Opera & music theatre

Opera photography

Q: Can you photograph during a performance?

Yes. Steve photographs both live performances and dress rehearsals, always with a silent shutter, so nothing is heard from the stage or the pit.

Production and rehearsal photography for opera companies and festivals. 18 productions photographed for companies including Regents Opera, UCOpera and Clonter Opera, from staged Wagner to new opera.

Productions: 18
Venues: 9
Years: 2010–26

A performer in a white shirt and dramatic eye makeup pulls red satin fabric across the foreground, with a flowering tree and dark curtains behind.

Most recent

Antonia: Behind the Myth of Marie Antoinette

Chalke Confidential Forum, Chalke History Festival Site, Broad Chalke · 2026View production →

Light and scale
Grand gestures, intimate spaces
Opera happens in Masonic temples, boxing halls, gardens and studio theatres as often as opera houses. My background in lighting and theatrical design helps me read a space and its light quickly.
The creative team
The moment and the whole story
I always talk to the creative team about the standout moments they need, and capture not only the emotion and action on stage but the scale of the design and the story as a whole. It was my own design work in theatre that led me to this profession.
Use
For press, programmes and seasons ahead
Images for reviews, programmes, funders and future fundraising, and a record of productions that often exist for only a handful of nights.

Companies & festivals

Regents Opera8 productions
UCOpera2 productions
Clonter Opera1 production
Coalign1 production
Waterperry Opera Festival1 production

Venues

York Hall, Bethnal Green5 productions
Grand Temple, Freemasons’ Hall3 productions
Arcola Theatre2 productions
Bloomsbury Theatre2 productions
Woolwich Works2 productions
Chalke History Festival1 production
Clonter Opera Theatre, Swettenham Heath1 production
Riverside Studios1 production
Waterperry House and Gardens1 production

Questions companies ask

Can you photograph during a performance?

Yes. I photograph both live performances and dress rehearsals, always with a silent shutter, so nothing is heard from the stage or the pit. I’ve invested in the best and newest equipment, so there is no compromise for my clients.

Do you photograph rehearsals as well?

Yes. Rehearsal photography, from the music call to the stage and piano rehearsal, is often what a company needs first for press and social media. See rehearsal photography.

Can the singers use the photographs?

This is agreed production by production, so get in touch about what you need. All use is licensed under my terms and conditions.