I’m not ashamed to admit: I’m a huge fan of Project Runway (there, I said it).  Something about watching people putting fabrics and materials together to create amazing pieces of clothing intrigues me.  I blame it on my culinary background, where throwing semi-random ingredients together to create an amazing dish fascinates me.  So, when I was approached to do a fashion shoot, I wasn’t sure what to expect – it’s not like the food or product photography I’m accustomed to.  I did my homework and made sure I read every bit of literature to get my head around what I was in for.  With this being the first kind of shoot I’ve ever done to this magnitude, it was nerve-wracking, but through the challenges I experienced, I learned valuable lessons and experienced an end result I am beyond pleased about.

I met the Tranquilista, Kimberly Wilson, after doing a previous shoot for a company that is releasing a DC guidebook that will be coming out TBD, and after reuniting at an event that was being hosted by this company, she discussed the photography for a book launch fête she was hosting (yes, she also writes books) and we talked about the possibility of also working on her upcoming clothing line launch.  It wasn’t something I’ve done before, but I certainly wasn’t opposed to the idea!  She always has a sweet disposition, and every time I’ve left her vicinity, I’ve felt at peace and, well, tranquil.  The model, Allison, works out in San Francisco (I’m jealous) and met Kimberly on a yoga retreat.  She blew my mind in how natural of a model she was – she had never done modeling before!  I was completely spoiled to have a model like her to work with!  Kimberly’s assistant was a fellow yogi, Eden, who was also a great pair of eyes to have around, as she noticed certain things before I even got to them and made my workflow easy.  I figured her clothing line would be a great step in the right direction for my business, and one step closer to shooting Michael Kors… err, I mean Heidi Klum.

You can read all the articles and publications you can get your hands on, but nothing prepares you for the challenges you face in your first clothing shoot!  Especially when you’re starting out, it’s hard to obtain some of the things you need to get going, and one of my biggest challenges is studio space.  Simply put, I don’t have any.  There are a few photographers that rent out their studio space, but trying to coordinate your schedule with theirs gets hairy, and I wasn’t able to get anything concrete on such a limited timeline (as in, only one day to shoot).  Fortunately for me, the designer is a do-it-all, and not only does she design clothing and publish books, she also runs her own yoga studio.  She had a room that wasn’t being occupied, so we converted it for the shoot with my portable seamless.  Another challenge was trying to properly light the subject.  The lights in the studio were adequate, but my single umbrella was going to make lighting tricky.  Plus, lighting products or food is completely different from lighting people!  I have used it before this shoot, so I understood how the lighting was going to work along with natural light from outdoors.  The biggest challenge was post-production: it SUCKED!  Because of my lighting, the white background turned almost a pinkish-gray.  This required a LOT of converting the background to white, which was excruciatingly painful.  Add to that the numerous photos I had to work on, it was an enormous headache!  However, now I’ve got the rhythm and technique down to make future shoots not so tedious.

I was certainly glad for the experience, but more so, for the lessons that resulted from this shoot.  I now understand the amount of time that results in these kinds of shoots, and that all of the time spent editing what was only a four-hour shoot needs to be compensated for.  With that, you must make sure that all of the terms of the agreement for the shoot are established well in advance, so there isn’t any confusion for future shoots and everything gets handled in a timely manner.  Luckily for me, she and I have worked together previously and were able to come to a mutual understanding relatively quickly, so nothing got dragged out, and we have already established terms for the next shoot months in advance.  Aside from that, more equipment is always helpful, especially to get the images that you want, so don’t be afraid to rent or borrow from a photographer buddy.  I was still starting out, so I didn’t have the connections or the equipment back then like I do now, and I know that I’ll be better equipped for my next shoot.  I’ve upgraded my camera and speed light since the previous shoot, which should make things noticeably better.  I’m still dreaming about better strobes and a Pocket Wizard, which are still out of my budget (for now – if I starve myself long enough, I’ll be able to get them), but thankfully I’ve made friends and have the hook-ups.  It’s all about networking!

The shoot was fantastic, and thanks to Eden for the help and Allison for being such a natural and wonderful model.  Because of them, the shoot went without a hitch, and we were extremely productive with a lot of great shots.  Most of all, thanks to Kimberly Wilson, who has been such a great client of mine for these past months.  I’ve had a lot of great work as a result of her, and she’s always such a pleasure to work with!  You can view her yoga and lifestyle clothing line, as well as other photos of the resulting shoot at her website: tranquilit.com. I am always surprised when I have a shoot involving something I never believed I’d get into and enjoy it beyond belief – it didn’t involve photographing food, yet was one of the most fun shoots I’ve had to date!

Next stop: Vanity Fair.

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Shooting for theatre affords an opportunity for both amateur and professional photogs that is unlike anything else in the industry. Most theatre troupes are more than welcome to invite you in to document their work for free. If it turns out you happen to be good at what you do, you can easily get your name around and begin a niche service. In the field of theatre photography, there is good money to be had.

Getting Your Foot in the Door…or On the Stage

While in most cases it can be easy, getting your foot in the door can be tricky if you’re not careful. I stumbled into my post as photographer for Blackfriars Theatre, because the company was left in the lurch by their previous photographer who went AWOL. With no experience under my belt, I grabbed their digital camera and began snapping away. Five years later, after many shows and pictures, theatre photography has developed me into the photographer I am today. I was lucky to fall into my position, and you may find that there might be photographers in place; the local mom or dad, the hobbyist, or a photographer just like you. Don’t fret, as most photographers are happy to share their space with you as long as they don’t feel threatened that you are trying to steal some of their bread and butter.

Production photo from Blackfriars Theatre's production of Our Leading Lady

Most cities and towns have several theatre groups that put on many shows a year. There’s a lot of work to be had for those that are willing to put in the effort, of getting your foot in the door. A good quick way to find out what is going on in your area that might afford you the opportunity for theatre is to get your finger on the pulse of your local entertainment scene. Pop open the local paper, hop on the internet and Google, pursue Facebook groups. Become friends with actors and directors, and before you know it you will find yourself with a plate load of potential photog food du jour. Once you have chosen what areas you want to look at (Theatre photography can also extend into shooting film, dance, and bands but mostly you just want to focus on the former) you begin the courting process. This starts with getting introduced to who runs the troupe or production. Get to know them well.. Learn what they’re about, what their goals are, and what type of material they are producing (past, present and future). Most importantly during this process is to find out about their photo needs are, if they have any. Whether they do or not, this is when you pop the question to see if they will let you in as a photographer. If you are new to this, let them know the reality of the situation; that you are growing your portfolio. If you are a pro, you may do the same or offer them your services. Most will jump at the chance for their masterpiece to be caught on film, whether or not they want to pay you. This is where getting your name out there helps out.

Production photo from Blackfriars Theatre's production of Same Time Next Year

Every Photo Has a Story

There is a reason I believe theatre photography to be a prime place to get your footing as a photographer, and that is, resources. As mentioned previously, there are no shortage of benefits to shooting on location, on set, or on stage. But above all these physical resources is the intangible, priceless resource of story. I am a firm believer that in order for a photo to really stand out, it must always tell a story for it to stand on its own. The greatest thing about shooting in this arena is that the story is already there waiting for you to capture it on film. The important thing to remember is to capture the moments. Don’t just shoot to shoot. You have real, live models performing in front of you, breathing life into their characters. Get it on film.

The side benefits of shooting on stage or set is that most actors wear makeup, because they are under lights. So you can have wonderful, dramatically lit sets and actors, and all that is needed is for you to step in do your stuff. You don’t have to bother with creating characters, and giving them something to do. No need to worry about lighting, makeup, hair, and set pieces. Simply get in there and shoot. Learn to take photos in a different, albeit ”theatrical”, setting. Learn to setup your camera and shoot from the hip,  capturing photos  that only you can get. What I have found is that the best photos just happen. It becomes the collision of so many forces working together as one unit.

Publicity photo from Blackfriars Theatre's production of A Wild Party

Every Story Has Two Sides …or more

Mostly everything I’ve discussed deals with the meaty part of theatre photography, meaning production shots. There is however more than just popping in and taking shots during their production runs. Most theatre groups rehearse nonstop for a month (meanwhile building the sets, costumes, et al.) then open their show till it ends. In the world of theatre you can be involved at any point, but most theatre companies like it if you are not taking shots when they have a live audience. They also provide the opportunity for behind the scenes shots, and promotional or publicity shots. I spend most of my time in this industry dealing with publicity and production shots. Behind the scenes shots are icing on the cake, and stuff that let’s the outsiders in on the life behind the lens or off the stage.

Publicity photo from Blackfriars Theatre's production of Shipwrecked

Dealing with publicity shots is entirely different than working on production shots. In taking production shots you may go in, setup your camera, prepare for the action and fire away;, In shooting for publicity it has its own mad world to contend with. If you are not a professional, this is the one area that takes all the elements and brings them together, and helps you to forge your path as a photographer. You may work with the director or producer who has their vision of what this project is going to be, but has laid it in your hands to make that vision come to life. You may at this point find yourself with no lighting, minimal sets, no costumes, and very little believable story from characters who have yet to be refined and brought to life. It is up to you to take these elements and create something special.

Here is the best advice I can offer: Breathe, and don’t forget to think outside of the box. If you are on the stage, you may be able to get the lighting designer to throw up some lights for dramatic purpose. Discuss beforehand what the director may want, to afford you time to gather things together. I have found it necessary to use what you have available; while working at theatres I will frequently steal set pieces and props from other shows, to get what I want. Sometimes I will take the actors and go walking, or meet somewhere that embodies the vision of the piece. That may mean you can find yourself in a park, or in the dungeon-like basement of a church. Use what’s available, and never be afraid to let things happen. Most of my best publicity shots occured because of the unexpected items that gave the photo character. The same can be said for film work. A couple gels, filters, and some portable lights, and you can shoot nearly anything, anywhere. Just make sure what ever you shoot, you shoot from several angles, and get adequate coverage, in a nice sharp focus. You will find that most newspapers and magazines will be more apt to publish your work if it is crisp and colorful.

Production photo from Blackfriars Theatre's production of A Year With Frog and Toad

Tools of the Trade

I have gone through several cameras before I settled on the image quality that is produced by my Canon 50D. For its price, it was hard to beat the quality that came from this camera. On a typical shoot I bring along two lenses; my trusty 17-85mm EF IS Canon lens and a 70-300mm EF IS Canon lens. Those, coupled with my 16gb CF card get me the coverage I need. Yes, there are other lenses and goodies I would like to use, but you will find that the fast-paced setting of shooting something live like theatre does not afford you switching lenses every couple minutes.

I find it helpful to try and catch some rehearsals prior to the shoot so that I can anticipate what shots I want to go for, where the breaks are, and where the best angles are. This way, I can plan my lens switches without needing to buy an extra body, or lose out on some great shots. In film you have the benefit of multiple takes which affords you more time. I try to stay away from wide shots when doing my theatre work. I occasionally take them only for the benefit of the theatre to showcase their sets and scenes, but the money shots are always in the action. I try to put myself in the best place to make the scene pop to life. This may mean running across the theatre, straddling seats, or balancing on ladders. Each theatre provides its own special nuances, and I find the smaller (and subsequently sometimes closer) theatres give you the better balance of shots as opposed to the 1000 seat, 60 ft wide stages.

When working indoors with sets and stages, find a setup on your camera that works best for you, I find Manual setup or Shutter (Tv) priority with a higher iso 800-1600, and tungsten balance work best. I always shoot in RAW so that I can play with balancing when I get back to the studio. You will find that having an indoor setting or starting point for this work allows you to get more consistent quality and a higher quantity of shots. I average 500-800 shots during a shoot for a 1.5 hour show, but of course this changes when you add or subtract actors or scenes.

Getting Your Name Out There

The biggest part of being a photographer is simply getting your name out there and getting work. You should already have an online portfolio, and you should already be using Facebook and Flickr to your advantage. I know I do. When getting your name out there, and when in the process of working with theatres it is important to remember to always get your photo credited. My photos have been used in a magazine, our city newspaper and local papers many times over. They also post most of their articles now on their websites as well, giving your photo that much more exposure. Having your name attached anywhere it is used will help other theatres and interested groups find you easier. Any promotional material used by the theatre should have this as well, especially if you are doing the work for free. I am huge advocate, and constantly hound newspapers to get the credit in there, and to spell the name correctly, because if you boil it down, it is advertising. Its your piece of art going on display, so don’t be afraid to take the credit. If you are afraid to take credit, then maybe you should think twice about being a photographer.

Displaying your work in an online portfolio, and Facebook is nice, but having a site like Flickr to post and get feedback is a great tool at advancing your self in this industry. Below are some links to portfolios (shameless plug of my own portfolio and Flickr page), and Flickr groups that should interest you if you are looking into this niche of photography.

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Photo by: Roc Herm

Photo by: Olivier

Photo by: Michael Creagh

Photo by: Graphistolage David

Photo by: Florencia Mazza

Photo by: Cámara Oscura

Photo by: Ashburn Eng

Photo by: Susan Anderson

Photo  by: Orgut Cayli

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Camera: Canon 5D

Lens: 24-70 L

Exposure: 1/60, f4

Flash:  Falcom 200 ff

About the Artists:

Andrey Yakovlev was born and grew up in Izhevsk city, Russia. He has taken up photography since 1980. In 1990 he took 2 awards in all-Russian contests. In 1991 according to possibilities of perestroika he set up his own studio and started to implement his creative ideas: photography in glossy magazines, photo-exhibitions, shootings of video clips, and organization of model school.  He is a three-times laureate of prestige award “The Best in Profession”. Family tandem Andrey-Lily was put together in 1998. In 2006 Lili took the First prize in XVI Moscow International Festival of Advertising.

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