This is an annual presentation by the group, known as the Young Idea, and gives the performers valuable experience working on a professional theatre and in front of a paying public. The production is staged for four nights, plus a matinee on Saturday.

As well as photographing the production for HDOS I also provide prints and photo CDs for cast, crew and proud parents.

The production is one of six plays being staged as part of the annual festival in Hertford.

My aim was to get a range of shots, showing the production in rehearsal, including actors (both on and of stage) and crew.

At the end of the week I’ll be photographing the winners after the awards ceremony on Saturday night.

This is a bricked up shopfront that has been incorporated into larger premises. However, when viewed in isolation it can appear a little bizarre. It brings to mind Harold Evans quote: “The camera cannot lie, but it can be an accessory to untruth”

www.irfanview.com

The shoot featured CEO and co-founder Michael McGrath together with Olympic hopeful Jodie Williams, who has recently become an ambassador for the charity.

The shoot took place at a training centre in St.Albans using a short section of running track as a backdrop and some promotional stands for the charity and their annual 10K run.

The shots will accompany a press release and other promotional materials for the charity.

The charity’s website can be found at www.musclehelp.com.

Luckily there is a moment where there’s virtually no movement and I was able to capture this shot, which is a 2 second exposure at F4.5 ISO800. You can actually see more in this shot than you could with the naked eye!

Thankfully, most of the rest of the production is well lit, the only other challenge being a raised upstairs bedroom area (seen at the top of the stairs in the picture above). I had to photograph these scenes from the top of the raked seating towards the back of the auditorium to get a good angle.

Otherwise, there were plenty of visual moments to capture as the characters groped their way around the stage.

If you like to find out more about the theatrical photography services I offer, please visit www.stevebeeston.co.uk.

As well as this shot I also presented the client with a variety of other angles, including shots of the front of the building and close ups of the signage that might be cropped and used on the site for graphic effect.

In this shot, I again softened the image and added a vignette for effect.

Whilst the brief in this instance was simply for exterior shots, when working with commercial or business clients I often advocate the Three Ps – Product, Premises and People. This often gives a good all round feel for the business and hopefully encourages people to engage.

For more about the photography services I offer just visit my website at www.stevebeeston.co.uk.

The mugs are available in both tea and coffee varieties at SuckUK’s website or on Amazon.

www.suck.uk.com/products/mycuppamugs

The shot was taken in a rehearsal room and the grouping composed with the lights on. Selected members of the cast were then given large tealights to hold and the lights turned out. We then made adjustments to the positioning of the candles whilst the cast remained otherwise perfectly still. This allowed us to get the best lighting angles.

The resulting shot was exposed at F9 for ¼sec at ASA1600 with a focal length of 58mm. A smaller aperture was needed for the depth of field of about a metre, although the larger image shows that the nearest subject is a little out of focus.

The only retouching was applied to the character in the top left of the picture where the portion of face that was in shadow was lightened a little.

For photography involving people, such as portraiture, lifestyle and event photography, we’ll sit down and chat about what you’re looking for and the environment in which the shoot will take place. With any such assignment it’s important for me to see the location beforehand so that I can get an idea of lighting, shooting angles and features within the environment that might be used to advantage, or those that may present difficulties. For Portraiture and Lifestyle Photography we’ll also discuss what you’ll wear and any accessories that you might use.

For product photography, a pre-shoot consultation gives me an opportunity to see the product and get an idea of how you want to use the images and the sort of results you want to see.

Another important part of the process is to establish a relationship with the client, something I regard as an important part of doing business.