How could they do this? After 18 years...
dcumminsusa
Shot for the UTATA Iron Photographer 23.
A lot people lost their jobs at my company last week (nearly 1,000). It wasn't a big suprise. We all knew it was coming. The question was... who specifically was going to get cut. Lots of people were happy to take the severance package, others I'm sure felt the despair I have tried to depict. I hope they all realize life will go on. They are not the first, nor will they be the last to lose their jobs.
As an editorial note, I did not lose my job. My employer actually has too few of my particular type of engineer so it is not likely that my group will be cut back (unless one of the big-wigs isn't paying attention).
The elements required for this shot:
1. Something liquid
2. A Weapon
3. Shot in a noir style
Strobist Info: Sigma EF 500 DG Super at 1/8 power zoomed to 105mm bare, triggered via Pocket Wizard Plus II hight to camera right, Nikon SB-25 at 1/64th Power through a Wescott 43" shoot-through umbrella for fill on camera left, triggered via Pocket Wizard Plus II.
Converted to Black and White using optikVerve Labs free Photoshop plug-in.
Update: I should have noted that one of my contacts blueskydesert was one of the many caught in the layoffs. She has had an extremely positive attitude during it all. I wish everyone could take a lesson from her.
The Iron Photographer Challenge
Here are the elements for IP 23:
1 - something liquid
2 - a weapon
3 - shot in a noir style
I think something liquid is pretty self explanatory. We're talking about a fluid state of matter. We don't care what the liquid is...water, whisky, watermelon juice, it's up to you. We don't care if it's in a free state or contained in something so long as we can see that it's liquid.
The second element, a weapon, is a tad trickier. A weapon can be anything that could be used to hurt somebody. A knife, a letter opener, a wrench, a garrote, a small nuclear device. Again, you get to decide.
The final element, that the photograph be shot in a noir style, is purely stylistic. You can find a dandy little wikipedia entry on film noir here. You needn't follow all the classic noir traditions...you don't have to shoot in black and white, you don't have to include a dame in seamed stockings, you don't have to include a shady guy in a big-shouldered trenchcoat, you only need to keep generally to the noir tradition.
Others By This Photographer
All photographs shown on Utata are stored on flickr. This photo and text © dcumminsusa.
The previous 4 images in the loop
The next 4 images in the loop
