The Vacuum Cleaner
An image taken from The Jacket series. This series is based on the idea of that imaginary friend growing up.
An image taken from The Jacket series. This series is based on the idea of that imaginary friend growing up.
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Jan, 2013Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photograph was taken in my apartment in the living room. There are a lot of nice period details and a gigantic mantle surrounding a fireplace. I knew that I wanted to shoot in a corner of some sort and this area gave me that hint of details that compliments the overall scene.Time
I took this image during the late morning to early noon-time. The window on the right side of the image face West and if I shot any later in the day, I would have gotten bright sunlight streaming into the scene causing too much lens flare and bright light distractions.Lighting
Even with the available ambient light in this scene, I still utilized strobes to fill in the shadows. Each subject: the model (me!), the jacket, and the vacuum cleaner, is lit with two external flash units with umbrellas to create an even exposure. I placed those strobes near the shadow side of each subject I needed to light in order to fill. I kept the power of the strobes lower than the ambient exposure of the room so that the lighting would not look too artificial or telling that the photograph is lit.Equipment
I use Canon products: 5DMarkII DSLR, 16-35mm L Series lens, (2) 580EX II Flash units. I also utilize a Vanguard Alta Series Tripod, remote self-timer, Cowboy studio light stands and umbrellas, and PocketWizards.Inspiration
This image and the overall series is inspired by the imaginary childhood friend and the adventures one gets into with that friend. In this case, I chose to represent that imaginary friend with an old men's jacket. Sometimes the adventures that they get into are grand with a lot of excitement within a grand scene. Other times, like this image, the story can be simple with them both being at home and performing everyday tasks like cleaning chores. I wanted the image to have some fun and lightheartedness to such a mundane chore by setting up the kind of slapstick humor that you find with the Three Stooges or Charlie Chaplin comedy. The vacuum cleaner is from the 1970s and for those that aren't familiar, the ON switch is located on the body of the vacuum cleaner. What happens when that vacuum cleaner is turned on? The rest of the image speaks for itself.Editing
This image is a composite made up of about 5-6 different images. I was focused on creating a specific moment in time where I, the model, just realize what is happening when the vacuum cleaner was accidentally turned on. I knew that I wanted some elements of the scene to be frozen while other parts blurred. I took a few shots of the Jacket and composited them together to create the idea of struggle as he's being sucked into the vacuum. The vacuum and model are both shot separately and later composited back together. The falling dust rag is also shot separately and later brought back. Lastly, some exterior shots from the window were made and placed back into the final image.In my camera bag
I like to shoot a lot of self-portraiture where I am placed well within a scene. My trusty remote self-timer, which I purchased from Amazon for $10, is such a worthy investment! My Vanguard Alt Pro tripod is also invaluable to me during shoots. I love how easily this tripod works with the universal ball-joint head and multi-angle column. Since I do a lot of post-production work, I work exclusively with my Canon 5D Mark II DSLR and my 16-35mm lens gives me the range to work in a number of environments. I often light my scenes artificially but don't like taking too many light-stands with me on-location so I usually take a couple external flashes, PocketWizards, and gaffers tape to create mobile lighting availability.Feedback
I always start with my concepts. I tell my students to work on an idea and build upon it. Think critically why you are creating a certain composition. Why this specific model? Why this specific environment? What is your message? What do you want others to get from your work? The more you know about what you like as a photographer, the stronger your work will become. A lot of photographers covet what is known as "photographic style" and it's easy to achieve your own style if only you spend time with your personal likes and dislikes. Nice equipment and fancy cameras can only get a person so far. It's your ideas and concepts that set you from the rest!
