Daniel Boud

This was an out-take I always liked from the Sheltering campaign shoot for @bangarradancetheatre with @dontawhithamm . Donta has a beautiful face, but the way the fabric floated across looked so magical.

Production photos of Flora, the new dance collaboration between @ausballet and @bangarradancetheatre choreographed by Frances Rings. I’ve worked a lot with both companies separately, so it was a thrill to see them coming together like this. A bit like it must be for a Marvel fan to see superheroes join forces in an Avengers film. It’s on until 18th April at @sydneyoperahouse Creative Team: Choreography: Frances Rings & the dancers of @bangarradancetheatre & @ausballet Composer: @williambartonmusic Costume Design: @gracelillianlee @jenniferirwincostume Set Design: @gadsby Lighting Design: @kazarri Cultural Consultant: @wuruniri Video Design: @craigtwilkinson Rehearsal Directors @steven_heathcote_ and @mrrikkijon

Production photography of The Phantom of the Opera for Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour. An incredible location meets an epic production. I had to use the full focal range on this one, from 15mm for the fireworks to 500mm for the closeups.

Vale Rhoda Roberts. I was so saddened to hear of the passing of the incredible Rhoda Roberts. I first met Rhoda back in 2010, while shooting stills on a series of short films for Foxtel called Who We Are. And then again when she joined @sydneyoperahouse as their first Head of Indigenous Programming. I've dug out some pictures of that 2010 project plus her transformative years at Sydney Opera House. I won’t recap her full bio, there’s many fitting obituaries I’ve read that do that, but in my experience she was like the Fairy Godmother to thousands of First Nations artists. She had an eye and ear for talented creatives. She championed them, built their confidence and helped them to a platform/stage. Got them jobs. Got them paid. Separate (but not unrelated) to her own work as an artist and advocate, if you’ve seen a show at Sydney Opera House in the past ten years or so you’ll likely have heard her voice - she is the warm ‘Welcome to Country’ recording played before each show. The next time I hear it will be emotional. I don’t know how these decisions are made, but I’d argue that Rhoda’s legacy deserves acknowledging in the naming of a performing arts venue after her. Sydney Opera House has the Joan Sutherland Theatre and the Utzon Room, and while those names may have more global recognition than Rhoda’s, she did more to advance Australian artists, especially contemporary Indigenous artists. We also don’t need more venues named after rich philanthropists, we need them named after people like Rhoda. The “Rhoda Roberts Theatre” would be an apt tribute, and fitting for generations more people to learn about her life and be inspired and moved by her story.

The Biennale of Sydney opens on Saturday, and this week I attended a media preview and took the opportunity to snap some portraits of artists with their work. It’s a massive exhibition across 5 venues including @whitebaypowerstation @artgalleryofnsw @ccwm_sydney @penrithregionalgallery @campbelltownartscentre and is curated by Artistic Director @hooralq . The media preview is like a crash course in photography, where you hastily introduce yourself to the artist and ask for a quick photo by their work. Sometimes the light is just right, sometimes I need to enhance it with a little speedlite. But I hope I do the artists justice by recording a memento of them proudly with their work. 1. Nikesha Breeze @nikeshabreeze 2. Monica Rani Rudhar @monicaranirudhar 3. Yaritji Young @yaritjiy 4. Vernon Ah Kee, Hoda Afshar, Behrouz Boochani @vernonahkee @hodaafshar @behrouzboochani 5. Hoda Afshar, Behrouz Boochani, Vernon Ah Kee, @vernonahkee @hodaafshar @behrouzboochani 6. Hoda Afshar @hodaafshar 7. Ema Shin @ema.shin 8. Frank Young 9. Benjamin Work @benjaminwork 10. Tuan Mami @tuanmami 11. Dennis Golding @dennisgolding 12. Richard Bell @heshowzoff 13. Fernando Poyón @fernandopoyon 14. Abdul Abdullah @abdul_abdullah 15. Kulpreet Singh @kulpreet_singh 16. Nikesha Breeze @nikeshabreeze 17. Daisy Quezada Ureña @daisyquezadaurena 18. Helen Grace 19. Wendy Hubert 20. Wendy Hubert

This was the sort of commission I relish - photographing the artists @innerwestcouncil has programmed for the @biennalesydney as part of ‘Working Memory’, a “dynamic program of experimental performance works”. And we had the run of @whitebaypowerstation to capture it in. These artists were such wonderful collaborators. Their actual work/performance is still in development, so there was quite a bit of improvising on an idea rather than a literal representation of what the performance piece will be. Thanks to all. @redredredredred , @kitchn___sync , @amrita_moves , @string_of_pearls_productions , @laurenbrincatstudio , @jorthing , @highlystrungpuppets , @__bodyofwork__ , @charlottefarrellperformance , @bettygrumble , @gangajan , @infinite.complexity , @amorphousgay @dontcallmeshellyeither @amyliaharris

My production photos for @draculawestend starring @cynthiaerivo , captured at Noël Coward Theatre in London. I’d say that working on a show like this in London was a dream come true, but as an aspiring photographer doing something like this seemed so improbable I never imagined it. But the stars aligned to make it happen. I’d captured the show in Sydney on its original run with @sydneytheatreco and also worked a lot with director @kip_williams and co-producer @michaelcasselgroup over the years. So if there was ever a time to take a shot it was now. The dates for opening aligned with when I was intending to visit London to see my sister and her new baby. So I put the feelers out to the powers that be and after a nervous few weeks wait finally heard back that they’d love to have me capture it in London. I was filled with anticipation and nerves beforehand but in the end actually doing the photos seemed an entirely natural and comfortable process. The theatre was filled with welcoming familiar faces from home. Despite being right in the crunch zone of final dress rehearsals director @kip_williams was very kind and accommodating. And @tessherrett was the ultimate steady hand, navigating us through all the logistics. It’s not an especially easy show to shoot, so much of the action plays out on towering video screens that are integral to the staging, so you can’t just crop them out. If you’ve ever taken a still photo of a video screen you’ll see that they often end up with weird lines or patterns not visible to the naked eye, and they can appear brighter or darker than the action off screen. So I was constantly adjusting my settings to find the sweet spot where everything was in harmony. After submitting my edit and the photos making their way through the many layers of approvals, they were released on opening night and got more coverage than any of my theatre photos have before. From newspapers like the New York Times, The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, etc, to being shared by @cynthiaerivo and @arianagrande on instagram. Thanks to all that made it happen, especially @cybelemalinowski who held the fort at home and @anniejaneboud who hosted me in London.

The brilliant @jane_ede_ as The Witch from Hansel and Gretel for @operaaustralia . We shot in a rehearsal room at @sydneyoperahouse and improvised some ideas, including with a cookie from the green room, and leaning on a shiny piano. Jane brought all the wicked character and charm.

Before 2025 is done I ought to share this campaign image for @bangarradancetheatre ’s 2026 production called Sheltering. I’ve been fortunate to have photographed their campaigns for a number of years now, and traditionally we’ve always done them in a studio, but this year we ventured out before dawn to Little Bay to capture the sunrise. It all looks simple, but it takes a village to create these campaign images, which is why I think I appreciate them so much - the camaraderie of everyone trying to distill into a photo what will represent Bangarra’s major show for the new year. Our village is lead by Bangarra Artistic Director Frances Rings, and includes dancer @dontawhithamm , Bangarra Marketing Team @sophieraper @undinemarshfield @gisellajoyxx @kyemaurer , Production Manager @catstudley , Hair and makeup @desiree_wise , Video @cmeipper , Gaffer @shapinglight.au , Designer @mrmarkcampbell and my crew @___maxgoodman @jackmoran_76

Portraits for the cast announcement of @phantomoftheopera on Sydney Harbour for @operaaustralia . Featuring @jarrod_draper , @amy_manford and @jakealexanderlyle . We started the day in studio at @lunar.syd and finished at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair which is the outdoor location that the show will be staged from March 2026. For the studio pics I was inspired by the warm haze of @murphymade ’s Phantom shoot, although I didn’t have a real life Crypt location. Outdoors I had to shoot into the sun earlier in the day than I’d like, so had to blast some flash while trying to make it not look too bland. This one I used my trusty @profoto lights since we didn’t need video options, all shot on my @canonanzpro R5ii. And I remembered to shoot some BTS timelapse on my @insta360 which you can see in the final slide. Thanks to the team that make it all possible: Client: @operaaustralia and the unflappable @neutze Photography crew: @gerald.diel @dontcallmeshellyeither Hair & makeup: @kellybowmanmakeup @hilaryho_makeupartist Styling: @_toriknowles @____a.n.d.y_____ . Retouch: @malinowskiretouched

From a trip to Brisbane a couple of months ago, the cast of @gatsbyatthegreenlight for @sydneyoperahouse . The cabaret show opens there on December 13. The main brief was to capture portraits of the new cast members (from slide 7) but I also wanted to capture some of the energy of the show, which is set in The Green Light nightclub and has a cheeky and debaucherous spirit. So I reverted back to the skills I learned many years ago shooting on the dance floor of clubs like Purple Sneakers. Although this time it was lunchtime, the liquor bottles were filled with water and I was getting paid in more than drink vouchers. Thank goodness the cast are good actors.

Production photos of The Sleeping Beauty for @ausballet . The first 8 photos are from the current production on now at @sydneyoperahouse , then from slide 9 we rewind to the 2015 production. When I looked back through my archives I discovered it was exactly 10 years ago and it was the first time I’d ever photographed the ballet! My emails jogged my memory that I captured the 2015 performance at a media call not directly for @ausballet , but when they saw my pictures they bought them for their own use and have been commissioning me ever since to do their official production images in Sydney. So you never quite know what turns your career might take you in, and in hindsight that 2015 production was a pivotal turning point from when I transitioned from being known primarily as a music photographer to a new era of dance, theatre and musicals. And I couldn't be happier with that evolution.