How does D'Agata achieve this effect?

[LisaImmarco]

<p>I have been becoming interested in the work of Antoine D'Agata. I am trying to find out how he achieve effects like the one in the link I'm sharing of a man's head. I believe he is pushing his film in camera, and in processing, and often using long shutter speeds, but how does one achieve those distorted head shapes and body parts that are elongated or shaped like one would get in the reflection of a fun house mirror? Some of his photos look like body parts are missing, but it's very organic.<br>

A friend of mine says he might be using a lens baby, but I don't thins so. Here's the link (NSFW) to the photo of the man's head:</p>

<p>http://www.emahomagazine.com/2013/01/enfant-terrible-antoine-dagata/</p>

<p>Any help would be appreciated!</p>

<p> </p>

[bobatkins]

<p>Easy to do in Photoshop, but its done directly on film I'd guess it's shot through a sheet of old, distorting window glass. Maybe a cylindrical lens cones in somewhere too. Could even be done using by shooting off a distorting mirror. <a href="https://www.a3bs.com/large-fun-house-mirror-u40276,p_643_14941.html?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=gmc_feed&utm_medium=shop&gclid=COG3pJX-98kCFYIfHwod2ycI6w">Link</a></p>

[LisaImmarco]

<p>What does your gut say? Photoshop or lens?<br>

And how would you do it in Photohop? What tools would I look up? I'm teaching Photoshop to myself. 7 now, but CS 6 when I have the money, off Ebay.</p>

[Damon DAmato]

<p>The second to the last photo (captioned "Hamburg, 1999") looks like it was shot blurry/out of focus in camera, and then the head was distorted using what looks like Photoshop's Smudge Tool. In fact, it's pretty easy to duplicate the effect on other parts of the photo using that tool. <br /><br /><br /></p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>If it's done on film; there's a technique of putting film - usually large format - into hot water to the point where the gelatine emulsion starts to melt. The emulsion can then be pushed around and distorted using gloved fingers or other tools.</p>

<p>That would be my guess. But PhotoShop can do the same, so why make things difficult?</p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>Addendum to the above. The old polaroid "packet" film could be similarly distorted simply by pushing on the film/print as it was developing. Judging by the graininess of the examples, it may well be old-stock polaroid that's being used and manipulated.</p>

[LisaImmarco]

<p>Very interesting. Thank you. I wonder when the smudge tool came out because I would image that before that he used that emulsion in hot water technique.</p>

<p>He gives workshops, in fact is giving one in March of 2016, but all these Magnum teachers always say in the description that they are not going to teach you technique, but push you beyond your limits in your personal vision, etc. etc., etc. What I want to do is go up to them and how did you get that shadow there? How did you make this look like this?</p>

<p>I mean, for heaven's sake, I can always take some acid, or not sleep for 72 hours to push me beyond my personal creative limits, for free. ;)</p>

[GerrySiegel]

[i'd guess it's shot through a sheet of old, distorting window glass.]

 

When I shot film and had no fancy shmansy operating system at hand, I used to t shoot through a glass bottle of Smirnoff or Jack Daniels. After finishing off the contents of course..My MAC El Capitan offers Photo Booth. I think I like Space Alien as my real persona...I go with Bob Atkins approach even now. More creative. Better use of recycled bottles too. And Jack Daniels and soda does fine in pushing 'creative limits.'

[LisaImmarco]

<p>Addendum: I really like where he makes the beautiful women look like vampires. He definitely is working some archetypal stuff in wonderful ways.<br>

I am currently photographing a very pretty young black woman, who is not a professional model, who has almost an entire mouthful of gold teeth. So, if I understand correctly, I use a slow shutter speed, with maybe some flash fill. I would also open up the lens, as he seems to, do you agree?<br>

Then later in Photoshop, smudge in addition to possibly burning in between individual gold teeth, etc., for that look. I'm also going to develop in D76 and push to either 800 or 1200 during development. The Contax T3 must be shot at box speed unless you fiddle with it and I'm too scaired, so it will be shot at 400.<br>

If you can think of anything else, please let me know!</p>

[LisaImmarco]

<p>Gerry, that is so cool, coke bottle, huh? How the heck did you hold the camera and the coke bottle, and push the shutter, at the same time?</p>

[GerrySiegel]

[Gerry, that is so cool, coke bottle, huh? How the heck did you hold the camera and the coke bottle, and push the shutter, at the same time?]

 

For that info, Lisa, you have to sign up for my workshop on Maui. :-) Hint- Google Manfrotto Super Clamps. Third hand, no problem.

[Matthew Currie]

<p>Back around 1960 my grandmother gave me a book called "Weegee's Creative Camera," in which the legendary photographer discussed the various ways he created distortions and unusual pictures. Most were done under the enlarger, but he also used bent sheets of plastic and mirrors in front of a reflex camera, much as Bob Atkins suggests. If you do a Google search for Weegee distortion you'll find a good bit. </p>