"We mortals are but shadows and dust."
Sometime around Halloween I got the idea to do a creepy photo of me and my girlfriend. In typical fashion I procrastinated and missed my mark, finishing it after Halloween, but decided I had better do it before it got too cold outside.
I used my PCB Einsteins in a two light setup. The main light was firing through a large soft box camera left, and the key light was fired into an undiffused 64" PLM silver umbrella. Used the PocketWizard Power MC2 and TTI with the AC3 Zone Controller on the hotshoe of my 7d with the 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro attached. I was at 1/250th, f/8, ISO 100.. and if I remember right the main light was at about 1/8th and the key light somewhere around 1/4th. I'd have to go look at the dials on the AC3 to be sure.
I had seen a few portraits done using white flour for various effects. I knew right away it would cover the majority of the skin on both of us, making us look dirty and animalistic. My father hung drywall for a living and I remember how ghost like and frightening he looked after he came home from work. I didn't make the connection until after the photo shoot was over, but I think the eerie feeling that he wasn't the same person stuck with me more than I knew.
The effect was simple enough. I went to the local grocery store and bought 10 lbs of bleached white flour. We then took turns throwing the flour in each other's hair, in our faces, and covered everything else that would be visible. Because it was just me and her, with her youngest son to click the shutter for us, I decided it would be best to create two separate pictures to be combined in Photoshop later. With everything set up I had her son count to three and I threw a handful of flour at her back on the second count, giving it a second to disperse before the frame was captured. She did the same for me.
I don't know what the hell I'm going to do with the picture except maybe frame it and put it on my desk until next October.. then I'm sure it will be all over my facebook. Some friends have suggested Christmas cards, engagement announcements, or thank you cards. All good ideas. heh.
All I know is that it was SUPER messy (I'm still finding flour. Just today I found some in my wallet), SUPER cold, and most of all.. unbelievably fun. Not to mention how much fun her son had taking the pics. He's always had an interest in photography, even before I came around.
As always, I welcome critiques and comments. Thanks for looking!
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