Backstage With Shane Todd at the Millennium Forum, Derry

30 Apr

There’s something special about photographing a performer before they walk out in front of a packed room.

The noise is there, but it’s distant. The audience is waiting, the lights are ready, the stage is set but backstage, everything feels quieter. More concentrated. More human.

I recently had the chance to do another backstage photography shoot with Shane Todd at the Millennium Forum in Derry, and it was exactly the kind of setting I love to photograph.

Not staged. Not over produced. Just honest, observational moments before a live show.

Photographing the moments before the show

Backstage photography is less about creating a perfect portrait and more about noticing the things that happen naturally.

The small pauses.
The quiet focus.
The last minute conversations.
The atmosphere before someone steps into the light.

For this shoot, I wanted to keep things simple and documentary led. My approach was to stay out of the way as much as possible and photograph what was already happening. No big setup. No forced direction. Just a camera (the Konica c35), the backstage environment, and the energy of the night.

That is where the best images usually are.

Shane Todd at the Millennium Forum

The Millennium Forum in Derry is one of those venues that carries a real sense of occasion. It has hosted huge names over the years, and there’s always a buzz around the building when a big comedy show comes to town.

With Shane, that energy was definitely there.

Comedy backstage has its own rhythm. It’s calm and chaotic at the same time. There’s the pressure of a live audience, but also a lot of humour and ease in the room. That balance makes it brilliant to photograph.

The goal was to capture Shane in a way that felt natural not a polished promo shoot, but something closer to a behind the scenes film still. A glimpse of the person and the atmosphere around the performance.

Why I love backstage photography

As a photographer, I’m drawn to the parts people don’t always get to see.

The finished show is what the audience experiences, but backstage is where the story begins. It’s where the performance is about to happen, but hasn’t quite started yet. There’s a tension in that space that makes it visually interesting.

For me, those are the photographs that last.

They don’t need to shout. They don’t need to be overly styled. They just need to feel real.

That’s the same reason I’m so drawn to film photography and film inspired imagery. There’s a texture and honesty to it that suits these moments perfectly. The grain, the contrast, the imperfections they all help create something that feels a little more timeless.

A documentary approach

I’ve always preferred photography that feels candid and cinematic rather than heavily directed.

For this backstage shoot, I wanted the images to feel like stills from a documentary. Deep blacks, controlled highlights, natural texture, and a sense of atmosphere. The kind of photographs that make you feel like you were allowed into a private moment for a second.

That’s the beauty of shooting backstage. You’re not trying to interrupt the night. You’re trying to quietly preserve it.

Derry, live performance, and the people behind the curtain

Derry has always had a strong connection to live performance, comedy, music, and storytelling. Nights like this at the Millennium Forum are part of that wider creative culture.

Being able to photograph performers in these spaces feels like documenting a small part of the city’s cultural life. It’s not just about one person or one show it’s about the atmosphere around these events and the people who make them happen.

For me, that’s where the value of this kind of photography is.

It captures the night in a way that isn’t just about the stage, but about everything surrounding it.