Using spot metering and manual exposure

The NVC Performing Arts Center. 32mm, 1/80 sec, f/2.8, Mode: Av, Metering: Multi-segment, Exp comp: -2 1/3, ISO: 800.

I shot three musical performances at the Napa Valley College new performing arts center this last weekend. Since no formal rehearsals for the performances were held I had to shoot with an audience. It’s a large theater, so I could hide in the upper regions of the stadium seating most of the time. For one of the shows, I was asked to stay out of sight to discourage other cell phone camera buffs from snapping pictures of their performing children. The technical director, Michael, was kind enough to open the soundproof windows of one section of the control booth for me to shoot from. It’s quite a ways from the stage, but a great vantage point where I wouldn’t be disturbing the audience with my camera noise and lens changes.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the three performances, choral recitals, a jazz concert, a children’s violin recital, (the Napa Suzuki Strings) and a wind ensemble concert.

From the jazz concert: 195mm, 1/320 sec, f/4, Mode: Av, Metering: Multi-segment, Exp comp: -1/3, ISO: 1000.

200mm, 1/1250 sec, f/4.5, Mode: Av, Metering: Multi-segment, Exp comp: -1 2/3, ISO: 1000.

200mm, 1/250 sec, f/4.5, Mode: Av, Metering: Multi-segment, Exp comp: -2/3, ISO: 1000.

The Suzuki Violins: 200mm, 1/500 sec, f/3.2, Mode: Av, Metering: Multi-segment, Exp comp: -1 2/3, ISO: 800.

200mm, 1/250 sec, f/3.2, Mode: Av, Metering: Multi-segment, Exp comp: -1, ISO: 800.

A time out during the orchestra concert: 200mm, 1/250 sec, f/4, Mode: Av, Metering: Multi-segment, Exp comp: -1 2/3, ISO: 4000.

200mm, 1/250 sec, f/4, Mode: Av, Metering: Spot, Exp comp: -1, ISO: 1000.

The Wind Ensemble: 30mm, 1/100 sec, f/4, Mode: Av, Metering: Evaluative, Exp comp: -3, ISO: 800.

Spot metering was useful for properly exposing a single face in a crowd. Since I was shooting far from the stage, the 300 mm lens’ frame included many performers at different distances with black clothing and music stands.

Spot focus to capture a face in the bright crowd. 200mm, 1/25 sec, f/4, Mode: Av, Metering: Spot, Exp comp: -1, ISO: 1000.

But putting a central exposure/focus point on the person I wanted to shoot provided the right exposure every time, even though the surrounding areas might be poorly exposed. 

The Art lessons

The play has a cast of three, who are on stage most of the time, with a lot of motion. The White Barn stage is a small raised platform against a black curtained wall with wood pillars.

35mm,  1/200 sec, f/6.3,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -1 1/3,  ISO: 1600.

The curtains allowed me to shoot from almost anywhere in the house and get the actors in sharp contrast to the background.

70mm,  1/160 sec, f/4.5,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -1 1/3,  ISO: 1600.

Such a consistent background made it easy to line up the performers in shots to capture relationships. In the next two shots I changed the focal point to emphasize each actor in turn. First focusing on the actor in the foreground using a single spot focus point.

70mm,  1/160 sec, f/5.6,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -2,  ISO: 2000.  

Then focusing on the actor in the back by moving the focus point.

70mm,  1/160 sec, f/5.6,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -2,  ISO: 2000.

 I expanded the depth of field for shots where I wanted both actors in sharper focus.

70mm,  1/200 sec, f/6.3,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -1 1/3,  ISO: 1250.

The stage in NVC’s black box presented different challenges.

The audience in this space surrounds the stage on three sides. When shooting across the stage to the audience, I had to underexpose to make the seats disappear, as in this shot. The lighting designer had  kept the stage lighting from splashing onto the seating.

34mm,  1/160 sec, f/6.3,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -3,  ISO: 1600.

In this shot, the only evidence of the seating are the dim white seat upholstery tags hanging down under the seats. (I wanted to tear them off, but it’s a Federal offense!)

Shooting against the dark seating, then the light-colored wall background required frequent exposure compensation changes. Here the background is dark, requiring -2 2/3 stops underexposure when using the multi-segment metering mode.

52mm,  1/200 sec, f/4,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -2 2/3,  ISO: 1600.

Just a few shots later I had to boost the exposure a full stop to -1 2/3 to maintain a record enough light on the actors.

70mm,  1/500 sec, f/5,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -1 2/3,  ISO: 1600.

Shooting against different backgrounds led to a number of over- and underexposed images, which got tossed into the memory wastebasket.

Here endeth the Art lessons.

The Three Arts

I shot three dress rehearsals of Art by Yasmina Reza earlier this month. Two were performed at Napa Valley College in the new black box theater. The third was performed in The White Barn theater in St. Helena. Here are a few of my favorite shots taken from the three rehearsal performances. 

 

Scrooge-A-Rama

I've been shooting The Christmas Carol at Sonoma County Repertory Theatre, The Rep, for a few years. Here's a collection of the Scrooges:

Eric Thompson from the 2003 production.

Eric in 2004.

2005

Scott Phillips in 2007.

Tim Hayes (right) and Samson Hood in 2008.

Tim in 2009.

Joe Winkler in 2010, coming soon!

 The Christmas Carol opens November 17th at The Rep in Sebastopol. Bah humbug!

My First Camera

I’ve suspected for a long time that I was born with a camera in hand. Going through old family scrapbooks has more or less proven the point. Here’s me at 6 years old holding my first camera, a Thanksgiving gift in 1946. (When I first saw this picture, I remembered this as a trick squirt gun, until Mom’s album had these “first pictures.”)

And here’s proof that I was behind the camera: a shot of my backyard pals complete with my own silhouette, a situation I try to avoid in theater photography.

And then the family, my Dad acting silly, which he rarely did, and Mom in her neat organized self. The high fence of real chain link shielded us from my grade school next door.

Here are two of my playmates, Keith and Mike, and a shot of Roddy across the street making faces at me. The other goof with this picture: it’s a double exposure of this last image. The other exposure was probably an indoor shot at home.

Aladdin in Napa Valley

Shooting a show that has continuous action is a challenge. In a little over an hour, Aladdin at the Napa Valley College’s Performing Arts Center moves right along, as any show directed for kids should do. It had me changing lenses and making camera adjustments the whole time. At once, I wanted to catch the scenic design and lighting effects, and the dance numbers...

24mm,  1/250 sec, f/5.6,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -2,  ISO: 1600.

34mm,  1/200 sec, f/4,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -2 1/3,  ISO: 2500.

62mm,  1/1250 sec, f/2.8,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -1 2/3,  ISO: 2500.

 

as well as the close-ups and medium shots of the performers. 

200mm,  1/500 sec, f/4,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -2/3,  ISO: 3200.

 

For the shot above, I caught the action with sufficient depth of field, but below, in low light, I didn’t increase the ISO and f-stop, so the lamp is out of focus.

200mm,  1/125 sec, f/2.8,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -1 2/3,  ISO: 1600.

The light looked bright enough for an ISO of 1600, but the action was so fast and continuous that I had to increase it to 2500 and above, as in these two medium shots.

120mm,  1/500 sec, f/5,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -2,  ISO: 2500.

150mm,  1/320 sec, f/4,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -2/3,  ISO: 3200.

I was so busy making adjustments, I failed to see the flying carpet until the last few seconds before disappearing behind the turrets.

70mm,  1/25 sec, f/2.8,  Mode: Av,  Metering: Multi-segment,  Exp comp: -2/3,  ISO: 2000.

A wide-angle setting and a quick run back in the house let me capture every member of the cast in the curtain call.
It's a great show. Bring your kids, or the kid in you. It runs through Oct 17th.