Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/01/05

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Subject: [Leica] Tales from yesteryear 4! :-)
From: tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)
Date: Sat Jan 5 22:13:38 2008

Last tale for now. :-)

 

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, lifted her up 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 but? "There isn't anything like shooting still life,
"he replied and smiled.

 


Replies: Reply from eduardoalbesi at ciudad.com.ar (Eduardo Albesi) ([spam] RE: [Leica] Tales from yesteryear 4! :-))
In reply to: Message from tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant) ([Leica] Tales from yesteryear 2! :-))