Today I photographed another play at the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts. “Eleemosynary” by Lee Blessing is being performed this week, and I was invited to photograph both casts during their dress rehearsals. The play is about three generations of women from a dysfunctional family who try to come to terms with their emotional distance. The actresses played their parts very convincingly, and I couldn’t help but shed a tear even when I saw it the second time. In this photo, Artie is miserably cooperating with her mother’s request that she try to fly with a pair of homemade wings because, “The secret of flight lies in the assurance that we are worthy of flying.” Photographing plays is challenging because the actors are always moving and speaking. You also have to anticipate which scenes convey the essence of the characters and show critical plot points. Then you have to be in the right place to shoot the image, and you hope the lighting cooperates. This play was particularly challenging because the relationship issues are conveyed through selective lighting and overall distance between people. I shot the play with 2 cameras. One was equipped with my Lensbaby Sweet 35mm optic. The Lensbaby blurred out some of the dimly lit characters in a way that conveyed their emotional disconnect. You can see the entire album of images on my Facebook page – Sylva Creative Concepts on Facebook.