In the performing arts, photography is often the first and most powerful invitation to your audience – and it can determine whether they ever step through the door.

As I scanned negatives from my first photography class in 1980, I was struck not by what I lacked—but by the beauty, simplicity, and joy already present in the work.

After 35 years behind the lens, I’ve come to see theatre photography as storytelling – choreography with a camera. Each image captures the fleeting magic of performance, that lives on long after the curtain falls.

From apps that confused me to the magical night sky over Shark Fin Cove, here’s how I captured my first Milky Way photo.