Look Ma, No flare

Here is the "without flare" version shot of the Stairway to Heaven session for those who prefer it that way

To infinity… and beyond!

In the movies Buzz and Woody are always at a certain point separated and looking for each other. This time they find themselves thru computer technology and Skype.  Like many projects this idea evolved from numerous concepts. The Buzz Lightyear action figure is now a classic toy and I always wanted to use it for something. It was not hard to find because contrary to my son’s other toys who are now stored in plastic buckets in the basement he kept his Buzz and Woody on a shelf in his room. The computer screen was turned on to provide that LCD glow on the character. The background on the display is also one of my photos. I increase the general saturation of the image to give it that Disney anime movie type of look. I would like to thank Buzz, Woody and the plastic soldiers (who gracefully came out of their bucket) for their participation. To infinity… and beyond!

She shines white light and wants to show

That would be a still from a video and a promotional picture/poster for a movie based on Led Zeppelin’s song “Stairway to Heaven”. The captured moment is taken from the text of the lyrics: “Who shines white light and wants to show”. The challenge for this shot was to create a mystical and eerie look.  Another challenge was the location, a low ceiling basement. I had the chance to have an artistic director and a hair/makeup assistant to help me so I could concentrate on the technical aspect of the production.  The hard lighting comes from a Fresnel l tungsten spotlight with barn doors and a dimmer.  The models are not wearing costumes but instead authentic dresses from the early 20th century. The makeup is intended to be ethereal. We used so many poses that it was extremely difficult to decide which one to pick for this assignment. I would like to thank Anne for her expertise as a fashion editor / artistic director, Natalie for the hair and makeup also Melanie and Nettie for their patience as models. We all had a great time doing this.