We all have been in the enviable situation to be at a staged concert and wished we could take photographs of the event. But as is the case with nearly all theatrical productions, cameras are not allowed, for good reason.
The staging of a professional concert, dance production or play is protected by copyrights, so the creators seek to control the distribution of their material. These copyrights should always be followed to the letter, and unauthorized images of theatrical events and productions should never, ever be shot without the expressed written consent of the management who is staging the production.
These restrictions, however, can be lifted if you work directly with the producers, and are in agreement to the distribution of the images you shoot. There are times though when you are attending a non-professional class production, or might be invited to bring your camera to a performance. If you are interested in creating professional or non-professional theatrical productions, here are 10 tips to create the best possible photographs:
1. To obtain the proper permissions to be allowed to photograph a professional ballet, you need to be a professional yourself. Never approach a producer about photographing the show unless you are a professional photographer with an existing market for the images or at a minimum, attractive media contacts that will bring exposure to the producer's work.
2. Bring an legitimate offer to the producer, make your permission a win-win for both parties. This might be a promise to submit the images to a particular publication. Be clear about what you want to shoot, why you want to shoot, and what you are going to do with the photos after you shoot.
3. Never try to lie your way backstage. Any professional producer has been approached hundreds of times by people just like you, most who have less than admirable intentions. Be honest about what you can do for the producer.
4. Once you gain permission from the producer, be aware of their stipulations. Review when you can shoot, where you can shoot and who you can shoot. Tell the producer your specific plans, but never let your photography get in the way of the production.
5. Be aware of union rules. Many stage personnel, cast and orchestra members are union members, and their union contract may prevent your distribution of their image without the expressed written permission of the union.
6. Coordinate your shoot with others who will be shooting the production. If other still photographers or videographers need certain angles on the stage, discussing who will stand where before the curtain rises will prevent hurt feelings and confusion once the show begins.
7. If shooting during the actual production, never, ever block the view of a paying patron. If you are caught doing so by the producer, you can be guaranteed to never receive another invite to shoot this producer's event again.
8. If possible, negotiate your way into a full-on dress rehearsal, and shoot without worry about blocking audience member's l view to the stage.
9. Once you have finished the shoot, keep your promise with the producer and never, ever post photos to social networks or communities that were not agreed upon with the producer before the shoot. If you are explicitly told not to post to Facebook but you do anyway, and the producer sees the photos, you will never shoot for that producer again.
10. And last, but most importantly, DO NOT USE A FLASH! If you do not know how to shoot moving objects in low light conditions, do not even approach a producer to shoot ballets, operas, plays or music concerts. All of these theatrical photography assignments are lit in ways that will test even the seasoned theatrical photographer.
If you can bring something to the table when approaching a theatrical producer, and can follow your permissions to the letter, theatrical photography can be a very rewarding line of work. But my advice from 35 years of doing this kind of photography is to never, ever make promises you cannot keep to a producer, because they have seen it all. And, if your intentions is only to get backstage to be closer to the stars, do not even try to B.S. your way into a show. Even rookie producers have seen it all, and you will end up a fool without a gig. Just be honest and make the producer NEED your work.
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