How Did They Do That?! Episode 3

It takes a lot to create a great photo, and sometimes the process seems like a mystery to the casual observer. In each episode of How Did They Do That?!, I interview a photographer about the creative process behind one of his or her recent popular photos. This time, I talk to *gnato about what went into creating j+.



Can you tell me some of the technical details about this photo?

I was using a Nikon D70 with the kit lens at 18mm. Lighting came from a SB600 wireless flash reflected from the back of an old armoire. Exposure time was about 1/250s. I processed the photo with the Photoshop RAW plugin, converted it to black and white, and nothing more.

What are you trying to say with this photo?

It was a part of my i. series, which deals with information. It should make people think the role that information plays in their lives.

What kind of preparation went into making this photo?

At first I needed to buy a lot of old Soviet newspapers. The cost for this part was around 5 Ukrainian gryvnja. That's about $1 for 3kg of newspapers. Then I found two friends. One who had the flat in which I made this photo, and the other one who helped me with sticking all the papers on the wall. Then there were some spontaneous ideas, and here you can see the result.

Did you have any problems or challenges with the shoot?

There was just a small problem wih the wide angle because the head is cropped... but I think it's not bad at all.



Some people write more than others, but all great photographers let their photos do the talking for them. I love conceptual images like this because they hand you so much visual information, yet they leave so much to the viewer's interpretation.

Thanks *gnato for sharing some insight into your creative process. Until next time, ^superkev out!