CLIENT
CBS

PROJECT
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

PHOTOGRAPHY
Scott Kowalchyk

ASSIGNMENT

Decade-long unit photographer at the Ed Sullivan Theater, working within an ongoing television production.

THE SHOW
Working within the rhythm of a daily television production meant photographing every part of the show, from the monologue and desk interviews to sketches, audience interaction and unscripted moments, while producing publicity, editorial and archival imagery on an immediate deadline.

BEYOND THE ED SULLIVAN

The assignment often extended beyond the Ed Sullivan Theater into unfamiliar and sometimes highly restricted environments. Productions were carefully planned, but could become wildly improvisational, requiring discretion and adaptability.

REMOTE INTERVIEWS AND FIELD PIECES

President Barak Obama interviewed in the Obama Presidential Center on April, 9 2026

Christopher Nolan Interview and Field Piece on the grounds of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

Lady Gaga interviewed in The Bitter End, NYC on October 2, 2025

Severance Parody Field Piece shot on actual Severance set.

CHICAGO LIVE SHOWS 2024

For a week of live broadcasts from Chicago during the 2024 Democratic National Convention, the production moved into a dramatically larger theater and unfamiliar working environment. Shooting live meant anticipating moments in real time, adapting quickly to new sightlines and production conditions, and delivering publicity imagery without a second chance.

ONE SHOT TO GET IT

Some photographs required planning well before the cameras rolled. Post-interview portraits of high-profile guests could involve advance approval, coordination across multiple production teams and a carefully timed addition to the run of show, all for a photograph I might have only seconds to make.

For Taylor Swift, I proposed reversing the traditional desk portrait to photograph her and Stephen with the Ed Sullivan Theater audience behind them. After a proof-of-concept image was approved by her team, I coordinated with the show’s lighting director and technicians to bring in supplemental lighting at exactly the right moment.

When all five Strike Force Five hosts appeared together, I wanted an iconic group portrait to mark the occasion. Coordinating with stage management, talent and social teams gave us a brief window for the planned desk portrait. Once we had it, the hosts were eager to shoot a reverse, and having already solved that photograph with Taylor Swift, I was ready for it.

MUSIC

Photographing live music for The Late Show meant working inside the television production rather than around it. Each performance brought a different stage and lighting design, while eight broadcast cameras, including a Steadicam and jib, were simultaneously covering the performance. Finding distinctive still images required constant adaptation without interfering with the production. The broadcast always came first; the still photograph had to happen within it.

While Bruce Springsteen waited in the darkened studio for Stephen Colbert to introduce him, the lowered stage lighting created an unexpected opportunity for a silhouette before the performance began.

Billie Eilish’s performance moved through dramatically different lighting environments, requiring constant adjustment as the visual character of the stage changed.

Dua Lipa’s performance shows the challenge of working within the broadcast camera footprint. A Steadicam and moving jib covered the stage while another camera shot directly down the center from the rear of the theater. Getting the close photograph meant finding a position beside that camera and shooting long without entering its frame.

OK Go brought an unusually experimental production built around mirrors and kaleidoscopic camera effects. I photographed the wider production design, worked through the same visual devices used by the broadcast cameras, and finished with a portrait of the band within the set.

THE FINAL SHOW

For the final monologue, I knew I wanted to push the boundary as far as possible to make a photograph I had always wanted. As Stephen walked into the audience, I shadowed Joe and the Steadicam as he moved around Stephen, walking forward with them just long enough to make the frame before clearing his lens.

The final show brought together a series of performances, surprise appearances and moments designed specifically for the occasion.

A pre-taped performance with Stephen Colbert, Elvis Costello, Jon Batiste and Louis Cato.

Surprise appearances by Bryan Cranston and Ryan Reynolds were staged on opposite sides of the audience. Participating in rehearsals allowed me to plan a route through the stage and broadcast cameras as they turned in opposite directions.

For the final musical number, Stephen Colbert, Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Louis Cato and The Late Show Band were joined onstage by the entire staff and crew for the final chorus of “Hello, Goodbye.” After making the close photographs, I ran to the balcony and climbed a pre-positioned ladder to make one final wide frame of the entire theater.

The End