Hundreds of photos run in this newspaper each year that are not taken by Denver Post photographers. These are pictures that run with theater reviews and, in almost every case, they are provided to all media outlets by the theater companies themselves.
Many, regrettably, are rudimentary. They often show posed actors with little consideration of composition or lighting. They’re shot with point-and-click cameras.
But occasionally, these photos are works of art in their own right.
You may not recognize the names, but a few photographers are considered superstars within the local theater community, names like P. Switzer, Eric Weber, Terry Shapiro and others.
The best in the business right now are probably Karen McClean and Steve Nickerson, partners who have elevated the art of stage photography since aligning with Paragon Theatre. They attack their assignments with the ferocity of documentarians, creating haunting images that can linger in the mind at least as long as the plays themselves.
McClean’s mantra: Staged photos are boring. “Give photographers the freedom to be photographers,” she said. “Documentary photographers get you the real thing – not the posed thing.”
Paragon gives McClean total freedom and access to shoot a run-through. “Without that trust, and the trust of the actors, our style and our success wouldn’t be possible,” she said.
Exceptional stage photos are to the benefit of the reader, the newspaper and the theaters. “I think if there is a good, strong image accompanying a review, people will be more drawn to read it,” said Weber, “and newspapers will be more likely to run it.”
Quality images not only become important archival documents for theaters, said Michael Ensminger. They pay off at the box office.
“It can be tough getting people to go to the theater,” he said, “so anything that will grab their attention, intrigue them and make them feel compelled to find out more, is great.”
The Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s Lou Costy says stage photos make their own statement about the quality of a production. “If your photo is professional, people will think it may be worth seeing,” he said. “If your photos are average, it makes the whole production appear average, that the performance may not be anything special to see.”
Quality work is not inexpensive, of course, but there are options for companies with small budgets. One: Don’t rely on one photographer. Invite an entire college photography class for one mass rehearsal shoot. That one diamond frame you get back might be one you couldn’t have paid a professional for – and the student will be rewarded with an important portfolio entry.
Six examples of excellence in stage photography:
“The Alchemy of Desire,” by Michael Ensminger for The Bug Theatre
Camera: Pentax 6-by-7 medium format camera (film)
Location: Wheat Ridge greenbelt
Actor: Mare Trevathan (what she most remembers: “I got stuck in beaver poo.”)
Ensminger tells us about it: “We wanted to portray something broodingly haunting and surreal. Since these are themes that pop up frequently in my own art photography, it was a perfect fit. I like to shoot with natural light whenever possible; in this case I needed either an overcast day, or, as it turned out, shooting at dusk. I wanted a shadowless flat light to enhance the surreal/dream quality.”
Why is this photo effective? “It conveys a feeling and a sense about the production, and it also stands on its own.”
Denver Post photographer Glenn Asakawa says: “The black and white duo-toned quality and narrow depth of field give this image a nostalgic look that enhances the timeless nature and draws out the emotion in this well-composed image.”
“Macbeth,” by Tom Kimmell for TheatreWorks, Colorado Springs
Camera: Canon 5D (12.8 megapixels)
Location: Onstage
Actors: Gene Gillette and Alysabeth Clements
Kimmell tells us about it: This photo is all about the lighting creating a mood that best matches the drama of the moment. I brought in strobe-lighting equipment and used gels on the lights. I did not have much as far as set goes, as it still was being built.
Why is this photo effective? “As director Murray Ross always tells me, ‘Shoot tight: Faces, faces!”‘
Denver Post photographer Cyrus McCrimmon says: “I like the strong lighting coming from behind the subjects. It really gives the sense that this moment, with these two actors, is one of the most dramatic scenes in the production.”
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” by Lou Costy for the Colorado Shakespeare Festival
Camera: Hasselblad with a digital back
Location: Studio
Actors: Sarah Fallon and Ceeko Scheeren
Costy tells us about it: “We shot this in the rehearsal studio on the CU campus, which is convenient for all concerned, and it also has some
theater lights. I always like to try to create a mood. I use multiple lights depending on what I am trying to achieve.”
Why is this photo effective? “Because the use of the bright light directs the viewer to the actors’ faces, which sets the stage for the dream scene.”
Denver Post photographer Craig F. Walker says: “I love this image. It captures the imagination with both the characters and the colors. It’s playful, mischievous … and dreamlike. Which would be the point. Everyone knows ‘Midsummer’ is a masterpiece – but this photograph stands as a work of art all on its own. Art promotes art.”
“The Caretaker,” by Karen McClean for Paragon Theatre
Camera: 35mm Nikon (film)
Location: “We always shoot onstage as the play is running. Paragon allows us total access. We don’t set up shots. We approach the play as if it were real life, happening in front of us.”
Actor: Jim Hunt
McClean tells us about it: As the actors are performing, we attack with a documentary photography approach. My partner, Steve Nickerson, always has stressed going beyond the simple image presented. The quest is to find the real picture within what’s given – the emotion, the gesture, the lighting and the set design – to make something, as in a documentary, that helps tell the story and involve the viewer. We use no special lighting.”
Why is this photo effective? “It captures the character. It is a portrait that asks more questions than it answers.”
Denver Post photographer Helen Richardson says: “Sad. Lonely. Pained. The old man in this photo looks tired and resigned and very alone.”
“Bingo Boyz,” by Eric Weber for the LIDA Project
Actors: Brian Lewis and Mike Holzer
Camera: Nikon D1X
Location: Studio
Weber tells us about it: “This was early enough where there were no sets or lights, so we created it in my studio. Our goal was to shoot for the poster and for the press. We shot some “lit” shots. I tried to place the lights high to make the eyes and cheekbones dark and scary, but ended up thinking a silhouette of the two would be graphically more interesting and less distracting because we already knew what (Eric) Harris and (Dylan) Klebold looked like.”
Why is this photo effective? “Because it delivers a clear message.”
Denver Post photographer John Leyba says: “The photographer did a nice job with the backlight and silhouette of the subjects, giving a James Bond look. But in a world of gun violence in schools, I think using young actors holding guns would be disturbing to some.”
“Misalliance,” by Joe Coca for OpenStage, Fort Collins
Camera: Hasselblad
Location: Studio
Actors: Rebecca Spafford and Eric W. Corneliuson
Coca tells us about it: “Eric was actually lying on a white platform, and the scarves were suspended with fishing line. The final shot was then scanned and worked in Photoshop to simulate the movement and remove the platform he was lying on.”
Why is this photo effective? “First, it is symbolic of Shaw’s play: the idea that a strong, independent woman who arrives on the scene via an airplane crash is in control of her destiny with a man. She can reject or accept the man she wants. Second, the photo is unusual enough that it hopefully sparks an interest in seeing the play.”
Denver Post photographer RJ Sangosti says: “The lighting and the increased contrast add to the overall playfulness of this high-energy pose.”
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
