Category: Film Noir

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Tobias M. Schiel13 Comments

LAPC #265: Black and White or Monochrome | Black and white is a preferred choice when I photograph miniature toys. It seems to add another layer of abstraction to pictures which already show abstract depictions of reality – these toys and models have to be abstract due to their size (and my building skills). I feel that the additional layer of abstraction sort of distracts from the fact that we are dealing with tiny plastic toys, but I still cannot grasp why I would think so.

As for the procedure, I firmly believe that shooting color and only creating a black and white picture in editing is not the best way to go at it. A black and white picture is not simply a ‘normal’ picture minus the color. I feel that we pay more attention to light, develop a keener eye for slight nuances as well as stark contrasts in brightness when we are not distracted by colors, and can’t rely on contrasting colors. But maybe that’s just me.

Mosquito Murder Mystery

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This picture was part of a photo challenge which was not just about the photographs but also about providing captions for other people’s work. So here are a three of my favourites:

“That’s life. Whichever way you turn, fate sticks out a foot to trip you.” (Jason Nvrmore)

“One terrifying night, Gregor Samsa woke up on the windshield of his car and realized he has changed into a large mosquito.” (Tomasz Lasek)

“Dana felt fuzzy, but knew they would need serious Photoshop skills to remove this problem.” (Tony Tulloch)

“Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean”

Tobias M. Schiel2 Comments

Noir | the last episode

Inspired by John Adams, Larry Beinhart, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Howard Hawks, Carl Hiaasen, Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Elmore Leonard, John Zorn | Headline quotes from novels by Raymond Chandler and Larry Beinhart | Thanks to all the bloggers who supported this project with their comments here and there, and at Toy Photographers | Special thanks to my wife for her patience with a husband who vanished into the dark only to reappear after hours, and for her helpful hints and questions | For the whole story, please klick the Noir link!

She

Tobias M. Schiel10 Comments

“She was nothing special. Every head in the bar did not turn, dazzled by her length of leg, flaunt of bosom or swing of butt. But to him she was everything. He emerged from anxiety like a butterfly to the sun.”

The quote is from Larry Beinhart’s, No One Rides For Free, the first of three Tony Cassella mysteries, one of my all-time favourites. The picture is part of my Noir series, though probably not part of the narrative; this is my contribution for Paula’s Thursday’s Special – this week, it’s female.

“She was the music heard faintly on the edge of sound.”

Tobias M. Schiel2 Comments

Noir | parts 4 and 5

When I posted a couple of these pictures before, they appeared in a slightly different context. Adding a new picture today obviously changes the narrative. So I feel I can live with the repetition – and I hope you don’t mind.

Tip: Clicking on the NOIR link in the header menu will take you to a page I set up to present the pictures on a darker background, which looks more ‘cinematographic’ to me. At least, it seems to highlight the scarce lights.