Copyright©Kipp Baker, 1982-2007
The art director and I were new to each other.
He'd just started as senior art director with a new agency after working a number of years with what was sure to be their cross-town rival.
I was an up-and-coming photographer who wanted a chance to show what I could do. I'd already shot the Ben Hogan golf catalog for another art director with this same agency, so I had some credentials for tough lighting...
The original assignment was to be a small catalog of lamps for a formerly "wholesale only" lighting supply company moving into the retail market. One of the featured lamps was subtle in its color, delicate - and suggestive of a flower...a real challenge to photograph...I'll post it in a future blog.
But this art director was open to suggestion, new ideas and ambitious. We talked. After about an hour of illuminating discussions, he bought my ideas for both the lamp's treatment and this photograph of the bulb and socket, designed as the cover to the catalog. With rates agreed, the catalog was engaged. We had less than one week to complete the catalog to coordinate with other marketing efforts. We could stagger the film deliveries - but the first images had to be delivered within the week for ads designed for a regional magazine and its deadline.
At the time, I was also teaching photography at the local junior college. One of my students agreed to act as an assistant. He was eager and bright. We had a good rapport. The first day of pre-production went about as expected. Bill shopped for supplies and props, ran errands and constructed sets, while I came behind to shoot Polaroid and film tests to run to a nearby lab.
I'd instructed Bill to load the 4x5 sheet film (no "Ready-loads" in those days) and we began the shoot. The tests had been tight and we knew the bracket would give us great exposures. But when Bill came back from the lab with the dumbstruck look of that nightime deer in front of the car we've heard so much about...we knew something was terribly wrong. All the film was ugly - red-orange tinted and waaaay underexposed.
What I hadn't been bright enough to anticipate was Bill's unfamiliarity with 4x5 film and loading a film holder. Because the film was loaded backwards, our shots had been made through the base! The emulsion side had been turned away from the light. To meet the tight deadline, two days worth of shooting had to be reconstructed in one dark and very long day. After arranging a late night run with the lab, we reset, reloaded film, shot and delivered the work in time for the catalog.
But we still needed this final "Light Bulb and Socket" shot. There was no time for retouching and back then, Photoshop® didn't exist. The shot I'd promised demanded one piece of film. Due to its complexity and concept, I opted for an additional assistant. Bill didn't mind. Michael, a friend and fellow photographer was available to act as first assistant - to help wire the bulb and discuss all the parameters of good photographic grammar - sharpness, depth of field, proper exposures and the like. What you see here is our result. Shot with a 90mm Caltar II wide angle on 4x5 Ektachrome with studio strobes at about f/45.5 its been a signature shot of mine for over 20 years.
The syntax in the photograph was like a great short story - with an O'Henry surprise. The concept of a light bulb continuing to burn after separation from its power source demanded flawless brilliance in its execution to make its telling visual statement - the great idea of persevering is never considered a dim bulb.
Thanks, Michael - and Larry - both of you helped make this happen.
kipp @ pixure.com
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