Backstage studies

divamum

Another of my excursions out of lurkerdom in here :wave Currently doing a show and decided to see what I could do with my s95 between my scenes. (If the collages are too cumbersome, I can post individual shots but there were so many I thought it better to start off this way...


Behind the scenes/Green room


Backstage

Richard

Fascinating stuff. Looks like the S95 performs well, but I think all of the shots in the first collage would benefit from raising the black point a bit. I'd like to see a few of your favorites in a larger size.

divamum

Thanks, Richard. I usually find it very difficult to be a singer and a photographer simultaneously, but we've had a longish run which is nearing its end, and I was settled enough in my obligations as singer to push the envelope a bit. It is a trifle odd hiding a camera in my costume, though!

I reworked a couple of these in colour this morning; while I love the set in bw, the necessary high ISO (1600+ - on a pns!) means that some of them actually "read" better where the colour can guide the eye to distinguishing shapes amid the grain and motion blur.

My real goal with these was to capture some of those sometimes rather bizarre backstage moments that performers take for granted.

Re the black point, I did adjust it again, although it still may not be quite deep enough. As I work on these, I'm beginning to think the s95 ever so slightly overexposes - I was shooting av, and I think I may make -1/3 EC a matter of course in high-contrast lighting ~muses~

In any case, a few of the ones I liked best:

1


2. Getting ready


3. Between entrances



4. Learning the ropes (!)


5. Preparing to walk onstage - it's questionable to me whethere this one is salvageable or not since the high, high contrast (the wing area is pitch black) means that to get any image of the performers, the hallway and production staff are blown out.


6. Chorus lining up to file on (ditto re the technical stuff.)

Juano

Great series!!

divamum

Another one, that I grabbed at yesterday's final performance. The silhouette is the outline of a 9 year old girl who was absolutely smitten by being in a production:

lizzard_nyc

Divamum--the scrabble shot is my favorite of all and I'm glad you pulled it out of the collage as I think it's a standalone.
From the collage I also like the lady w/ the computer on the table w/ the two girls in costume--it's a pretty funny shot. I'd like that one as a standalone too but w/ the blackpoints raised a bit.

Love the series and I do like the collage for storytelling, but not for the best shots.

Mitchell

Scrabble shot for me along with the grainy #3 shot in the second collage.

Thanks for the backstage pass.