Ghost at the mansion.

[reval8r]

I was working with a model last night for some head and shoulders glamour shots. She had this dress from her great grandmother and wanted to do something with a feel from the movie Carrie. I thought the dress would make her a great ghost, so we went out on to the grounds of the mansion where we were shooting and tried to make her look like a ghost. Here a couple that came out of the camera and still need some post work to clean them up.

http://www.astonishingportraits.com/picts/EricaR%20Preview%20005.jpg

http://www.astonishingportraits.com/picts/EricaR%20Preview%20006.jpg

And one as Carrie.

http://www.astonishingportraits.com/picts/EricaR%20Preview%20004.jpg

[venturachristina]

she's too pretty to be carrie, but these are great. how did you do the ghost effect

[reval8r]

The effect is by using a long shutter and a flash. The shutter was held open in the bulb mode for 6 seconds and strobe was 45 degrees to her right. Exposure was set for the strobe. These are out of camera with no post.

[jerryph]

Very cool! The last one would have been a little better if she took 2 steps to her left (camera right), and faded a little more. This is an interesting effect that I would know how to do, but never tried.

Basically, using a camera on a tripod, one takes 2 pictures at the exact same position. One without the "ghost" and one with. You create a 2nd layer with the ghost in it and reduce the opacity. Using slower shutter speeds creates some image blur which adds interest.

An example from a recent acquaintance of mine:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3021/2759901322_d5c47f4123.jpg

A small hint that adds a lot to the effect is the varying amounts of opacity on different body parts. The dress is less opaque and the other body parts can appear more opaque. Making the pictures in sepia, purposefully slightly blurry and adding noise also adds to the effect of age.

[LensBaby]

WOW this is great. I have been wanting to take a photo like that at a graveyard for a project. This photo is awesome. Tell whoever that is that took that ..that I love it! Very cool.

[jerryph]

She is a very talanted gal from our Montreal Strobist group... I promise to tell her at the next meet we are both at.

[SweetBride202]

Great shots! Your ghost is pretty.

[dkippen]

Larry - when I went on a photo field trip last year, we tried a shot like this. We set our shutters to 30sec, then as someone walked by, the instructor popped a flash on the person walking by. Very cool effects. I like the first one better - the light flare on the second one is distracting.