This week’s top photo comes from Visual Journalist Anthony Vazquez. Follow him on Instagram.
What makes this photo important?
Tarell Alvin McCraney, playwright and Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble member, co-wrote the Oscar-winning film, “Moonlight,” which was based on his unreleased semi-autobiography, “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue.” Now, his work in “Windfall” centers on police violence, money and religion.
This image is important because it places McCraney directly within the immersive world of his creation. By integrating the subject with the symbolic signage and production elements of the stage, the photo goes beyond a standard portrait and serves as a visual bridge between the artist and his work. It depicts the scale of the theater while highlighting the creative process and the themes of cultural relevance that define the production. It also gives the reader a sense of scale and production they can expect when they go see the play.
How did you get the photo?
The primary objective of this assignment was to photograph the theatrical essence of the environment. Since Tarell Alvin McCraney is a playwright, we wanted the image to showcase the world he created. Fortunately, we were able to use the stage as our primary backdrop. Every visual element, including the protest signs, the scenery and the stage itself is a functional component of the production. I used a two-point lighting setup with strobes and umbrellas on stands on either side of him to balance the exposure of the foreground with the background. This helped eliminate harsh shadows on McCraney and props on the ground. This allowed the ambient light of the theater and the seating to fill the frame, which added depth to the image and successfully showcased the scale of the theater.
Technical details:
- Equipment: Canon EOS R5 with an RF 28-70mm f/2L lens
- Focal length: 24mm
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Exposure: 1/160
- ISO: 1600
- Lighting: Two Godox 860 II with umbrellas
14 more photos from Chicago Public Media photojournalists:
Neris González, who was tortured in El Salvador in 1979, sits at the Marjorie Kovler Center in Rogers Park. A University of Texas law professor draws parallels between the “enforced disappearance” of people like González and those detained as part of Operation Midway Blitz.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Best friends Cathleen Ramirez and Carina Cross wear matching “Chicago Dog” sweaters, which they knitted together, while looking at Mochimochi Land’s booth during the 19th YarnCon at the Plumber’s Union Hall in the Near West Side on April 11. The sweaters are based on a pattern by staff at Bloomin’ Spindle, a yarn shop in Portage Park.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
A pair of Coco Delivery Robots are parked Tuesday near a new advertisement on the eastern side of a CTA bus shelter at West Grand Avenue and North Racine Avenue. The ad displays an apology from competing delivery robot company Serve Robotics for one of its delivery robots damaging the bus shelter last month.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
