Check out the following swf:
Click to see behind the scenes, or to go back to the first view.
I want a camera that will simultaneously expose visible light and some other spectrum that is strongest when bouncing off things close to the camera, and weakest on those things furthest away. Then I could make these as easy as pressing the shutter release.
I sometimes question the honesty of photography. Personally, I prefer taking photographs as compared to making photographs. I like to think all good photographs are luck and good timing, even if I know that’s not the case. I’ll just stick my fingers in my ears and sing loudly, “La la la… la la la… la la la,” whenever I hear someone talk of photo-manipulation.
In reality, I can see it from the other side, too. The camera is just another tool of the artist, and any extra control the artist can gain over that tool is justifiable in pursuit of the image. The ends justify the means. It doesn’t matter how you get there, so long as it looks amazing when it’s finished.
For this project, we were made to make photographs. Sure, there are the basic elements of light, perspective, depth of field, color, composition and subject to consider -Â but we don’t have to rely on all of those coming together spontaneously. If you want a spider on a flower, go and CATCH the spider and BRING it to the flower. It might be dishonest, but it makes for a lovely picture.
(Oh, and before you go crazy, I just used the spider as a hypothetical situation. There isn’t really a spider on this one!)