OmoroShoot briefRoll 035Ser.05
Performing Arts aesthetic photography reference
RecTC 00:00:00:00

Performing Arts

The ephemeral made permanent: the performance that lives only in the photograph

Roll 0355 frames0 / 5 shot
Frames00/05
performing arts
SET

The setup

Shoot briefHD[performing art]00:00:00:00Stop ■
Brief Int(performing-a.BRF)

Performing Arts

01 LightAvailable stage lighting is the brief work with what the lighting designer has set for the show; add supplementary sources only from positions that a theatre light could plausibly occupy
02 WardrobeFull performance costume and makeup are the wardrobe the collaboration is with the production design team, not the photographer
03 LocationTheatre stage in full production light
04 Palette
DIR

Director's note

Shoot dress rehearsal rather than performance you get all the production value with the right to move, shoot from multiple positions, and occasionally request a moment be repeated for a different angle

All 151 director’s notes, printable: Director’s Briefs, $8 →
VF

Viewfinder

Live

Four controls on the brief's own plate · the meter is real, so you can blow a frame

Performing Arts reference frame
Standby50mmf/5.6 · 1/125 · ISO 400

Running the list sets the camera for every shot in turn. Load your own photo to light and expose a frame you actually shot.

LGT

Light the set

3 lamps

Drag a lamp and watch the frame above change. The brief's own note is the preset

KeyThe light that makes the pictureSoft, farEye level
FillHow far into shadow you can seeMediumEye level
BackRound at the front, where it is just another fillOffEye level
On the brief
CS

Contact sheet

00 / 12

Nothing on the sheet yet. Set the camera, then take a frame.

SEQ

Shot list

00 / 05

Tap a pad to mark the frame shot · saved on this device

Wide stage shot during rehearsal with a single performer in a pool of work light, all else darkwide24mm
Close portrait of a performer in makeup, between scenes, the character still present in their eyesportrait85mm
Action shot with significant motion blur on extremities, the face relatively sharp blur is energy heresetup50mmsoft focus
Backstage detail: costume rack, makeup table, performer warming up in a corridordetail100mm
Audience perspective shot from the rear of the house, performer small against the stage architecturesetup50mm
Rolling
Take it to set: all 151 briefs as one PDF · $8
LOC

Locations

04
Theatre stage in full production lightBackstage wings during performanceRehearsal studio with mirror wallDressing room with traditional bulb mirror
REF

Explore the aesthetic

Style guideColor palette
DOC

About this brief

How do I photograph the Performing Arts aesthetic?

The ephemeral made permanent: the performance that lives only in the photograph.

Shoot dress rehearsal rather than performance you get all the production value with the right to move, shoot from multiple positions, and occasionally request a moment be repeated for a different angle

Director's note

What shots should I get for a Performing Arts photo shoot?

Leave with every frame on this list.

Shot list

  1. Wide stage shot during rehearsal with a single performer in a pool of work light, all else dark
  2. Close portrait of a performer in makeup, between scenes, the character still present in their eyes
  3. Action shot with significant motion blur on extremities, the face relatively sharp blur is energy here
  4. Backstage detail: costume rack, makeup table, performer warming up in a corridor
  5. Audience perspective shot from the rear of the house, performer small against the stage architecture
What lighting works for Performing Arts photography?

Available stage lighting is the brief work with what the lighting designer has set for the show; add supplementary sources only from positions that a theatre light could plausibly occupy

Light

Where should I shoot Performing Arts photography?

Scout these before anything else.

Locations

  1. Theatre stage in full production light
  2. Backstage wings during performance
  3. Rehearsal studio with mirror wall
  4. Dressing room with traditional bulb mirror
What wardrobe works for Performing Arts photography?

Full performance costume and makeup are the wardrobe the collaboration is with the production design team, not the photographer

Wardrobe

Omoro Studio · Creative System

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