#yycLCL Photo of the Month
Documenting the stage arts in Calgary
The image above is of The Raven from Nevermore, which played in Calgary throughout May and June and was co-produced by Edmonton’s Catalyst Theatre and Calgary’s Vertigo Theatre. A musical tribute to the life of Edgar Allan Poe, this show was a remount with the entire original cast a decade after the world premiere and subsequent tour that ended up Off Broadway. I was fortunate to capture this, and hundreds of other beautiful images of the production, in my role as Calgary’s busiest stage arts documentarian.
What does “stage arts documentarian” do? I photograph theatre and dance productions — and lots of them — including both locally produced and tours that come through town. I am also a freelance director of photography, commercial studio photographer, graphic designer, public speaker and photographic mentor. My own passion for photographing the stage started while training as an actor and grew to become the main focus of my career. My visual aesthetic is a blend of cinematography and photojournalism, creating a maximum-effort approach that allows me to show others the majesty and grandeur of live theatre the way that I see it.
This stage photography work has now spanned over 15 years and has created one of the largest single collections of stage arts history anywhere in the Calgary area. Curating and maintaining these images has become and absolute an obsession with the collection now reaching over half a million photos.
Please enjoy this small gallery of images from productions from the 2022–2023 theatre season in Calgary:
Tim Nguyen is a Calgary-based performing arts photographer who runs Studio323 through which he offers portraits and advertising, and produces his creative work.
Have a photo or artwork to share? From features to podcasts, The Storytelling Project raises awareness about Calgarians who, by living creative lives, are making Calgary a better city, affecting positive change and enriching others’ lives. Tag your Instagram photos with #yycLCL for a chance to be featured in our Photo of the Month series.