By nature, theatre is ephemeral. But with production photography, a show can last long after it has closed and reach audiences far beyond the auditorium. Especially with so many moments to capture, in a just a few images, theatre photography not only immortalizes the artistry behind a show, it helps to solidify the identity for an entire production for years to come. Playbill caught up with Broadway photographer Matthew Murphy about why he loves creating production photography, his favorite memories behind his shots, and what he looks for in creating a great image.
“My biggest goal with production photography is to capture an image that not only looks like how the show looks, but feels how the show feels,” Murphy says. “It’s about finding that crossover between documentation and emotion that provides the show with dynamic marketing materials to catch the eye of potential ticket buyers. More than anything, I feel so lucky to collaborate with artists at the top of their respective fields and to share all of their work through my images; within one image you are seeing the work of literally hundreds of artists. For so long as a kid my only window into Broadway was production photography, so to be a small part of sharing the world of Broadway now is very exciting.”
Check out Murphy’s favorite photos as he reflects on his experience creating them!
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