An individual look at the "Hamlet" cast

When I arrived to shoot First Folio Productions' dress rehearsal of its spring show, "Hamlet," director Glenn Dobbs told me that in addition to the actual performance, he wanted me to shoot individual photos of cast members from which he could pick an appropriate "album cover." (For a post devoted to my play pictures, see previous post or click on the link in this sentence.)

I didn't ask him about what kind of album he was talking about. Even if I were going to ask him, before I could do that, Dobbs told me he wanted to use the electric bulbs wired into his false brick posts stage props for lighting.

Anyone who knows lighting for photographs knows what kind of pictures will result in the dramatic lighting he was proposing -- modest to wide shadows in and/or under the eyes, or when one side of the face would be illuminated while the other was in dark shadows or turned away from the camera, depending on how you position the subject(s). Portrait photographers know that dramatic lighting can be effective when you seek to present a subject in a certain mood, and that it can work on occasion for male subjects. They also know that such lighting is generally considered unflattering and unappealing for female subjects.

Dramatic lighting is what Dobbs was after, so we went through the full cast trying to position them as best as we could. Dobbs was so excited about the bulb lighting, that when he stood in for a test shot (right), I decided to compose it with one of the bulbs in it. I made both color and monochrome versions of each formal shot. I also made a few informal (candid) color images for Dobbs -- shots from moments during the very short lulls when one individual departed and Dobbs rounded up the next one. And we had to do it fast, because Dobbs needed to get the play rehearsal started on time so we wouldn't be at the theater very late into the evening.

It occurred to me as I processed the images yesterday that it might be of interest to readers here to see what kind of quality can come out of a situation like that. In most cases, I was able to keep the ISO setting on the camera at a reasonable level for my Canon 6D, which can process photos without revealing too much "noise" (or grain) up to about ISO 6400, and sometimes even a bit more. In a few cases, however, I had to push the ISO higher, so while processing the photos, I made decisions to toss a couple shots that would have been usable under better lighting conditions.

From the number of poses we did of everyone, it was clear afterward that Dobbs was looking for one of Hamlet or Hamlet with Ophelia to be on the cover of whatever album he was putting together. We did a lot of different poses with Carey Shea (Hamlet) and of Shea with Devan Mathias (Ophelia). While Dobbs might have his own ideas about what he will want and use, this post is more about how I regarded the results of the shots.

My favorite solo shot of Shea is the one presented in the dual-photo presentation I have leading off the post -- and this dual photo presentation for a lead graphic, incidentally, is a first for Photo Portpourri. Notice the bit of shadow on the right side of Shea's face -- not nearly as dramatic as I would see while exploring and using other poses. In fact, in general, his face in this photo has favorable lighting, and the pensive pose comes off as powerful, I think.

In the spirit of giving credit where it's due, I'll mention here that Dobbs had ideas for poses throughout this quick shoot, and we tried everything he mentioned. He also yielded to me every time I expressed concerns about unacceptable lighting or distracting backgrounds. Indeed, we used his ideas more than half the time, and this one was one of his. To show you examples of what else we came up with, I include a shot of Shea looking directly at the camera (left) and a monochrome conversion of him looking over his shoulder (right).

My favorite of Hamlet and Ophelia (Devan Mathias) together is the one sharing the lead-off spot at the top. Dobbs and I shared the idea for this pose; Dobbs had sought some separation between the two, and when I told him there wasn't ample lighting for both individuals in any separated position without creating a significant depth of field issue (one individual would have to be out of focus), we put Devan in a position facing the camera and gazing at Hamlet. Her face caught a good share of light, so we put her in focus. In the foreground, Shea is prominent ... but thrown out of focus because of the separation.

We took shots of Mathias solo in two poses, one serious, one with her smiling. I think because of what I mentioned above about women come off in an unflattering nature when cast in dramatic lighting, I favor the shot of her smiling (right). For one, it's a genuine, pretty smile, and also I think it goes a long way toward conquering the women-in-dramatic-lighting issue.

Outside of the lead characters, my favorite individual shots -- female and male -- are of Anne Gross and John Mortell (below). Anne has a couple roles in the play, but her main one is as a performer in "The Murder of Gonzago," a play within the play. Even though the right side of her face is cast in shadow (it was virtually unavoidable), I like her shot because of the costuming and how she holds herself in the pose. The latter is also one reason I like Mortell's shot. He exudes confidence, and both individuals have a good sense about how to present themselves. Because I'm familiar with Mortell from previous First Folio shows, I know this is a very accurate representation of his command of the characters he portrays. In "Hamlet," Mortell plays Laertes, brother of Ophelia and son of Polonius.

Here are some more examples of the individual shots:

 Ericka Barker, as Queen Gertrude, Hamlet's mother

Matthew Anderson portrays Claudius, Hamlet's uncle ... and stepfather ... and is the person responsible for the death of Hamlet's father. There were three poses of Anderson, and this one -- which in a way reminds me of his character's critical prayerful scene before intermission in the play -- seems appropriate.

We also did two poses of the "Hamlet" newlyweds, Claudius and Gertrude. In my opinion, this was the better, although I don't like the shadows on Ericka Becker's face.

 Benjamin Mathis as Horatio, Hamlet's friend and confidante.

We did two poses for Tom Weingartner, who plays Polonius, father of Laertes, one with and without a hat. I liked both, so ... here you have them. 

Scott Stockton as Marcellus and an extra. 

Andy Barnett as the ghost of Hamlet's father, King Hamlet. It seemed appropriate to use the monochrome version for the ghost.

Missy Rump as Bernardo and as a performer in the play within the play. Rump and Gross had similar costumes, and the color version of Rump's photo was just fine. I just like how the monochrome conversion came out.  

Chris Burton has several roles, actually. Here he's dressed for a scene early in the play as an extra for the reception of Gertrude and Claudius' wedding. He also performs as the lead player in the play within a play ... and as the gravedigger.  

 Fred Margison plays Osric and an extra.

Kevin Caraher has dual roles as a priest and an extra.

As always, click any individual images to view a larger and sharper version, which is particularly beneficial if viewing this post in a mobile device.

"Hamlet" has its final shows at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis this weekend -- 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday (June 3-4) and 3:30 p.m . Sunday, June 5.  Follow the link in this sentence to learn more about how to get tickets, which cost $12 (seniors get a $2 discount, students a $4 discount).

Photo geek stuff: I used a Canon 6D equipped with a Sigma 85mm f/1.4 lens for all of the individual shots. I shot using ISO 1600, with the aperture varying from f/1.4 (wide open) to 1.8 and the shutter at around 1/125.

A peek at what you don't see when attending a theatrical production

My shoot for First Folio Productions’ presentation of Romeo and Juliet late last month was a two-day affair. As indicated and illustrated in the previous post here, the first day was devoted to scenes from the dress rehearsal.

The second day was used to grab “behind the scenes” images, a group shot of the cast and crew, and some photos reflecting a refinement of the visual “show” the crew devised as part of the opening musical sequence. You saw a couple shots of the latter in the previous post.

This post is about the behind-the-scenes images, and it leads off with a shot of Susan Yeaw getting guitarist/vocalist Al Hoffman wired up for amplification. Susan worked the show in the control booth of the Ben Davis High School theater, but she is an accomplished actress who I met through her various roles with the Garfield Shakespeare Company.

I’ve come to learn that an angular perspective, or tilt, seems appropriate at times when composing a shot, and this scene in the control booth in the back of the theater seemed to be one of those times.

Above and next three below: Crew members in the control booth work with the stage lighting and visual portion of the show. On stage are Glenn Dobbs, the play’s director (first below) and cast member Jurrell Spencer (in costume), who played Count Paris. Shortly thereafter, Spencer would join fellow cast members Mark Varick and Anderson Parker in the first row of seats to watch further fine-tuning of the visual presentation. Varick played Benvolio, friend of Romeo, which was Parker’s role.

The silhouette above of stage manager Melody Burnett, who also was in charge of set decoration, adjusting the curtain to the balcony is one of my favorite from the night’s shoot. Earlier in the evening, Burnett and cast member John Mortell (below), who played Romeo’s rival Tybalt, were nearby as the fog machine was tested.

Above: In the men’s dressing room, Stephen Scull (Prince Escalus) makes his way toward a locker to put on his outfit.

Outside the dressing rooms, cast member Brian Kennedy (above), who played Lord Montegue, finds his costume from the rack. A while later (below), he was in the dressing room beginning the makeup process. 

Elsewhere in the men’s dressing room, Daniel Clymer (above) finessed the look around his eyes, his costume (first below) hanging several yards away at his locker. Clymer played Friar Laurence. Also working on the eyes was fellow cast member Tristan Ross (second below), who played Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet. Sitting on a chair against one of the walls (third below) were neatly arranged belongings and a dance scene mask.  

Above: In the women’s dressing room, cast members Debbie Coon (left) and Michelle Wafford Mannweiler enjoy a laugh while tidying up. Coon played Balthasar, Wafford Mannweiler was Juliet.

Above: Carrie Reiberg’s work with the aerosol can is captured in three mirrors. She played Juliet’s mother, Lady Capulet.

Above: Kat Paton, who played Lady Montegue, concentrates on the eyes.

Makeup artist Delores Dugger adjusts cast member Joyce Feichtner’s bonnet (above) and sprays Paton’s hair (below). Observing Dugger above is Jessica Thompson.

Pre-rehearsal confabs can occur just about anywhere. The one above featuring (from left) Mortell, Dobbs, Varick, Parker (mostly obscured by Varick) and Spencer, ocurred outside the dressing rooms. The one below, featuring (from left) Dobbs, Andy Burnett (who played Abraham), Yeaw, Paton and Mortell, occurred behind the stage curtain, near the stairs to where performers reached the area for the balcony scene.

Above: After the behind-the-stage conference, Mortell has a playful exchange with another cast/crew member.

The dress rehearsal’s pre-show routine includes various stretching regimens. Above, Scull walks past Varick, who is using the stage as his mat for hamstring work. Both men will need to be limber for combat scenes. Scull (first below), supervised by Dobbs, does a hop routine. And the full cast (second below), in circle form, runs through a drill of tongue-twisters to hone the skill of recall ... and enunciation.

Above: The stage as seen from the theater's control booth.

A couple of performers have come up to me after seeing my pictures from shows, whether theater or music, and have told me how much they appreciated shots I've gotten from the perspective the performer has during a show. It serves as a fond, vivid reminder of their experiences. Of course, performer perspective shots such as the ones above and below are missing a key component that the performers also see — the audience. But from a perspective standpoint, the above shot is roughly what the actors see when they are on stage (even though lights there are mostly dimmed), and in the case of the second shot below, what a soloist has to deal with by way of a spotlight when they are front and center. The first shot below depicts the elevated perspective of Juliet during the play’s balcony scene.

Above and below: These two shots represent a novelty of sorts. The Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 ultra-wide-angle lens I used for them was designed for use on a small-sensor camera, like my Canon 7D. But I used it on my full-frame sensor Canon 6D. I simply had to zoom down to a point where vignetting disappeared. But the wide angle the lens provides gives you a feel for what the First Folio visual presentation during the musical interludes looked like from difference perspectives. 

Above: Behind stage, a table holding the sundry props that would be used during the course of the performance. 

Above: The cast and crew of First Folio Pructions’ Romeo and Juliet.