Theatre Background

If you've made your way to this website, you know by now that I am a photographer. However, what you may not know is that my bachelors degree is actually in vocal music, and I taught chorus and drama at the middle school level for three years before diving Into photography full-time. While I obviously LOVE my life as a photographer, a musician always needs an outlet to scratch the performance itch. For me, that release has been found in community theatre.



I began photographing for Mauldin Cultural Center's theatrical productions earlier this year, adding shows like Cats, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, and Hunchback of Notre Dame to my portfolio of images. I love the challenge of telling the story of each show through its photos, capturing the drama, humor, conflict, energy, and every other component that the audience sees in one frozen image. For their "Holiday Spectacular" Music Revue this year, I got to embark on a new journey with added challenges: not only would I photograph the show (with the help of my incredible wife), but I'd also serve as music director AND perform as part of the cast!


I can't describe how fun, rewarding, and musically fulfilling the production has been since the very first production meeting. Our director, the incomparable Meg Jones, wrote a moving, challenging, energetic show to highlight all of the holidays from numerous cultures that take place in December. When an audience enters our theatre, they are treated to two hours of music celebrating St. Nicholas Day, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Years Eve to name a few. We get a brief peek into how people from other walks of life celebrate or cope with the holiday season. As the photographer, it was my job to represent this during our three stages of shooting.


So, for the remainder of this post, I thought it could be fun to walk through the photographic journey that we take with each show. During the production process, we have three different photo days, all with their own unique purpose.



Cast and Crew headshots

At Mauldin Cultural Center, the entire cast and crew gets a headshot so that the playbill looks well-organized. It's also a bit of a gift to each person working on the show because every actor loves to keep their headshot up to date for auditions! We try to knock these photos out during the first week or so of rehearsals.

Portrait against dark green background featuring cream sweater and burgundy lipstick.
Professional headshot of someone wearing glasses and a cream sweater against a dark green background.
Portrait of someone with long blonde ombre hair smiling warmly against a green backdrop.
Portrait featuring a bright smile, gold earrings and striking green chain necklace against dark background.
Portrait showcasing natural curly hair and hoop earrings with a joyful expression against green backdrop.
Professional headshot of someone in glasses and white collar shirt against green background.
Portrait of someone with a full beard wearing a white button-down shirt against green background.
Warm portrait of someone with a full beard wearing a cream henley sweater against dark background.
Portrait showing long dreadlocks and natural smile while wearing a beige cardigan against green backdrop.
Portrait featuring curly dark hair and warm smile while wearing a cream sweater against green background.
Professional portrait showing long box braids and radiant smile against dark green background.

Marketing Photo Shoot

No one will know how great the show is if it is never advertised! Early on in the production process, we like to do a staged photoshoot of the cast. While these are not a visual representation what is seen on stage, we do plan shots that will capture the overall vibe of the show and entice patrons to go buy their ticket. For our holiday spectacular, it was important to me that we incorporate symbols from the various holidays we were presenting in the show.

A group wearing festive Christmas sweaters poses together with a holiday wreath against a grey backdrop.
A cheerful group in colorful Christmas sweaters poses together in a playful formation.
Friends in holiday attire strike a fun pose while celebrating the Christmas season.
Three people in festive Christmas attire pose together in a studio setting.
Two friends in holiday sweaters share a joyful moment against a grey background.
Two people in Christmas sweaters strike a playful pose while exchanging gifts.
Three people pose playfully with Christmas decorations against a grey backdrop.
Two people in holiday sweaters dance together against a grey studio background.
Two friends share a cozy moment with a guitar while wearing Christmas sweaters.
A person in a green holiday sweater decorated with lights poses with a beige scarf.
Person in festive Christmas sweater reclines comfortably next to decorative fireplace in winter scene.
Person in green top presents wrapped holiday gift with gold ribbon and snowflake pattern.
Person in blue winter outfit poses energetically on white carpet next to electric fireplace.
Person wearing Santa-themed sweater holds decorative red holiday lantern against gray background.
Person in holiday sweater strikes playful dance pose on snowy white backdrop with fireplace prop.

Production photos

Our final photoshoot day comes right before the show opens. Once costumes are assembled, the set is up and painted, the props are all in place, the script and music are memorized, and the lighting queues are just right, we photograph a full run of the show. This is when the photos directly represent what the audience can expect, a sort of freeze-frame preview for the production. For this particular show, we faced a certain challenge: how would the house photographer (me) photograph a show that he was on stage for? Luckily there was an easy solution. For the songs I sang, my beautiful and extremely talented wife photographed our scenes. Any time I would typically be backstage, I came out into the house to supplement her photos with mine. Not to toot our own horn, but I believe the teamwork effort really captured the heart of our production.

Performers in matching red Christmas sweaters dance together during holiday stage show.
Group of performers in cream colored winter outfits pose together on stage.
Ensemble cast in coordinated winter white outfits performs choreographed dance routine.
Performer in white winter outfit poses dramatically on box during stage production.
Performers in cream-colored outfits strike synchronized poses on stage during a theatrical production.
Theater cast members in light colored costumes gather around a prop on an illuminated stage.
Performer in all-white outfit stands center stage with dramatic lighting and floral wreaths in background.
Performer plays guitar while seated on stage with winter forest backdrop and purple lighting.
Performer in white top gestures expressively while singing on a dimly lit theatrical stage.
Performer in white sweater and khaki pants gives animated performance on stage with festive decorations.
Performer in light-colored outfit delivers energetic expression during theatrical performance.
Performer in white ensemble cradles a prop during emotional scene on stage.
Two performers in light-colored costumes interact on stage with winter scenery backdrop.
Dance ensemble performs choreographed moves in coordinated outfits on stage with holiday decorations.
Two performers in white outfits sit on a box during a theatrical performance.


Thank you for reading about our production and the makings of a show's marketing campaign. If you're reading this, no matter where you are, I beg you to support your local theatre. Go to their shows, share their posts, compliment the actors afterwards. Theatre is such an important part of our culture, and the show can't go on without an audience!


Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for more!