HOME | DD
Athansor β Ghosts of Yesteryear...
Published: 2005-03-08 17:08:03 +0000 UTC; Views: 4123; Favourites: 140; Downloads: 151
Redirect to original
Description
Another piece in my "Visions" project: an ongoing exploration of fantasy; pre-Raphaelite; and Victorian classicism inspired images.This particular image reminds me of the ghosts of women from another era...it's not exactly an attempt to recreate an old photo--but rather, to capture the *feel* of an old photo--something by Julia Margaret Cameron, or the Allen Sisters--the photographic equivalent of the work done by the Victorian classicists and pre-Raphaelites. I rather liked the slight overexposure on it--it made it feel more authentic, to me--and didn't attempt to correct that before posting.
The photograph this image came from is almost two years old--and features two of my favorite models--Becca and Stephanie--when they were just barely twelve. It was late in the afternoon, at the end of a shoot, and some of my photos were turning out skin tones that were almost completely lacking any pigment. In this shot, Stephanie in particular had such milky skin--and such haunting eyes, combined with her rounded cheeks and tiny chin--that she looked like she'd stepped right out of a Waterhouse painting. (I plan to do a themed shoot with her inspired by Waterhouse, at some point!)
Alas--I've never been able to fix the packground (plain grass) to my satisfaction...so my "Waterhouse" interpretation has never been realized...yet another reason that this final version represents "ghosts"!
(My thanks to UKTara who confirmed my suspicions about other, color versions of this image, btw!)For those of you who enjoy seeing "Before and After" images--here you go: [link]
(One nice thing about the B&A here--is that it allows me to show off my favorite color version of this image--so you can admire the beautiful skin tones--without my actually claiming it as a finished piece!
)
Related content
Comments: 99
Oh, she is--most definitely! I couldn't be prouder of her if she were my own daughter--when I see her struggling with the ups and downs and heartaches of adolescence...and striving so very hard to live within her deeply thought out belief system! Although very much her age in some ways--in others--she is so incredibly mature--and has the beginnings of an amazingly loyal, truthful, compassionate and feisty woman in her. Some man is going to be thanking his lucky stars, someday, when he wins her heart! 
I like what you say about revisiting old photos...it reminds me of something redlillith and I were discussing the other day--about rereading books or rewatching movies. I do it all the time--love it, in fact--whereas she gets the most enjoyment out of that first time. Funny how our perspective changes, depending on the subject, isn't it?!
Adding wings definitely would be fun...hmmm...I may actually wind up redoing that one!
π: 0 β©: 1
Oh how I love reading old books again. I canβt do it if Iβve read it within the last 10 years as I remember too much about it and it just ruins it for me. I just finished reading the whole robot series [link] from Isaac Asimov again and fell in love with it all over again. Movies on the other hand I almost never watch again as itβs never as much a thrill to me as it was the first time. Itβs something about books and how they can take your imagination to an extreme that always fascinates me.
π: 0 β©: 1
π: 0 β©: 1
I actually don't mind it that I remember everything--and have even sometimes read a book immediately after finishing it...but usually, I don't reread any more frequently than once a month...depending on the books... (Lucky for me I don't mind rereading--because I'm also a fast reader--with a tiny apartment--and not NEARLY enough room for all the books I'd need to make me happy, if I couldn't reread!)
I race through books at a breakneck pace...then like to lay back, and replay the whole thing in my mind. With each successive rereading--I find new layers and new nuances to feed my imagination...and--there is the joy of the familiarity of an old, old friend...
For some reason I never read the I, Robot series... I'll have to check that out, what with it being one of the all-time classics in SF literature! Isaac Asimov is one of the few people who I've ever felt would be intimidating, and hard to keep up with, if I met him...that man is just *so* brilliant--and *so* diverse! (Robert Heinlein would be fun to meet, however...I'd just be careful to not wear anything revealing!
I don't know why I like rewatching movies, so much--but I always have. In fact--when I was in high school, my best friend and I went to see Raiders of the Lost Ark *53* times, the year it was at our local cinema! (I'm no longer quite that extreme!
I do have a near-photographic memory which is generally very helpful in life. Movies seem to stay with me forever though and I just never enjoy them as much as the first time 
The robot series is very enjoyable and I highly recommend reading them as they came out as they are very intertwined. Iβve never been a speed reader but usually get through a decent book in 3 or 4 nights. Time is something that I never seem to have enough of.
Raiders of the Lost Ark 53 times
π: 0 β©: 1
Near-photographic IS helpful--although I always wanted the Real McCoy! (I once met someone who had it all--eidetic memory--and perfect pitch, too--and I was *quite* fascinated!)
I'd be willing to bet that part of my rereading/rewatching enjoyment--in spite of remembering everything--is due to my having been an actor...since we *have* to find fresh meaning in the same old words...even when you've been doing a show for a year!
I'll check out the robot series--I could use some new books!!!
Time is something that I never seem to have enough of.
Boy, is THAT ever true!!!!!!!!! (That's another reason I'm glad I read so fast!
Raiders of the Lost Ark 53 times That is extreme
Hey--I was a teenager--in love with Harrison Ford! Cut me some slack! :-P
π: 0 β©: 1
If it took me more than a week to read a book I think I would loose interest 
π: 0 β©: 1
Oh--I know, I know!!! I truly can't even imagine what it would be like, taking more than a week to read something...but I can certainly understand why folks like that aren't big readers!!! π: 0 β©: 1
(And you want to see nerdy??? Watch the fan credits at the end of the DVD versions of all three movies...if you can sit through almost the entire 20 minutes of them...you'll see my name, "Aurora Vanderbosch" in there with all the rest of 'em. Goofy--but I've loved those books for so long...that I wanted to be a part of the movie in anyway at all...
π: 0 β©: 1
ROFL!!!!!! STOP!!! You're KILLING me!!!! :-D
(Of course--that was the ONLY possible response--it IS embarrassingly nerdy!
π: 0 β©: 1
π: 0 β©: 1
You DO use them very well!!
π: 0 β©: 1
Yay!!
A new one!!!
Beautiful and ethreal as always!
I've said it before and I'll say it again, you capture these girls so wonderfully!!
*hurries to fav it*
π: 0 β©: 1
π: 0 β©: 1
I feel like you had a hand in this one, since you helped me rule out the color version...and I must say--it looks like you were right--because this one seems to have struck a chord with quite a few people! :-D
Thank you--as always!
You're welcome!
And anytime you want an opinion on anything again don't hesitate to send me a note! I'll probably love everything thought! It was hard enough trying to decide which one I liked that time because they were all so lovely.
π: 0 β©: 1
And I was REALLY having a tough time giving up the colors I'd striven so hard to perfect on that image--I needed that extra objectivity you had! :-D
π: 0 β©: 0
stunning even then!
π: 0 β©: 1
I have to say--your comments on my photos always make me so happy! They are so intelligent--and it's so obvious that you understand what I'm going for... Thank you so much for that!
(Actually--that's probably one of the big reasons I'm enjoying DA so much...I'm dealing with a group of viewers that already "gets" my stylistic influences...they're just a little--um--okay--a LOT--more off-the-beaten path, than many of the people who visit my main website.
π: 0 β©: 1
still, there is something very special about that whole stage of development, more so for girls than boys . . . the transitional phase is so very momentus. changes in appearance, perception, and expectations. many are counted lucky if they can manage to hold onto some of the beliefs from their childhoods and carry them through to adults. a belief in the unseen, the magical, the dreams. it shines in their eyes and their faces, like a beacon of hope for those who have lost all faith and belief in anything. girls like that tend to draw others to them like moths to flame. it is heartening to see that light in this day and age. I'm so glad my daughter never quite fully lost hers. it is a bit more subdued now, having to transition fully into the adult world now (18 in April!!!), but it is still there, lurking beneath the mature surface. seeing that always makes me smile, in spite of whatever may be frustrating me. your pictures bring that back to me again, that trace of innocence in a world gone mad, that little bit of faerie magic.
well, you are very welcome!! I love seeing images that evoke something inside of me. images that set off chain reactions in my occasionally slumbering mind. forces me to remember the things I've learned, things I've internalized. makes me reflect all of it back to the world that taught it to me in the first place. also, it reminds me that I am actually intelligent, as opposed to just being a walking talking encyclopedia set! which believe me, is a nice change!! since I've been out of college for 5 years, I've really missed intelligent discourse. so this is a bit of a challenge for me to prove I actually learned something!!
π: 0 β©: 1
still, there is something very special about that whole stage of development, more so for girls than boys π: 0 β©: 1
Oh--you are *so* right about that!!! So many changes going on, so quickly--so much angst--such giddy highs and valley deep lows!!! (Glad I'm done with it, I'll tell you that!!
Your daughter will be 18 in April? Just like me!
your pictures bring that back to me again, that trace of innocence in a world gone mad, that little bit of faerie magic.
Awww...you're making me all misty!
in spite of our differences, we are very much alike, wich is refreshing for me, and renews my faith in the belief that getting along is more about similarities and commonalities than about what makes us unique . . . and that is key to finding harmony. there might just be hope for the future of our planet and our species!!
The internet is the great leveler, isn't it?!
yeah . . . she's my little Taurus . .. very bullheaded! stilll, she's ma girl. and I love her bunches. when in April are you? hers is the 24th.
aww, I made you misty?? that is so sweet! don't think I do that often . . . still! {{sentimental hug}} backatchya!!
that is one reason I approve of the internet, it does allow people to reach out to each other and discover personalities and hearts without appearances or prejudices interfering. its a wonderful thing!
π: 0 β©: 1
Ah--then she's at the end of the month--I'm at the start--the third, to be exact!
And yes--you did--and thanks for the hug back!
that is one reason I approve of the internet, it does allow people to reach out to each other and discover personalities and hearts without appearances or prejudices interfering. its a wonderful thing!
AMEN!!!!! :-D
π: 0 β©: 1
ahhh. yes, April is a lovely month (in most states) to be born. it's cool, and bright, with lovely days when the world just seems to be bursting at the seams with color. Spring and Fall are my all-time faves . . . .even though I'm a summer kid myself (june 11). I'm not a fan of intense heat nor intense cold!!
I always hug back . .. I'm a hugger and a snuggle bunny. good thing my son is too!!
π: 0 β©: 1
π: 0 β©: 1
I've only ever lived in one place where the seasons were 3 months each and each one faded into the other like a Walt Whitman poem . .. Tennessee. Nashville, to be exact. lovely place. and lucky for me, I rather like a certain amount of humidity!! I loved the way each season seemed picture perfect, right down to the number of days each lasted. you could smell fall coming for 2 weeks before the leaves started turning magnificent shades. winter sort of snuck up on us, dusting the ground softly with a blanket of snow, just like a christmas card!! spring was a lovely drippy soggy mess sprinkled with gentle breezes and bursts of color and life. and summer was a stunning affair with occasional breezes with just the right hint of cool when you needed it most, stunning displays of magnolia and night blooming jasmine . .. the air was just heavy with the perfumes of dozens of flowers and fruit was literally everywhere!! the farmers markets just forced it on you to get rid of it. *sighs* I really miss that place, so covered in trees and green! I've lived in many many states and towns, but that place will always hold a special place in my heart.
π: 0 β©: 0
Very appealing. These girls would make pretty elves. Love the ghost effect.
π: 0 β©: 1
Good call!
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks. You did a marvelous job on the ear.
π: 0 β©: 1
Thank you!
π: 0 β©: 0
Fantastic. Once again you've managed to capture a beautiful classic feel to the picture.
You manage to give it the old photo feeling, but retain the sharpness & quality of a modern image.
Your models have the most amazing eyes, really captivating.
π: 0 β©: 1
Wow--thanks!
I *completely* agree with you about the girls' eyes, btw!!! Their eyes and fair skin give them an ageless quality that I never get tired of shooting... (There are lots of pretty girls out there...but many look far too modern for my purposes.)
π: 0 β©: 1
I just love the way your stuff is Romantic, in the artistic movement sense of the word, without being cheesy.
Not many people understand the subtlety of the work of that period, but you seem to capture it efortlessly. Your pictures should have a soundtrack by Brahms or Bruch or someone!
You're very lucky to able to work with such great models too!
π: 0 β©: 1
I must say--this is one of the nicer compliments I've gotten!
You probably won't be surprised to hear that when I started taking pictures...I wasn't really familiar with the work of any photographers--at least, nothing more than casually liking this photo or that one. It was my favorite painters who I was emulating--and yes, I have distinctly Romantic tastes in art. I wasn't really intending to do anything unusual--but when other new photographers see my work (those who've gone to school for it, I mean), they frequently comment on my story-telling...or how my stuff doesn't look like photography...and I've come to think it's because my influences really *haven't* been photographers--but rather, artists and illustrators.
I DO like the idea of a soundtrack accompaniment to my images--Brahms, in particular, would be lovely! And it would make it all seem so Legitimate, wouldn't it?!
And yes--I'm always grateful to have had such lovely, timeless models willing to work with me!
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts--it's incredibly affirming and helpful to me! :-D
π: 0 β©: 0
I hope people take the time to look at this in "Full View"
This is wonderful. I love the slightly over-exposed look, and the transition of the color tone from top to bottom.
and their eyes
π: 0 β©: 1
Ah...you noticed the color tone transition!!!! π: 0 β©: 0
(It IS funny what a difference the full view can make to so many images, isn't it?! I'm guilty of sometimes just rushing through without looking at the full view...but I find I miss things, when I do that... :-/)
gosh!!! This girls are really like ghosts
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks!!!
π: 0 β©: 1
π: 0 β©: 1
They are two young ladies from my church--Stephanie and Becca. I work with them as often as possible, because a) they're a joy to work with and always very professional and b) they enjoy dressing up for me and posing for me for hours on end.
π: 0 β©: 1
Oh,I think that dressing and posing for someone like you is very enjoyable!!! Becca is really beautiful,she's like a preraphaelite young madonna
π: 0 β©: 1
Well--*I* always have a good time at a shoot--laughing and joking with my models, trying to get them to relax into just the look I'm watching for...and everyone I've ever worked with has said they've had a great time...but I continue to be amazed at the professionalism and patience of these young ladies--at an age when, let's face it--patience is usually not one of your virtues!
And yes--Becca is most definitely a little beauty--with the sort of timeless look that the pre-Raphaelites were so enamoured of!
π: 0 β©: 1
This is stupendous! And thank you for the before-and-after link... the colour version is lovely, but this version conveys soooooooo much more emotion.
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks!
Yeah...and I've tried so very hard to come up with a color version that is emotionally moving...but no matter how hard I try--I just come up with two pretty girls, with beautiful skin tones... :-/
You can't win 'em all, right?!
π: 0 β©: 1
Yeah... drat that beautiful skin!
π: 0 β©: 1
LOL!!!! I asked for that!!!! :-D
π: 0 β©: 0
<= Prev |