29th April 2025
Cat gave us a remarkably interesting presentation her work as a theatre photographer and the challenges that this brings.
She began by explaining that as a child she enjoyed taking photographs. This love carried on into later life and her first experience of Theatre photography began at the Edinburgh Fringe Comedy festival with a boyfriend who was performing, and asked her to accompany him and take a few photographs. This ignited a passion for the world of theatre photography. Cat established herself as a fine photographer and went on to become a very good circuit judge.
Her love though is theatre photography.
Throughout her presentation Cat described the camera’s she had and the need to buy better lenses and cameras to cope with low lighting, being able to get a sharp picture of the whole cast and to be able to cope with LED lighting. She later bought her own lighting equipment.
In 2014 Cat met the Rickmansworth Players and was asked to take some pictures of their current play The Producers. Later she photographed an outdoor performance of Midsummer Night’s dream. A new and challenging experience.
She was approached by Martin a professional theatre photographer to take on some small jobs he had as he had so much work. This began a sixteen-year journey of theatre photography including with The Pump House players, and Youth theatre, and Rickman’s worth players.
Cat has been the photographer for many productions including The Vicar of Dibley, Brimstone and Treacle, Hello Hello, Made in Dagenham and in 2019 The Lion Witch, and the Wardrobe. There are many more productions coming up to date now.
Cat went on to produce photographs for the programmes, and advertising materials as well as a poster for Sunset Boulevard requiring Hollywood type photography. She also produced Portrait shots of the actors and young people from the youth theatres. She talked us through the challenges of getting fast portrait shots as time is limited.
Cat has become a free lance professional theatre photographer and her enthusiasm for her work comes across in her presentation. She believes in building up trust, getting to know the play, and producing excellent quality photographs.
Cat’s talk was well presented with a PowerPoint and kept us fascinated by the insights revealed in theatre photography. Thank you Cat for a delightful evening.
Blog post by Carol Haines, all images by Cat Humphries