Sometimes editorial photography assignments come across the wire and I wonder just how the hell I’m going to pull it off. This photo ran in yesterday’s New York Times Homes Section. There gentleman lives in Washougal, Washington and has a full scale replica of Captain Kirk’s chair in his living room, which he built himself. I normally shoot only using available light, but somehow I felt like this image needed a more deliberate treatment. Using my very limited lighting kit, (in fact it’s so limited I can’t say with much confidence that it is a “kit”), I figured out a way to light the chair and him, (with a Hollywoodesque spotlight), and also simultaneously reveal the suburban outdoors to emphasize the marvelously bizzarre juxtaposition of visual information. I enjoy Star Trek, in all of its permutations, so this job was a lot of fun. Although I have deep affection for my Mark ll, I shot this with a Canon 5D, because the images for newspapers don’t demand such a giant file. I still love my 5D, and although the Mark ll sensor is bigger, I really don’t see that much of a difference in image quality, particularly for reproductions in magazines and newspapers. More on this topic later, as I have an upcoming exhibit where there are seven 40×60″ prints being displayed. I invite everyone who attends the opening to guess which images were shot with the 5D and which ones were made using the 5D Mark ll. There will be a prize for the person who can give me the correct answer!
Beam Me Up, Scottie!
