Puff the Magic Dragon

CASE STUDY #11 Puff the Magic Dragon

CAMERA: Hasselblad 503c LENS: 120mm macro

FILM: Kodak Plus X

EXPOSURE: f/8 at 1 / 15 second

LIGHTING: Luz 800ws power pack with one head and a medium softbox; additional light with grid on background

Assignment Photographing musicians has always been a large part of my personal work, and Peter Yarrow (of Peter and Paul and Mary) was on my list. Like his music and social convictions, Peter and his son Christopher, were very tender and intense to photograph.

Visual Objective Walking into Peter’s Manhattan apartment was like walking into the rain forest. It was filled with tropical plants and Central American artifacts. I was given a warm welcome by Peter and Christopher and sensed they had a loving relationship. My objective was to combine these elements, so I dragged plants to the fireplace, lit candles, and placed a stool in the scene.

Posing I had Christopher sit on Peter’s lap as if he were cradling him. Then, I had them place their arms around each other and hold hands. The shape this created with their arms formed a heart. I also broke one of my own rules and placed the statue directly behind Peter and Christopher’s head. I felt this helped tell the story of the spiritual side of Peter. a father and son are at odds with each other. Surprisingly, he brought out some play guns. I photographed them back-to-back as if they were ready to duel. It was worth a try—so be sure to keep an open mind and collaborate with your subjects.

Tips This is the first case study to use a second light, added to illuminate the fireplace and statue. Without it, there would have been no separation of my subjects from the background.

You’ll also note that I chose a slow shutter speed to capture the candles burning. I am not sure it was worth it, though; they are difficult to see against the light background. I try to use every light source in the frame, though. It is my obsession.

30-degree grid on background, angled down from three feet above subjects

The Story The image you see was the first idea and the one I liked the best. Peter also wanted to show another side of their relationship—the not uncommon side where

44 50 LIGHTING SETUPS FOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS

medium softbox