Just for Fun No C&C will be given: Stage Lighting: Inspired by Asher's Music Images

I've done some shooting with stage lighting. Unlike Asher's concert photos, though, mine were of dance recitals and community theatre. Shooting with this kind of stage lighting can be magical, especially from backstage. The photoshop work on the last is sorely lacking, and there is lots of room for improvement, but I thought I'd share some shots I've gotten over the past few years.

The Silhouette!

Rachel Foster said:

I've done some shooting with stage lighting. Unlike Asher's concert photos, though, mine were of dance recitals and community theatre. Shooting with this kind of stage lighting can be magical, especially from backstage.

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Hi Rachel,

Great that you add your own experience. Each approach teaches us something new. From backstage one gets, of course a new look at things.


The lighting of the background gives the sense of life to the photograph. I realize from your picture that choice of clothing and posture is much more critical for this type of work as one only has the shape and edges to feed the brain.

I can see that this has the potential for great silhouettes. If that's the case, then the movements are best choreographed or else one needs to fire away with as many frames as one can to choose those with the most impressive and balanced position. It's a great idea and I'll have to try this some time.

Asher

Rachel,

Here you show an entirely different esthetic. It's attractive and unusual. Essentially you have built a silhouette with a sparkling living edge. This seems to be a unique approach to creating a forum for showing character of the actor. I like the edge lighting here. I wonder which other photographers might use this approach as their signature work?

Asher

I should have mentioned the shot of the two dancers was from the audience. This was during the recital, so it was the second method: shoot fast and shoot many. I wish I had had this card during that shoot! What a difference a good card makes!

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Hey Rachel...I did not get a chance to read what others are saying on the images but my HONEST 2 cents is that these are all wonderful images!!! The first and wow the third image...That third image is one that could hang in a gallery Rachel and i KNOW my art with over 10 yrs exp.

Make that as a very limited print and you could get a really good sum of money for it. Thats my 2 cents Miss..... =)

That 3rd is a gallery worthy image...Wow i'm impressed.

Geez Rachel; these are really nice. Each is powerful enough to be shown solo.

ErikJonas said:

HThe first and wow the third image...That third image is one that could hang in a gallery Rachel and i KNOW my art with over 10 yrs exp.

Make that as a very limited print and you could get a really good sum of money for it. Thats my 2 cents Miss..... =)

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Rachel,

It's great that you have a buyer. I think this is commendable. However, as much as I like it, the lighting is, although, (as I mentioned above, intriguing, and I stand by that), is still not as well done as it could be with a little more work. In particular, the edge illumination around her nose is to strong and creates, IMHO, an imbalance. In addition to happenstance in lighting, we have the ownership and master of the final presentation. The way the camera recorded it is not necessarily the way you would distribute rank and importance to each part of the outline. I think it's important that we have s sense of realism. I do like this work but it's not yet the best it can be.

Still, Erik's welcome enthusiasm is a sign that you are perhaps on to something that could have general appeal.

Asher

I agree that the nose has unfortunate prominence. The problem is that I don't have regular access to this lighting. But... I may soon have a source that I can use on a more regular basis, not in a "hurry up, you're holding up rehearsal" type of setting.


Thanks, Erik. I love that one too. Thanks, Winston.

Rachel Foster said:

I agree that the nose has unfortunate prominence. The problem is that I don't have regular access to this lighting. But... I may soon have a source that I can use on a more regular basis, not in a "hurry up, you're holding up rehearsal" type of setting.

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Rachel,

Sometimes we have to edit these minutiae ourselves. Pictures have to be made. Although removing every single fault can extinguish the last breath of life out of the picture. So editing is always fraught with difficulty.

Asher