At the Museum...a contemplation

Copyright, Kipp Baker 2001-2008

Museums aren't always regarded in the best of terms. Some are considered stodgy, blocking the way of more modern thought or needlessly remaining conservative beyond their usefulness. Others are considered too liberal in the folly of "Modern Art," corrupting the minds of all - especially our children.

But I've always liked the museums. You visit enough of them - things tend to balance out, and you can see the creative boundlessness of humanity.

I especially like museums when they've provided a place for a photograph. Like the one here. This has special meaning to me on several levels...for starters, it was created inside the hallowed walls of a museum - the Amon Carter in Fort Worth.

Next, it began life with a camera and film no longer made. The venerable Polaroid SX-70 and Time-Zero film, are the only combo I know of that could produce the surface and palette you see here - as one physically - not electronically - manipulated.

Third, it depicts my mother (at the window) and sister (seated) in a pause - a restful interlude. What it may say to you, I have little idea - but in this day of an aging populace, its composition and shadows speak to me on the vagaries of dementia, and a caregiver helpless in simple observation...

...but that's just me.

The Great Idea - a Signature Image

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

The Mask of Narcissus

...was self-assigned - created as an entry for our local camera club's "closed competition" category of Special Effects. There are some minimal Photoshop touches to clean off dust spots from the scan and ensure color, but essentially, this is what is on the film.

I spent a day or so thinking about what to do; gathering props; assembling it; shooting tests and another day actually creating the final shot in about 7-10 minutes - and all done on a single piece of transparency film (120mm Velvia 50) at twilight on a porch of my home.

Good thing about the time factor - the setup outside my home (no studio space then) was made during the only two days in February that were warm enough. The morning after the shot, and just after I had taken the set down, a nasty freezing rain storm hit. In two rolls of film, this one shot seemed uniquely best - there were others, but only 4-5 "similars" which were acceptable.

I was sad to discover I'd be unable to attend the competition's meeting when critiques were rendered, but it must have been fate to spare me the indignation. Our judge for the competition, the senior curator of photographs at the local museum, completely passed it over - giving it no ribbon, modest points, and is reported to have said, "well, we've all seen this one a million times..."

- go figure.

It contains every special effect I could think of to incorporate into a single shot:

• Levitation
• Light painting
• Multiple strobe pops
• Multiple exposures
  
• In-focus + out-of-focus/blur effects
  
• Star-burst filters
• Gradation filters
• Motion blur
• Off axis composition
  
• Constructed set effects
  
• The odd mask for a subject
• ...and a surreal mythological concept - quite relevant to today's culture...

...or so I thought.

Aside from its brethren exposures on the role, I'd never seen anything like it...
...but I'll keep trying.