The AAAS recently bought image rights to a shot I had made for a National Geographic story about Neanderthals. (I know, I know. Send a Neanderthal to photograph a Neanderthal.)
We went into the woods of Spain, with our prehistoric female in tow, nicknamed Wilma for obvious reasons. She’s a nearly 200 pound block of silicone shaped into the perfect recreation of a Neanderthal lady by the brilliant team of KennisKennis, who specialize in re-creating animals and humans from our primordial past.
Whilst on location, I noticed the gracious lady who owned the farm the Neanderthals once called home had reddish hair, similar to Wilma’s. I thought it would be cool to pair off the two, the modern day human now occupying that piece of the earth, with the echo of the ancient, former landlady of the site.
Below is Wilma, face on, as the opening spread in the Nat Geo story.
To do the in camera double exposure, I needed a black background. Thankfully I had drug along a Lastolite 6×6 Skylite panel with blackout material. Also, I had two umbrellas that were identical. (That was luck. It was not inspired preparation.)
I placed Wilma in profile, in between the two lights, but only firing one, the strobe she is facing. Then our modern lady stepped in, facing the other direction. Wilma’s light gets shut down, and the other light, now frontal to my human subject, gets turned on. Second exposure occurs. I didn’t space it right for a few exposures. See grid below.
But I finally got one. I used the single auto-focus cursors in the viewfinder, locating one at the eye of each subject to guide my framing, and then shot hand held. High power on the flashes, and 1/250th at camera clears out any influence of the cloudy, midday light.
The science folks at AAAS used it thusly.
First one, I think, of these off-the-cuff doubles I have ever tried that has gotten published, which is fun. And, speaking of fun, Brad Moore, recently of the Kelby organization but now on his own, was with me on this job. He studied Wilma intently.
And I of course, being of modest disposition, tried to help her out with a bit of wardrobe advice.
Life in the field. More tk….
Interesting that in the age of Photoshop you chose to go old school and do it in camera.
I’m assuming that’s a National Geographic requirement – especially after their Pyramid reframing debacle a few years back.
Yes, it was a field solution, which I am more comfortable with than post. Nat Geo is always cautious. They do things like pano stitching etc. occasionally and always alert the reader to the fact of manipulation.
Now I know why Brad wears a beard!?!
Joe, that was lit bit more than cool to pair them off, actually that was genius. Absolutely magnificent!
Clearly the model paired with Wilma was related. Just look at the way the lower lip protrudes away from the upper lip. Brilliant work for sure.
When I first seen this I thought she was real…
Brad! Sans beard! LOL Is he working for you now? I was sad to see the whole Kelby crew get let go.
Joe, I love these double exposures. I wish my camera would do the same! Such excellent work.
Why the lingerie? Yeah I get it but rather not.
I like the photo of the two women. I don’t like the use of the lingerie piece. She is to be respected and it doesn’t feel that way in that photo.