Paper Dress
I was given a dress made from hospital paper by the artist Cindy Matchett. Her work at that time centered on childhood illness. She asked if I would consider gi...
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I was given a dress made from hospital paper by the artist Cindy Matchett. Her work at that time centered on childhood illness. She asked if I would consider giving her a print of the piece in return and the resultant image was presented.
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Jan, 2016Views
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People's Choice in State between Photo Challenge
Outstanding Creativity
Peer Award
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thombarbour
March 13, 2018
Thanks Denise! I appreciate you took the time (a year ago!) to comment. I never saw the comment come in until now.
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This image was taken at Haystack Mountain School of Arts and Crafts on Deer Isle in Maine.Time
The exact time of day eludes me but it would have been sometime just after lunch. The area was secluded and it took a little effort to reach the spot and rig up some string from which to suspend the dress.Lighting
The day was perfectly overcast from start to finish. There was a slight drizzle on and off throughout so I started setting up when there was no precipitation, hoping it might stay that way for a while. It did not.Equipment
For this image, I was using my Shen Hao 4x5 camera and a 90mm lens with Polaroid Type 55 positive/negative film. It was one of the first times I used the film and I could process the negative on the island without all of the developer I would need for regular film.Inspiration
The inspiration for this image came from the artist that made the dress. It was made from hospital paper (the kind you sit on in the doctor's office)—very delicate and beautiful—and referenced the artist's history with childhood illness. She made the dress for me and asked for photographic print in return. I liked the idea of the fragility of material juxtaposed with something dangerous to its existence. As I started shooting the image, a light rain fell and I had to work very carefully before the whole event became a self-fulfilling prophecy.Editing
Dodging and burning.In my camera bag
With the 4x5 camera, The bag is chock full with 10 or so film holders, 90mm lens, my trusty Sekonic light meter, a film changing bag, cloth to drape over my head, a box of Ilford HP5 Plus B&W film, shutter release, and assorted sundries.Feedback
For me, the great thing about large format work is the patience factor. The process is such that time is a major player whether it's planning and constructing the image, physically setting up and breaking down the equipment, even metering and taking the image. I enjoy the solitude from start to finish. The images I construct to create for large format necessitate and reflect that time commitment. Being on the island for 5 days, I returned to the spot a few times to work out the right angle and time of day to shoot. I was preparing for a bright sunny day so it was quite nice to get an overcast day when the time came.
