Laser Illuminated Nudes
After learning that many of the special effects at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey were created using slit-scan photography, I started wondering if I could create something similar using scanning lasers.
A few early experiments showed that it was technically possible (you can see some of those in the Sketchbook), but as usual, the photographs themselves suggested a different direction. The original inspiration gradually faded into the background as the possibilities of the medium became the real subject.
These photographs are a collaboration between me, the machines, and the models. Each image is built over a five- to ten-second exposure, and neither the model nor I know exactly what the final photograph will look like until it’s over. Careful technical preparation is essential, but I always leave room for surprise. The unexpected moments of serendipity are what keep me coming back.
