Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/07/20

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Subject: [Leica] Still Life! :-)
From: tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)
Date: Thu Jul 20 10:30:42 2006
References: <20060720171950.7364.qmail@web32602.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

OK I don't think it get's much weirder than this. ;-)



Still life



"Could you take a picture of my mother?" inquired the female telephone 
caller.



Bill Lingard, my partner and fellow photographer replied, "Yes, when would

you like to come to the studio, I'm sure we can fit you in during the next

few days?"



"I'm sorry it will have to be tomorrow before noon, as the  service is at

two," was her reply. The service she referred to was her mother's funeral

service.



She did not have any pictures of her mother and this was the last

opportunity for a photograph before the coffin was closed.



So there we were the next morning, Bill, studio lights, ladder, the lady in

the coffin and me. The scene was right out of a weird horror movie.



Bill who is a master portrait photographer, tried to light the old lady

with Rembrandt lighting, but the sides of the coffin created a shadow over

her face. So he found a pillow and stuffed it behind her head to lift it

above the edge of the coffin and the lights made her look alive. Sort of!



Bill was up the ladder making his first exposure when the daughter arrived,

looking at her mother she commented on how lifelike she looked, but

wondered if Bill could open her eyes?



For a moment I thought he was going to fall off the ladder, but maintaining

his Lancashire composure, he explained he would just as soon do the eye

opening by retouching the negatives.



I had to leave on assignment before he completed the retouching and when I

returned I asked how she looked.



"Not bad, a bit starry-eyed, but the daughter thought she looked alive."

What more could he say"? "There isn't anything like shooting still life,"

he replied with a smile.


Replies: Reply from leicachris at worldnet.att.net (Christopher Williams) ([Leica] Still Life! :-))
Reply from philippe.orlent at pandora.be (Philippe Orlent) ([Leica] Still Life! :-))
In reply to: Message from iilbz at yahoo.com (DL) ([Leica] FS: Leica M & R 0721)