It’s not every day one gets to photograph The Hobbit, and I’ve been hoping for that chance ever since Young People’s Theatre of Chicago announced it as part of their season. It would be impossible to describe in any detail the impact and influence fantasy has had on my life and career, especially Tolkein’s work. Suffice it to say J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit is one of my favorite novels. Perhaps the most accurate way to describe my fandom is to show this AMC promotion from the night we saw the extended versions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy in the theater on the opening night of The Return of the King in 2003.
Photography
The Hobbit takes place across a wide stage among beautiful scenery, lighting, and set design. Before the run, I conferred with artistic director Randy White and lighting designer Bridget Williams about lens choice for my primary camera. I wanted to gather some information about the staging of the play in order to decide whether to shoot primarily wide or primarily close. Given the breadth of the stage and possible zones of action in the play, we decided to go primarily wide, and I’d zoom in and out with my legs—which almost got me trampled by goblins, but I know adventurers who have suffered worse fates while adventuring.
Character Portraits
This time, I brought my portrait setup to Young People’s Theatre of Chicago to get some character shots YPTCHI could use to promote the show. Once again I went with a brown background because those tones and textures suggest The Hobbit to me. This time, I went with a very low key look, emphasizing shadow and contrast. As is usually the case for character portraits, we fire through them very quickly in our limited time. The actors were a joy to work with, and we had a lot of fun making them, as evidenced by the big goblin energy below.
The cast of The Hobbit includes Teddy Gales, Dakota Hughes, Travis Ascione, Alex Benito Rodriguez, and Genevieve Corkery, each pictured below as an assortment of hobbits, wizards, dwarves, elves, humans, and monsters. That’s right: five talented actors embody all the characters in The Hobbit!
There and Back Again: Familiar Faces
I greatly enjoy photographing the Young People’s Theatre of Chicago. Their shows are full of music, color, and joy. They’re some of the best produced shows I have the honor to photograph—top notch sets, lighting, costumes, sound, and talent.
I was happy to see Teddy Gales of A Year With Frog and Toad playing Bilbo; seeing musical director Sam Shankman of Elephant and Piggie’s We Are in a Play; and Bilbo’s understudy is the hilarious Jonathan Crabtree, who I met last year photographing The Terror Cottas’ play The Ostritch.
YPTCHI general manager Kira Nutter was a huge help facilitating all the photography and walking me through the day. Costume designer Cindy Moon creates a stellar wardrobe every time, and I owe her for me being in the room in the first place. Stage manager Mack Finklea runs a tight show and is always a pleasure to see. I’m grateful to artistic director Randy White for putting together such a great company and production and for having me there to contribute to it. Young People’s Theatre of Chicago is not just for young people but for the young at heart. Check them out.
The Hobbit plays at the Greenhouse Theater Center in Chicago from February 7 to March 1, 2026.
Young People’s Theatre of Chicago’s The Hobbit was adapted by Greg Banks with music by Thomas Johnson and directed by Randy White.
