Guy Rhodes
Post-Tribune
Senior
Columbia College Chicago
Cindy Horgash, right, of Schererville, Ind., leads a group away from the Buckley Homestead barn during the "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" performance held at the homestead in Lowell, Ind., Friday, September 24, 2004. Groups were lead on an interactive story tour around the homestead with performances at various points along the way.
This week’s image is a well thought out and well executed time exposure. Sometimes photographers use technique when it isn’t necessary but in this situation, not only did Guy Rhodes use it at the right time but he used it on the right subject matter. When given an assignment to photograph a nighttime tour, Mr. Rhodes went the extra step and put some forethought into his coverage. Rhodes took what he was given, a scenic barn, a moonlit cloudy sky and a costumed tour guide and added an off-camera strobe to illuminate a crowd of tourists parading past his camera during a 2-second exposure. The long exposure gave separation between the sky and the barn, allowed the moon and clouds to add a spooky mood and added a warm ambience from the barn windows. Rhodes also waited for the right moment to place the photo subjects against neutral backgrounds where they would not block anything of importance. In addition, the image is aided by a flashlight streak that gives movement to an otherwise static frame and fortunately ends before extending out of the right edge. Aided by the trepidation evident on the girls’ faces and the Scooby Doo inspired backdrop, this image matches perfectly with the mood of the “Legend of Spooky Hollow.” I know if I had this assignment, I would have attempted to shoot it using available light and it most likely would have sucked. I feel sorry for the Post-Tribune staffer who has to shoot this next year. Guy Rhodes effort and result has definitely raised the bar for future coverage of this event. Bravo!
