slower than f2.8, and even there you will probably need to up the ISO to 400 or 800. Prime lenses rock in this application - either 50mm, 85 f1.8, 100 f2, whatever focal length gives you the angle of view from where you are.

I use a monopod as much as possible, even when seated - I adjust it to go between my legs, and support the end with my feet. Any other means you have of supporting the camera is a great idea.

Watch out for large expanses of black in the set and background - it may fool the meter into giving you a bad exposure. If there is a lot of black, adjust the exposure plus a stop or so - experiment. You want your exposure to be as close as possible with the Drebel, as it won't respond well to too much photoshopping at an increased ISO. If you get it right, they will look fine.

Good luck and Have Fun,

[Curtis N]

I have found that setting the White Balance to incandescent does a slightly better job than AWB (provided it is normal stage lighting).Agreed. The colored stage lighting will make AWB do really weird things. Another reason to shoot RAW.Watch out for large expanses of black in the set and background - it may fool the meter into giving you a bad exposure.Also true. Sometimes partial metering will help in these situations, but it's still tough.

[jimsolt]

Agreed. The colored stage lighting will make AWB do really weird things. Another reason to shoot RAW.Also true. Sometimes partial metering will help in these situations, but it's still tough.

It is very likely that if the performance is being "taped", the TV folks will have lit with a consistency that will work for your still work also. Normally TV studio work is shot at 3200K, the contrast ratios will be well within your limits, and there should be sufficient light level for you to shoot hand held if you wish, though one can always argue for tripod usage where possible.

If the TV folks are using colored lights, they are probably for an effect that you may wish to capture also, so changing white balance should not be necessary.

Check with the TV Lighting Director or Video Operators. He/She/They will have tons of information on the lighting being used, and some suggestions for your settings.

Jim

[nigelch]

Starting tomorrow for the next couple of weeks, my boss is taping her upcoming series. What is the mandatory equipment I should try to have them purchase for me for my Canon Digital Rebel to shoot candid shots, yet useable for publication and web promos?

Thanks.

If I turned up at the studio and asked how to perform for the recording, they would throw me out for being an amateur. If you have to ask these questions, you aren't good enough to do the job. Use a professional.
N

[Jon]

If I turned up at the studio and asked how to perform for the recording, they would throw me out for being an amateur. If you have to ask these questions, you aren't good enough to do the job. Use a professional.
N
Talk about useless advice. He's been assigned by his employer to photograph her as she records a series of shows. This is the person who pays his salary, and she said "Do This!". He enquired about what equipment would be appropraite to use. You know absolutely nothing about his skills and abilities, so don't assume that he has no skills. Note also that if he weren't using his camera, he'd be expected to use the company (P&S) Kodak, so the corporate expectations are limited at best. He's making a real effort to give them the best pictures they could get within the parameters they've laid down, which is to be applauded not condemned.