What kind of a diffuser for a theater play?

Hi,

I have been asked to take some shots of an amateur theater play.
I was wondering if any flash diffuser would work better in that environment?
I know there will be some stage lighting but I may want to add some extra light to freeze the action.

thanks

Stephan

Hi Stephan

Do you really need a flash?

Will there be a dress rehearsal OR Run through?

This is the best time to do the pictures, not during the performance.. Flash is very distracting for an audience and of course in larger productions is prohibited.

I have done many shoots on professional sets, and unless the light is really dire I avoid Flash where possible.

Unless its an energetic musical of course..but then we can get the performers to freeze the action!

If you can do it pre performance, get the lighting man to put good neutral lights up, so you can check your White Balance.

This a shot from a Pro production of 'Kidnapped', used stage lights only.

Of course many small Am Dram groups will not have the same facilities as this, depends on your flash , a stofen or similar, or if the flash can be angled, a reflector (or in some cases Ive used a piece of white A4!)

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

50mm f/1.4 is what you want

I have worked with many theatre companies and you do NOT want wo be adding light. For a number of reasons.

1 - The actors on stage would be VERY distracted from their work
2 - the lighting designer spent a lot of time making sure the show looks the way it does. And this should be respected
3 - Any light you bring in would make the photos look different than the actual production.

Stephan,

Phil is right on regarding flash use. Avoid it.

Fast lenses and high ISO are required. We could help more if we knew what camera & lenses you have available.

"50mm f/1.4 is what you want"

And a nice 400Mpixel camera so you can get those close crops when required

I would agree with PhilHannah on this. I only have access to a Pro1, so often find it rather a challenge to take decent stage photos. What I have learned, is:

• If possible, shoot RAW and expect to mess around with the colour balance later. When I shoot JPG I often find it hard to pull the people out from the set; the colour cast is just too strong. And of course in most shows it will vary throughout the show (remember that the dress rehearsal is normally a rehearsal for the techies too, they might not want to change all their lighting plots for your benefit)
  
• Often, even with my ISO400, I can get away without flash for well-lit scenes. With practice, you can hold a camera pretty steadily up to your face for 1/15 of a second
  
• Dancers are a problem. They move fast. So do you use flash and lose the effect of the stage lighting, or do you have blurs where there used to be hands or feet? I don't have a good answer to this one
  
• Spotlights are another problem. It seems to be the fashion just now that whenever anyone starts singing, the spotlight gets hammered on to them. I have LOTS of photos of a chorus surrounding a white flame that once was a singer. Youcould spot meter, of course, but then you've got a properly exposed person and a mushy grey mass around them. That's where the flash can come in handy