Hi there. Here are a few shots from this year's Nutcracker by Ballet Chicago. I tend to get asked my settings, so I'll just say it varies from scene to scene as the lighting for each scene varies. I shoot one scene at 10,000 ISO and 1/125. But most are in the vicinity of ISO 2000-5000, and shutter speeds typically at 1/320 to 1/500. Always shooting wide open at f/2.8. Comments welcome.
It's a good year. In conjunction with the Nutcracker, I have an art gallery display up at the theatre featuring my Urban Portrait Series of dancers outside, interacting with the environment.
Excellent Photos, thanks for sharing.
I went back to the top and saw your post above the photos which answered all of my questions.
I was shooting backstage at the Woodstock Opera House for an article in our weekly paper about the Nutcracker
and enjoyed the light I had.
You have some beautiful pictures, Ron. Nothing like shooting a "Nutcracker" this time of the year. Great music, wonderful costumes, happy and talented dancers, and superb choreography. Good luck this weekend. I also have another Nutcracker to photograph this weekend. One question. Were these pictures taken during a dress rehearsal or the actual performance? How was the lighting? It looks very good in the pictures. There are some talented dancers on that stage.
Kenneth Farver wrote:
Excellent Photos, thanks for sharing.
I went back to the top and saw your post above the photos which answered all of my questions.
I was shooting backstage at the Woodstock Opera House for an article in our weekly paper about the Nutcracker
and enjoyed the light I had.
We're just down the street from each other, Kenneth. I'm based out of Algonquin. Woodstock Opera House seems like a really cool venue to shoot at, and shooting from the wings sometimes provides some really interesting light! Appreciate it!
Dave 1234 wrote:
You have some beautiful pictures, Ron. Nothing like shooting a "Nutcracker" this time of the year. Great music, wonderful costumes, happy and talented dancers, and superb choreography. Good luck this weekend. I also have another Nutcracker to photograph this weekend. One question. Were these pictures taken during a dress rehearsal or the actual performance? How was the lighting? It looks very good in the pictures. There are some talented dancers on that stage.
In the past, even when I was shooting for the Houston Ballet, I always shot the dress rehearsal. But for Ballet Chicago, they want me shooting performances. So these are from the performances. I have a silencer that I place over my camera and with the D4 in Quiet shutter mode, you can't even hear me shooting when you're right next to me with the music playing. Lighting is okay. It's every uneven at this theatre but I know how it works and will adjust my shutter speed as necessary when they hit the darker parts of the stage. Thanks for the compliments!
When we lived in Houston, I always wanted to go see the Nutcracker, but never got the chance. Something always came up.
Thanks for showing us this as it is a close second.
The Russian Ballet Company is doing the Nutcracker next week in Knowville which is about 70 miles away.
DaveOls wrote:
When we lived in Houston, I always wanted to go see the Nutcracker, but never got the chance. Something always came up.
Thanks for showing us this as it is a close second.
The Russian Ballet Company is doing the Nutcracker next week in Knowville which is about 70 miles away.
Thanks, Dave! I shoot to show for the Houston Ballet and their productions were just amazing! They put as much into their sets, costumes and lighting, as they did into their dancers.
