marybrotherton

Driving Miss Zombie

After the filming, Purple Zombie goes home

After the filming, Purple Zombie goes home
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SAMSUNG

Jul, 2013

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Behind The Lens

Location

I was sitting in my car, in Rockledge, Florida, on an gray day, waiting for the light to change to green.

Time

My husband and I had just finished our parts as zombies in an independent film, about 4 p.m. and were on our way to visit a friend, still in character.

Lighting

It had been overcast all day, which added to the gloominess of the film we'd been working on and as the sun was trying to decide if it wanted to come out or just settle in for the night, we had ambient light that didn't illuminate much.

Equipment

I used my cellphone for this shot - a, now outdated, Samsung.

Inspiration

Our friend was working a short distance from where we'd shot the few scenes my husband and I were involved in - perhaps a 15 minute drive. I'd actually become physically ill during the filming and was extremely tired, so was resting with my eyes closed. My husband remarked, as we came to an intersection, that people had been pointing and staring. How often did they see two zombies in a car? I knew I'd soon be home, showering all the prosthetic and professional makeup away before napping, so on a whim, whipped out my cell phone and took a selfie.

Editing

I cropped a little and that was it. I'm not really deep into post-processing. For the most part with many of my photos, I'm a WYSIWIS photographer: What You See is What I Shot.

In my camera bag

I'd love to list all the lenses and special cameras I carry, but I'm a simple shooter. I always have my cellphone with me and it has a decent-ish camera for spontaneous shots like this, when I didn't have my second-hand Olympus with me. The Olympus was a gift from a friend who didn't want me to stop shooting when she learned that my beloved Sony had stopped working. My opportunistic outlook is my best photographic equipment, though. Without my perspective and wonderment, many photos simply would never have happened.

Feedback

I don't advice others to get ill during a movie filming on an overcast day, which is why this photo has its own "charm." My advice to other photographers who may want to capture a similar shot is to experiment. Don't be afraid of the weather or if your subject won't or can't smile. Embrace gloomy days. Challenge yourself to appreciate the simplicity of a camera in a mobile phone. If you want to recreate a zombie and don't know any professional makeup artists, play around with simple make up. This level of makeup is time consuming, so you will need patience.

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marybrotherton

marybrotherton

Driving Miss Zombie

After the filming, Purple Zombie goes home

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow marybrotherton

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