Thanks, Ana, I'm glad you like it. The cloud photo represents the dream she is having of floating. It needed something over the girl.

This is a straight, single-exposure photograph, just as you would see if you were sitting next to the camera. There are no Photoshop tricks other than the usual levels, curves, dodging, burning, etc.

I must apologize because, like some others, I have selected the wrong image to post. The original is a beautiful 8"x10" transparency, and this from a lousy scan of a 4"x5" internegative of the original slide, so it is some generations degraded. I forgot that I also shot this in b/w with my Hasselblad, but I don't remember where the negatives are. Rats.

I've always liked magic tricks and wanted to see if I could create this common magician's illusion in my studio, just for fun.

The model is a ballet dancer who is very delicately balanced on a piece of 1/8" think by 2-1/2" strip of aluminum that I bent and shaped to fit the curve of her body. She's just holding her right arm as if it were floating.

If you want to see the set and some intermediate photos, you can go here, beginning with the fifth image down:

http://www.kingdouglas.com/journal05.htm

Oh yes King, the hmmmm as for you. I thought that this was a pre-photoshop image. There is a quality to your studio work that will take a long time in learning to recreate to your satisfaction in photoshop I'm afraid. In the studio you are a master of lighting.

Hot damn! I nailed one finally. I wish I could have seen you do some of these elaborate set-ups King. We were doing a video shoot in front of the chroma key wall today that reminded me of some of your stuff. Of course, what we shot will still be heavily edited in the computer, but some of the strange lighting is reminiscent of your stuff.

Congrats to the feature!

This pic has a strong impact. First I ask me, how you did this, with photoshop? But then I read, no. Wow!

Here he goes again, congrats King!
I've seen this image previously on your website, it's one of my favorite ones.
The lighting and shadows are great on this!
Glad it made it up.

Wow. horror feeling. Love it. What's the story?`;-)

The two elements of this photo that I love the most are the wind-blown curtain and her wispy hair.
I have to agree with Ana that I find the cloud picture a bit distracting...almost achieving the opposite of your intention: it anchors this photo more to reality than to a dream-state.
I like the texture on the bottom of the wall, as well...which makes me think, what if you did a double exposure type thing (ala Jerry Uelsmann) and gently dissolve the wall above her into a subtle cloud-scape, almost imperceptible?
But, of course, I love the photo as-is, too.
(p.s., inter-negatives almost always disappoint!)

@eggplant...thanks for your comments. You said, "...what if you did a double exposure type thing (ala Jerry Uelsmann) and gently dissolve the wall above her into a subtle cloud-scape, almost imperceptible?"

Now there's a *great* idea. I will give it a shot and let you know where to see it.

Keep in mind that my primary goal with this shot, which was done just for fun, was to create a floating illusion with no camera tricks (e.g., multiple exposures) or retouching and, of course, this photo predates Photoshop. I think the floating illusioin is pretty powerful, and that was mainly was after.

Wow, this is fantastic. And made even more fantastic knowing it's a single shot and not manipulated in photoshop.