Ask My Frends - Production Photos

Today we have a dear friend of mine from Arena Stage who is studying photography. Christina Rojas is one of the more fun and caring people I have ever worked with. Her topic was productions photos. I asked her to give us her thoughts on production photos.

"Given the right photographer, a picture can be worth a thousand words. But, in the arts world, a production picture can be worth a thousand audience members. And let’s be serious; producers aren’t weighing a show on how many words it’s going to return!

After much deliberation on how to best illustrate this point without using actual photos (The arts world is small; I’m not here to step on toes!), I’ve come to a decision. One I feel really good about! So, put on your “ready to think outside the box” caps and go with me here:

PRODUCTION PHOTOS ARE LIKE HAIR CUTS!

But, before we go any further, let’s come to an understanding. I am not for one second judging where you get your hair cut. I’ve had everything from a bargain bin poodle-perm to a day’s pay sleek angled asymmetrical bob and all kinds of disasters in between, so I, my friend, am not judging.

And away we go…

HAIR CUTTERY

You walk in. You talk to a hostess who quickly runs his/her finger through the appointment book, finds the employee who has been sitting idle the longest, and thus appoints your “specialized” stylist. You chat briefly about your future coiffure, rush to the shampoo/condition stall, return to your hydraulic chair. The magic is about to happen.

But, in the end, the magic consists mostly of those Ball-Under-Bowl or Is This The Right Card deals—your hair is in fact clean and shorter than when you walked in, and if you paid the additional $5, it is dry. So Hair Cuttery has held up its end of the bargain. Their work here is done.

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We’ve seen those production photos; hell, we may have even TAKEN those production photos. They are the ones that show us that yes, there is a stage. And yes, there are some people on that stage. And perhaps yes, there are some costumes and props and maybe even a focused light or two. But that’s all—they are a documentation that this production happened once.

AVEDA

You look online, ooh and aah at all the luxurious options you have, chat with an expert (seriously, it’s an option!), fine tune every detail of exactly what your visit will consist of, and finalize your appointment. Stir with excitement until the big day arrives.

A very pleasant someone meets you at the front, takes your coat/bag/trepidation, leads you to a waiting room with beverage options and a bubbling, stone-lined fountain. An impeccably dressed stylist sets you on your road to recovery, one which includes no less than three decadently thick towels wrapped around your organic lavender shampooed hair. Every single snip of those scissors is predetermined and perfectly pointed at what your stylist has crafted as your haircut. YOURS. And, well, you look fabulous. Obviously. But really, you FEEL fabulous. More than your hair being clean and shorter, your hair is now a Hairdo, and you are ready to work it.

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Those are the production photos that impart the story, capture that story in such a way that you immediately are drawn in and find it impossible to look away without wanting to know more. Maybe you want to know what happens in the following scene. Maybe you want to see what those sequins look like in the next dance number. These production photos are full-bodied and capture an experience.

TLC’S “WHAT NOT TO WEAR”

(Don’t pretend you haven’t seen it. You have. We know you have. And it’s okay. There are marathons running all the time and you probably were sucked in while flipping through channels. Seriously, we aren’t judging.)

But, those Converts walk through the Pearly Gates of Hair-ven a pre-Fairy Godmother Cinderella, are pampered and primped until the point of absolute indulgence, and emerge as Demi Moore—I mean, a WHOLE. NEW. PERSON, folks. That little man works wonders the world hasn’t seen since the Pyramids!

The Convert doesn’t just feel different, they ARE different. Their change is not solely topical but lies internally, in what they want for themselves, what they expect of themselves, what they expect of others.

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Sometimes, a photographer uses her lens to unearth a tiny and beautiful moment that was never scripted, never rehearsed, never intended. That glimpse transforms, re-envisions even, the initial body of work and thus becomes its own art.

So, what does all this mean? Great question.

Photographers, in the arts world it is imperative to really connect with your subject. Find a new vantage point. Find a story. Find a new story. Engage your audience. Shoot until the story speaks to you. Don’t be afraid to shoot outside your comfort zone.

These are the production photos that do their art and your creativity justice.

(Thanks for reading, y’all. And for hanging in there with the extended metaphor! Grab your camera and hit the open road!)"