Exercise: Space and Light

Horsehay Village Hall

I chose this location because it can be seen under very different light sources: daylight, fluorescent tubes, tungsten stage lighting.  Horsehay Amateur Dramatic Society was rehearsing a play in the hall.

Daylight through Windows

The stage is unlit and dark.  White balance varies across the view because of light reflected from coloured surfaces.  Look at the (white) radiators.

Day and Fluorescent Lights

This combination makes white balance tricky but gives suffient light for the men setting out chairs for this evening's performance.  More light spills onto the stage.

Here's a closer shot of the stage.  The dark windows, right, will be backlit.

 It's interesting to get backstage and take shots including two or even three contrasting 'worlds'.

I'd like to claim that I included the blue bucket as a homage to Peter Fraser, but it and the blue chairs were just there.
http://www.peterfraser.net/?page_id=77

Some actors believe that centre stage, a third back from the edge, is a sweet spot, a place of power, where an actor can dominate the auditorium.  Here I'm standing nearer the back of the stage.

The blurred man with the ladder shows that at least someone is working.

Tungsten Stage Lighting 

Stage lighting, using over a dozen spots and floods, gives overall illumination of the stage for this dress rehearsal.  The auditorium is lit only by reflection.  The shiny laminate floor gives pleasing reflections which in performance will be masked by the audience.  I particularly like the ladder. 

 

The steps, right, will be removed for the performance.  The portrait on the wall, mid-right, is one of mine.  The lights are close to the stage, creating a steep gradient, front to back.

 

Here is the rest of the auditorium, lit only by reflected light.  Light off the floor and blinds gives a brown cast, which I have reduced.

Here the contrast between the colours of different lights is an advantage. An image showing more of her face would have been good.

 Here are the lights.

I like the rich colour of the background here, which would be lost if turned to monochrome.

 

This exercise has been more interesting and challenging than I expected.  I've had to think and plan, put myself out.  For the daylit shots I took time off from my day job to attend while the auditorium was being prepared.  I had to re-edit, to fix white balance under different light sources, so that the three images of the stage shot from the rear of the auditorium matched, approximately.  Add light reflected from coloured surfaces, and the balance is a compromise.  ISO was mostly 3200; my Canon 60D and Photoshop cope adequately with this for much larger images than these.  I suppose the main lesson learned is that different lighting conditions can completely alter the look and feel of a location.