Far from being a pro, let me offer my amatuer opinion. When I worked for the campus paper, I was 90 percent of the time the one to cover fine arts events. I think I spent more time in our auditorium than most of the music majors. First rule: no flash. (Like I'm sure you were going to be poppin' off with a big mondo flash.)
If the auditorium is big, I would recommend finding a place down front and out of the way or off to the side and closer to the stage. If it's really big, I wouldn't use anything less than 100mm. A few times I took shots from the side aisles and was surprised at how different the action looks. You can get players on opposite ends of the stage close together and the compression effect from a tele can look really nice. Maybe they would let you shoot from the stage wings. I'm just having this vision of a normal to wide angle shot from backstage looking across the bright stage into the dark hall, multicolored lights flaring ever so artistically... I need to go to a play. :) Another thing about taking photos from different points in the auditorium, is that it makes the pics more interesting. Unless you're really carefull with composition, it's going to be pretty obvious that you took all the shots from the same place, way in the back of the hall. I always liked the photos I took from close-in better. Unless you need to move around a lot, go ahead and bring a third body. That's what it's for, right? I say, the less you have to change lenses in the dark, the better. On second thought, go ahead and bring the third body even if you need to move around. Remember the Equipment Freak thread? Just wear all three around your neck. It will be dark so nobody will notice how strange you look. :) I really think they should let you get up front to photograph. If they're willing to allow behind-the-scenes coverage, surely they wouldn't mind some top notch stuff from the front row. Or from those director's box thingies, if it's a nice stage and they have those. Oh, and one more thing. Wear black. Not only will you blend into the shadows like the ninja camera guy that you are, it will also make you look suave and professional: the Paul Mitchell of Pentax. Well, that's my four cents. (Inflation.) Deb in TX --- "Paul F. Stregevsky" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I've just returned from the final dress rehearsal of > a school play I'll be > shooting Thursday or Friday night. Besides the > behind-the-scenes shots, > I've planned about 60 shots from the back of the > auditorium: > > 05 percent with my Pentax SMC 35/2K or Rikenon P > 50/2K > 20 percent with my Kiron 105/2.5K macro > 55 percent with my Vivitar 135/2.3K > 20 percent with my Pentax SMC 200/2.5K > > I'll be using two tripods: The 200 on my "main" > tripod, a Cullmann Titan, > the 135 on the Bogen 3001. I don't know yet how I'll > switch these out for > the 35, 50, and 105. > > I'm nervous that switching lenses--out with the 135, > in with the 105--will > make me lose shots and lose my place. Should I use a > third body, perhaps on > my Cullmann monopod? > > I'll be shooting Fuji NPZ 800 at 1600 and pushed 1 > stop. In this > auditorium, this combination has allowed me to shoot > at f/4.5 to 5.6 with > good results (typically 1/15 to 1/60 second). > > Would it be feasible to use my Vivitar Series One > 90-180/4.5K instead of > the 105, 135, and 200? Or do you think the results > at f/4.5 and 5.6 > wouldn't be as nice? What about using the zoom > instead of two of the > lenses, but not instead of all three? > > I can see why so many of you own an 80-200/2.8K.... > > > Paul Franklin Stregevsky > - Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
