How to look good in readthrough photos
Over the last few years I have taken thousands and thousands of photos of lovely people at readthroughs of plays, TV shows and so on. As well as choosing what photos to take, an important part of the process is going through them to find the best ones to put on the internet. I know what makes a good photo and I know what factors are likely to improve your chances of appearing in the final set of photos for the web. Of course readthroughs are not all about making photos and any photography should not get in the way of our enjoyment of readthroughs. Nevertheless I have made a list of things that can help with the photography. Many of these things apply to acting in general and contribute to the enjoyment of everyone present not just the photographer, so they can help to take your readthrough skills to the next level if you like. You don't have to of course. For each point there is an example of people doing it right (not doing it wrong).
- Look up - This is the single most important thing you can do. In the early days there were many many photos of people standing around looking down reading their scripts. Now we are bored with that and photos of people looking down are likely to be rejected unless they have something else interesting going on. It's all about the eyes. Look at who you are talking to or maybe look dramatically into space or something. While someone is talking to you don't follow their words in the script - just remember the last line of what they will say and then look at them, listen to them and react. This will give lots of time with your head up with little effort. Often if I'm taking photos of someone I'll wait until they look up, but sometimes either I give up waiting or the looks up are very brief and I either miss them or they're blurry. The photos from bardcamp give the impression that lots of people are looking up, but this is an illusion because of me choosing when to take photos and which photos to keep. Example
- Show some emotion - Emotion always wins. Think of what your character thinks of the people they're onstage with and how they react to what is going on. Example
- Keep your script out of the way - some people often hold their script up quite high so it covers their faces or other people's faces. This way lies doom. Example
- Have a costume - You don't have to of course, but people with good costumes get many many more photos of them. Changing costume mid play is a sure way to get yet more photos of you. Example
- Don't obstruct the view - If your character isn't doing much and isn't in a group with other characters then keep back somewhere so other people (and the camera) can see. Example
- Be interesting - Anything interesting will improve your chances. Expression, gestures, position relative to other people, get in people's faces, hold them, push them, kill them (if it's in the script), props, costume, be cute, mad, naked, drunk, all of the above, the possibilities are endless. Example
- Make nice compositions - Hmmm this one might be difficult to explain. Imagine there's an audience. If you're in a group of people then be reasonably close together in an interesting way and so that the camera can see you all. The lens I use most at read-throughs works out fairly long (50mm x 1.6 = 80mm fixed focal length) so you have to be physically close together or you're out of shot. Example
- Flirt with the camera - Some people are very adept at this. You know who you are and I love you. :-) Example
- Don't have your back to the windows during daylight - You will have light behind you so you will look dark and because you're also being lit by tungsten lights the camera's white balance will get very confused and you'll end up looking dark orange! There's only so much that photoshop can do, so the delete key becomes more inviting. Example
- Be well lit - Imagine that where the light is coming from is where your audience is and so that's probably where the photographer dude will be. During daylight this means the audience is towards one of the windows. When there's no daylight don't be in a dimly lit corner and don't stand with your back to a light. If you're wearing a hat then the brim will make your face less well lit so this is extra important. Example
- Be a pretty girl! - What can I say? I have a weakness for pretty women so the guys are at a disadvantage here! ;-) Example Many other examples of course...