Having been a professional theatre photographer for the best part of 20 years, I wanted to talk about how best to approach photographing the theatre and the performing arts and to try to pass on some of the skills I've learned along the way.
So this blog post is designed to educate, inspire and inform and I'm going to talk about how I approach every different type of job.
As a theatre photographer, you're usually dealing with press officers or publicity companies. These are the people who book you, and who need to get the front of house stills.
The front of house is the front of the theatre where the images will be displayed. The images would also be part of a brochure or flyer, or a poster ~ and all these aspects are handled by the publicity office for the production or they'll use an outside company.
When it comes to the shoot itself, it helps to know as much as you can about the production itself. Be it a play, a musical, an opera, a live band even - its all part of the performing arts genre and I've done them all, including the Circus.
So, you'll be asked to attend and photograph a final dress rehearsal. This is the very last time that the theatre group of actors and lighting technicians and stage hands will come together in full costume to perform the production one last time before the live premiere.
It is the final time you'll ever see the entire production from start to finish, before anyone else will ever see it, and so it's a very special event. If you get it wrong, and miss the essential parts, you won't get a second chance.
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Tips from Pascal Molliere
Historia CortaHaving been a professional theater photographer for the best part of 20 years, I wanted to talk about how best to approach photographing the theater and the performing arts and to try to pass on some of the skills I've learned along the way.
