| I had been to the old abandoned house at 2465 Sperling Avenue a couple of times during the semester. I was quite intrigued by it, and decided that I wanted it to be the subject of a photo essay. I wanted it to be more than just a collection of pictures though, as interesting as that would have been. I hoped to add some peripheral human element, and perhaps a hint of a story. I enlisted the help of three friends (let's call them Barb, Brent and Norm) and asked them to help me out. I knew someone who had a line on some theatrical props, and I borrowed some capes, masks, a gun and an axe. I wanted to lend a twisted, otherworldly quality to the pictures, so I checked out a fisheye lens from the SFU equipment room. Indeed, all of the pictures were taken with either the wide-angle or the fisheye - no regular lens was used. I utilized only existing light, and most of the interior shots were done with a tripod. I did have some trouble with my actors, who wanted to be more prominently displayed in the frame than I had visualized. I wanted it all to be very subtle. I ended up going back a few days later and doing a roll of pickup shots, most of which I didn't use. I printed on very contrasty paper, and the skies came out totally white. There were 13 pictures in all, although I would have only presented around eight to the class. Two are missing. I've also included an alternate take, with the Guy in the Doorway With An Axe holding a gun. |
