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| Except as noted, all photographs Copyright 2005 King Douglas | ||
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February 14, 2005 |
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Today is Valentine's day. At the left is a photo I created for my friend Sharon Edmunson (one of the models) to use in a non-traditional Valentine. Assisting is my friend Skip. I call this, "Crazy For You."
For something a little more traditional, click here to see the 2005 online Valentine I made for my daughter Nora.- |
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Early spring morning near Bastrop, Texas, 1970. I was driving from Austin to Houston to hear Luciano Pavarotti sing. The rushes along this pond and the pond itself seemed to disappear into the fog. | |
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Early spring morning near Bastrop, Texas, 1970. On the same foggy morning, shortly after I photographed the rushes above, I saw these two horses near the tree in the background. I stood next to the bared wire fence surrounding their pasture and called to them. They slowly walked toward me and stopped at a safe distance. This is one of my favorite photos. | |
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Around 1971, I was in Jacksonville, Texas, on assignment. I could see a spectacular lightning storm in the distance and wished, briefly, that I had a camera. Well, I was carrying around five camera and a tripod, so I quickly set up and waited out a few lightning bursts...which are surprisingly easy to photograph. | |
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Before digital photography and Photoshop were commonplace, I used to shoot special effects. I produced illusions, magic tricks, motion studies straight through the camera lens onto the film. No retouching.
Here's one example. This is what you would see if you were standing next to the camera while I took the photo. It's explained below |
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I already had a wall set with window present in the studio for another shoot. I cut two holes in the wall and inserted a pair of 2x4's about five feet beyond the wall. The 2x4's were counterweighted at the back of the set.
Notice the multiple shadows of the 2x4's on the wall, created by the overhead lights. Those shadows will have to be eliminated. |
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My model is lying on a board placed across the 2x4's. Behind her body, I've hidden a pair of lights that are set up to kill the shadows below the 2x4's without casting any upward shadows. At the same time, the lights don't cause a glare backward toward the lens. The light on the wall is a little too bright...have to tone it down.
Even without seeing the board, it is obvious that the model is unnaturally rigid and not floating. |
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Next, I took a piece of 1/8" aluminum, about 2" across, and shaped it to fit the curve of model's neck, backbone, hips and legs. The aluminum is firmly secured to the 2x4's. Notice that the model is casting a shadow on the floor that is clearly separate from the wall...that's why the 2x4's had to be extended five feet beyond the wall. The shadow on the floor accentuates the floating illusion.
The model (a young ballet dancer) has to carefully sustain her balance, but now her shape roughly approximates what it would be if she were lying on a mattress with a pillow under her head. |
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We've run some seamless paper forward from the wall, toned down the background light and put a fan outside the window to blow the drapes forward. Over the model, I've suspended a cloud photograph. The aluminum strip has been adjusted to lower her head just a bit.
My assistant is carefully adjusting the model's nightgown, which is pinned between the model and the aluminum strip. |
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A more few tweaks and we're ready to shoot. Have to wait for the curtain and the model's hair to look just right at the same time. The model is simply holding her right arm as if it were gently supported by a bed. One knee is lifted to add some shape to her lower body. Her toes are slightly pointed to lengthen her leg line.
This is what you see through the lens, or just standing next to the camera. It was a beautiful floating illusion, pretty much as magicians create it, although theirs are perfected for multiple performance. This set was taken down as soon as the exposures were completed. |
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