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

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Subject: [spam] RE: [Leica] Tales from yesteryear 4! :-)
From: eduardoalbesi at ciudad.com.ar (Eduardo Albesi)
Date: Sat Jan 5 23:35:43 2008
References: <0JU700C5BL9Z7700@l-daemon>

        Great tale, Ted.
I think Italian or Spanish would be more appropriated than English  
for its title, as the italian or spanish terms for "still life" are  
"natura morta" / "naturaleza muerta"...

There was a time (1870-1920/30?)  when making photo portraits of the  
dead was usual

ed a.



El 06/01/2008, a las 03:13, Ted Grant escribi?:

> 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.
>
>
>
>
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>



Replies: Reply from tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant) ([spam] RE: [Leica] Tales from yesteryear 4! :-))
In reply to: Message from tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant) ([Leica] Tales from yesteryear 4! :-))