How to use lighting in stage photography?

Stage photography is mostly shot in the theater, and scene lighting becomes the main light source for shooting. Some performances are outdoors and some are during the day. Therefore, the lighting of stage photography can be divided into stage lighting, the lighting of the photographer's own flash, and the natural light during the day and the lighting at night when outdoors.

First, the use of stage lighting.

Stage lighting, stage art and stage performance all belong to stage art, and both lighting and art serve the performance. With the development of science and technology and the improvement of audience's aesthetic taste, the layout of stage lighting becomes more and more complicated and the effect becomes more and more realistic. Because stage photography mainly depends on the scene stage lighting, which is in a changeable state, photographers need to constantly sum up experience in practice, master the layout and characteristics of stage lighting, and skillfully express the modeling effects of various lights.

1, brightness change of stage lights

Stage lighting is characterized by frequent alternation of light and shade and strength, with strong contrast. Sometimes the lighting of people and background, front and back, left and right on the stage is different. In order to achieve accurate exposure, we should always take the main body of the stage as the exposure basis.

2, the effect of stage lighting changes

In order to create the effect, the stage lighting will change its color and intensity with the change of the plot, such as season, time, spring, summer, autumn and winter, rain and fog. Of course, shooting according to the color of stage lighting can truly reproduce the atmosphere of stage performance. However, the change of light temperature will also affect the photographic exposure. So we must learn to use the exposure compensation device of the camera accurately.

3. Color temperature change of stage lighting.

The change of stage lighting color directly affects the change of color temperature. Similarly, different types of lamps have different color temperatures of light sources. If you shoot with color film, you must consider using replaceable filters to adapt to the color temperature of the scene lights. If you use a digital camera, you can correct the color temperature by adjusting the balance, or directly use the automatic white balance mode on the camera.

Second, the use of flash.

Stage photography generally adopts live stage lighting, some performances can also be shot with flash, and some performances are forbidden to be shot with flash. But sometimes at the end of a performance, when an actor makes a curtain call, or when a leader comes on stage to meet the actor and take a group photo, the flash comes in handy.

Third, use natural light.

Some performances are performed on the open-air stage during the day. This outdoor performance doesn't need lighting, and it depends entirely on natural light. Although the beauty of the dance is not good, it provides great convenience for photographers, and there is no limitation of brightness and color temperature when shooting.