[Leica] Still Life! :-)

[leicachris at worldnet.att.net (Christopher Williams)]

Bill's dead tired after shooting still life?


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ted Grant"
Subject: [Leica] Still Life! :-)


> OK I don't think it get's much weirder than this. ;-)
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> Still life
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> "Could you take a picture of my mother?" inquired the female telephone
> caller.
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> Bill Lingard, my partner and fellow photographer replied, "Yes, when would
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> you like to come to the studio, I'm sure we can fit you in during the next
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> few days?"
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> "I'm sorry it will have to be tomorrow before noon, as the  service is at
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> two," was her reply. The service she referred to was her mother's funeral
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> service.
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> She did not have any pictures of her mother and this was the last
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> opportunity for a photograph before the coffin was closed.
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> So there we were the next morning, Bill, studio lights, ladder, the lady
in
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> the coffin and me. The scene was right out of a weird horror movie.
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>
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> Bill who is a master portrait photographer, tried to light the old lady
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> with Rembrandt lighting, but the sides of the coffin created a shadow over
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> her face. So he found a pillow and stuffed it behind her head to lift it
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> above the edge of the coffin and the lights made her look alive. Sort of!
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>
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> Bill was up the ladder making his first exposure when the daughter
arrived,
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> looking at her mother she commented on how lifelike she looked, but
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> wondered if Bill could open her eyes?
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> For a moment I thought he was going to fall off the ladder, but
maintaining
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> his Lancashire composure, he explained he would just as soon do the eye
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> opening by retouching the negatives.
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> I had to leave on assignment before he completed the retouching and when I
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> returned I asked how she looked.
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> "Not bad, a bit starry-eyed, but the daughter thought she looked alive."
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> What more could he say"? "There isn't anything like shooting still life,"
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> he replied with a smile.