TRAIN STATION CHIC
If you’ve read “Slow Down” you’ll know I have a bit of a bug bear regarding camera geeks and needing the best equipment.
Back in the day I set my self a challenge to try and take a decent photo with the worst camera I could find.
Polaroids were too cool and I heard a story of an International photographer who shot a campaign on disposables - so they were out, I wanted something more restrictive.
Manchester Piccadilly train station had a passport photo booth on the concourse which was a proper old-school, film booth that kicked out a strip of four prints from four photos.
My go-to gal back then for any crazy ideas was Emma (still is really seeing as I married her!)
So off we toddled with a pocket full of coins and a bag of grip and stuff and set up camp amongst the commuters in the station.
£3.50
The first four shots were effectively a strip of four light tests. The booth was left unmodified and Emma did shots leaning forwards, back and side then centrally to see what we were working with.
3 minutes
The white background was horrible, the light was far too hot on Emma’s forehead and the sweet spot was where you’d expect it to be, right in the middle. Though Emma was sat very high…
Delving in the bag I gaffa taped wallpaper up over the white background and stuck a section of black colorama to the ceiling to kill all the top bounce as Emma’s forehead was very hot.
The stool was lowered and Emma powdered the hell out of her forehead.
A bit of direction and
£3.50
Much better! Stool was dropped right down to try and loose the edge of her top and her hair went back. The 2nd shot I really liked (the 6th in total) so we then played a bit more with mood and hair and posing.
£3.50
Ooooh the last shot of the four, 12th shot in total was the one for me so far.
So different hair, different moods and pushing the poses next…
£3.50
Not feeling these as much. Time for hair down and really push the poses, foot on stool and bring the knee into shot.
£3.50
None of these worked as well as the 12th shot for me so that was it…
About 30 minutes, £17.50 and a few funny looks!
On the way home I went via my local lab and got them to do a drum scan of the 12th shot which I then retouched and you can see the final shot below.
It’s got this lovely soft feel to it.
A few weeks later I went back with another model called Sheree and replicated the whole thing again and got another nice shot from it.
