Theater work

Until last night, I've never photographed anything for a theater or a theater group. I've done a few headshots here and there, but I've never taken photos of actors on stage. There are a lot of technical hangups to consider, the most important of which is lighting. Stage lights can be difficult to deal with, and even worse if they're dim.

My friend, Herschel Zahnd III (my second friend who is a "the third"), asked if I'd be interested in taking some stage shots for his production of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street." Since opening night is later this week, it's too late for promo cards and that sort of thing, but he can still use the images on the Web and wants to give the actors a good shot of them each. I was happy to oblige.

When I arrived at The Alley Theater in Louisville, I was flattered to see a headshot of another friend, Todd Zeigler, was hanging in what you might call the lobby. I hadn't thought about it since I'd taken it, but after looking at it again, I was really pleased with the photo. Here it is.

 

Yes, it's goofy, but intentionally so. Todd does a lot of comedy work, but that's not to say he's a one-trick horse. He's a fantastic actor, and you should give him money now.

By the way, your wedding photos are almost finished, Todd. Honest.

Either way, I digress.

Having lenses suited and optimized for low-light situations isn't just handy, it's a necessity. Luckily, I was outfitted for the job. Now, I just had to make the pictures.

Normally, I don't like posed situations, but this was completely different. I wasn't asking anyone to pose for me in the camera. I wasn't asking anyone to do anything for me or go out of their way to help me make a picture. They acted, I photographed. That was it. Here's what I got.

That's Herschel as Sweeney Todd. He did a fantastic job acting and singing, and I agree his makeup was spot-on. The rest of the cast thought it was too heavy, but I thought it did exactly what it needed to.

If you're interested in seeing the show, check out the link above for dates. It looks like they're playing every weekend in October, starting this weekend. They didn't ask for the plug, but they got it anyway. 

Anyway, perfect show for the Halloween season. It's dark with just enough comedy to keep you laughing nervously. Here's one last shot, without giving away the plot.