In a stairwell in San Jose...

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), November 04, 2000

Answers

Great light! White staircase and black clothes -- not an easy task but you have managed to keep detail in both and make everything look natural.

(Did you use one flash? In front-ish with big softbox. Or an reflector? Or was the walls naturally reflecting enough? But I think I see catchlights...)

I'm not sure about the girl's expression. She looks like she is sulking and she looks a bit stiff and formal, but maybe she always looks like this and it is a faithful portrait?

My only real problem is with that rail cutting her into bits. I'm not sure what you could have done. I don't know the location. But perhaps you could have switched to portrait format and have the girl stand up? This way there would just be a single cut across her legs. (As opposed to cuttin her legs in three and body in two -- five pieces in total accordign to my (possibly perverted) psychology.) I don't know if the light would have worked....

Or maybe have her back to the wall and legs across the stairs at a slight diagonal? Don't know if she could find a comfortable position that way...

It's a great place with wonderful light, a good model; indeed a very promising setup and a very good effort. (You must teach me to do light like that!)

Show us more.

-- Allan Engelhardt (allane@cybaea.com), November 04, 2000.

IS it a girl? At the risk of seriously offending someone, her make-up, hair and body language says "drag" to me. If thatB4s the case I find the picture very interesting as a portrait - if not, the seemingly cramped style confuses me.

-- Christel Green (look.no@film.dk), November 04, 2000.

I wouldn't have supposed this to be a Spirer photograph. This seems to be a departure from your typical style (if you have a typical style). But, as always, you are victorious over a difficult lighting situation. The primary interest is her facial expression and feeling of tightness, maybe fussiness, and perhaps also frigidness. My hunch is that this is not a posed shot, although the posture hints this. The reason the stair-rail superimposed over her works is because of the harmony of angles it contributes to with the others. Interesting how a stairwell acts as a sort of "light-tent-lit" environment with such diffuse but bright light.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@alaska.net), November 04, 2000.

Boy, ya got 'em comin' and goin' with this one, Jeff. Don't tell 'em what agency she works for... (it's Casablanca, isn't it?)

What did she tell you? What did you ask?... t

-- tom meyer (twm@mindspring.com), November 04, 2000.

I found the sexual ambiguity of a few of Mike D's recent photos interesting.

I don't use flash, except when there is absolutely no choice. This shot has convinced me to spend more time in stairwells.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), November 04, 2000.

Jeff...was this a "found" image (street photo) or posed. If found, what did you say to her to allow you to photograph her. As I've mentioned, that is what stops me from many a good photo.

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), November 04, 2000.

Tom has sworn me to secrecy.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), November 04, 2000.

Hmm, this is actually a Tom Meyer photo, and that's JEFF in DRAG!! :)

(I'm joking, of course)

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@alaska.net), November 05, 2000.

The ambiguity of the photo is intriguing--not just the sexual ambiguity, but the ambiguity of mood and intent. It's a photo that raises questions but does little to suggest answers. I think the formal composition is essential, though; it reveals that it's not just a meaningless shot but a photo with many possible meanings.

On the issue of lighting, I think this is a great example of the beautiful lighting that exists all around us which we don't recognize often enough.

I really haven't hung out in stairwells very much. Well, at least not without a can of spray paint.

-- Mike Dixon (burmashave@compuserve.com), November 05, 2000.

It looks like an outtake from an untitled film still.

I recommend acting lessons, ruthless editing or a suitable .

-- Struan Gray (struan.gray@sljus.lu.se), November 06, 2000.

........cream.

-- Struan Gray (struan.gray@sljus.lu.se), November 06, 2000.