joe_rasmussen

My middle son seven years old. Was actually taken in the garage of my father-in-law's house while having a family get-together. It is particularly pleasing that the background is rather indistinct and as such is not distracting. The fairly close flash shot with just the correct exposure darkens the background. The picture was slightly cropped to make the photo look tighter. Beau's expression is totally natural and unforced. Quite pleased with it.

Taken while looking out of a Lauda Air Boeing 777 about 7PM as the

sun was setting in the West. My camera, the G2, was held very close

to the window to minimise any effect the perspex window would have

on the photo. What you see is the right wing and you can also just

make out the engine near the bottom left corner. The light and

density of the photo gives a surreal effect that is pleasing, at

least to me. The exact exposure/metering was critical, and the

instant feedback that a digital camera can give is a major factor in

getting it just right.

The correct name is actually Elsinore Castle in North Zealand,

Denmark. There are some personal aspects to this photo and its

subject, first that my sister lives only ten minutes away and also

works at a bank not seen but not far from the left of the photo.

Second, in 1963 leading up to the celebration of Shakespeare's 400th

anniversary of his birthday in 1964, the combined broadcasting

corporations, the BBC and the Danish equivalent the DR, combined to

shoot the play of Hamlet for the first time (never been done before

nor since) in the actual castle that Shakespeare had set the play.

It was broadcast in 1964 to British and Danish audiences. My late

father lwas head of the sound department of DR, known as 'Dubbing',

and hence was the sound recording engineer for this historic event.

I used to remember, when only twelwe years old, him coming home with

his portable Uher tape recorder with actual recordings that were

made from, including recordings from the Great Hall, the scene of

Hamlet's duel with his evil step-father and his susequent death by

poison. This photo was taken from a ferry coming from Helsinborg

(Sweden) across to Elsinore (Denmark) on a sunny Thurday afternoon,

August 16th, 2002, around 4PM. A poloroid filter was used to enrich

the saturation, especially of the sea and to some extent the sky.