Case Study: Available Light and Scene-Setting with Shakespeare

follow I had the great pleasure to be assigned to photograph Montana Shakespeare in the Parks once more on the opening night of their 40th anniversary last Wednesday night at Montana State University in Bozeman.  I shot the troupe in 2010 for The Big Sky Journal and have enjoyed the plays for years before that.

go to link There’s something magical about Shakespeare, and that magic only multiplies when performed outside under a Montana sky.

https://purestpotential.com/wkwsukric3 It’s a fairly young group of actors this year and, as always, they performed with aplomb.  The play was Henry V, one of my personal favorites.  Nothing like the Saint Crispin’s Day speech to get the blood boiling.

https://alldayelectrician.com/uobc67y Shooting theatre is always difficult.  Stage lighting is in no way conducive to traditional photography – lighting is often red or blue and obtaining a correct exposure is challenging.  Add to that the dimension of being outside on a stage, and things really become complicated.

https://onlineconferenceformusictherapy.com/2025/02/22/m22vndpf75t Using a few creative manual settings, a handmade filter and a little post-production goodness, the images from the performance are now in a cohesive, artistic series.  Using a grain filter to add a slightly off-focus and granulated look ages the images, and desaturating slightly draws focus to the shape and form of the actors, not merely the vibrant costumes and lighting.

watch Don’t be shy about taking on difficult lighting. By shooting into the stage lighting, I was able to capture some compelling portrait shots of the actors, and moved around behind the set quite a bit to catch the light filtering well through the trees.

follow site As always, experiment.  Find the photographic style that matches your creative eye and go for it.

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