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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Thirty Eight: The camera as time machine: linking the past to the present > Apparition, Greenville, California, 2008
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11-SEP-2008

Apparition, Greenville, California, 2008

As I walked down Greenville’s main street, I noticed that the door to a dress shop was left wide open. As I approached the store, I caught sight of a 19th century dress, and saw the gloved hands of a woman illuminated by the late afternoon sun. The figure seemed alive, however when I looked inside the store, I saw that it was a mannequin wearing vintage clothing. I asked a woman working inside the store if I could photograph it. She invited me to shoot inside, but I preferred to stay outside and frame the mannequin in the open doorway. I used my spot meter to expose for the highlights on the hands and dress, allowing the rest of the mannequin to fade into darkness. The original color image paints the door and figure in golden light. When I converted it to black and white, it became less real and more of an apparition. And that was my intention. Once again, I am using my camera as a time machine.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/800s f/10.0 at 7.4mm iso100 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Phil Douglis29-Sep-2008 17:22
The sun was very low in the sky when I made this shot. It effectively grazes the dress, instead of bathing it in light. By spot metering on the brightest spot, I make the shadows darker, causing the figure to seemingly float in space.
Guest 29-Sep-2008 06:24
Wonderful lighting. I like how you composed the shot and the feeling that she is indeed floating.
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