It’s lovely to be asked to take photos by friends but honestly I sometimes feel a complete fraud!
Last night I was at Helmsley Arts Centre at the behest of Tash, director but also one of the principle’s in their latest show ‘Jekyll and Hyde the musical’. It was their last dress rehearsal with an orchestra, lights and everything! And lights is the thing – I’ve no idea how stage lighting affects camera settings – what works and what definitely doesn’t – yikes! Luckily Joe, a more experienced snapper, was also there so that took the pressure off somewhat.
First off the show is amazing – the principals have amazing voices and the ensemble, all amateurs, do a sterling job so even though musicals aren’t really my favourite form of theatre, I’m looking forward to seeing it again.
So here are a few of the shots I created. Usually I shoot on manual and set the iso, shutter speed and aperture but for fear of not getting it right under these challenging lights I set it on P – yes, that’s right – automatic! I let the camera do the work and though a bit grainy they haven’t turned out too badly. I was a long way from the stage with an 85mm portrait lens so ended up having to crop quite a bit. This meant sharpness isn’t great but hey – it’s theatre – mood, emotion, drama, movement etc. who needs tic tac sharpness?!
I will however do some research into best settings for photographing live theatre as there’s definitely room for improvement – as always!
