Photo work that has to survive a close-up — actors placed into archive photography, head and body swaps, retouching, and collage.
Camille Christopoulos, online — Bull, CBS
A social media presence built for a character who does not have one. Every friend in the sidebar, every tagged face and every red-carpet upload is a separate composite, and the platform furniture around them has to read as a real site at a glance without being one.
The profile pageCamille Krone Events & PR. Fourteen friends with faces, a wall of comments, a sidebar of promoted events — all of it invented, down to the timestamps.The photo album1,265 friends, 835 photos, 2,089 likes. The counts have to be plausible for the character before anyone reads a word of it.
H.B.O. — Vinyl
The show needed its lead to have a past in the music business, which meant putting him inside photographs taken decades before he was cast. Each one is a different film stock, a different light source and a different set of edges. The archival originals are shown beside the finished frames.
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Chuck Berry, circa 1958Bobby Cannavale placed into a photograph of Chuck Berry with his Gibson hollowbody. Photo by Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images.
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Chuck Berry, circa 1975A second Berry portrait, seventeen years later and a different grain entirely. Photo by Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images.
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Roy OrbisonBackstage, with the wallpaper doing most of the work. Photo by Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images.
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Jimi Hendrix, 1967With Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell. Three faces already in frame, and room made for a fourth.
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Elton JohnStage lighting is the hardest thing to match. Nothing is flat.
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Bob DylanThe smallest source file in the set, which meant matching grain rather than detail.
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On televisionA period broadcast frame, rebuilt around a new performer.
NBC
Head swaps, body swaps and one dictator, made as props and inserts for comedy. Most of these are on screen for a second or two, which is exactly how long they have to survive.
Gisele and Tom BradyThe glamorous couple gets photobombed on the red carpet by Kim Jong-il, played by Margaret Cho. I was delighted to make these.Three’s a CrowdKim Jong-il snuggles up to Tom Brady as he poses for the paparazzi with Gisele.Very FunnyRabbit ears go up behind Gisele’s head as she strikes an elegant pose.Hi ThereIn the story, Kim Jong-il photoshopped himself waving at the camera, standing in front of Tom Brady and Gisele.Reagan on an eagleOne of my favourite photoshops to do. It is absolutely everything I love about American political comedy.Jack and ArnoldIt is very rare for an artist to get paid to manipulate photographs of this many famous political figures for fun. I am just lucky, I guess.Jack and the QueenI won’t lie, I miss Liz. It was fun jamming Jack Donaghy in there to be “photographed” with Her Majesty.Jack and SarahMr Donaghy always manages to be where the political action is.Jack and SanfordI love imagining what Jack is whispering into the ear of the weeping philandering politician beside him.Central Park RomanceJenna Maroney found her freak, they are madly in love, and this is how they show it.FrumplesA fictional children’s entertainer played by 30 Rock writer Tami Sagher. It was so much fun doing the photo shoot with Tami for these posters.Surrounded by SoftnessTami sings with all of her furry friends.Live ShowThese posters were printed and hung in the real Radio City Music Hall entrance, for the scene to be shot on location.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt · Netflix
A single composite, made as a prop photograph.
Kimmy and Mr. T
Tony Danza
A run of head composites built up into a finished poster.
Composite posterThe finished prop, assembled from the head swaps beside it.Cowboy TonyI really want to see this show.1980s TonyNot too far from the real thing.Nerd TonyThe propeller hat: iconic accessory of ultra-nerds everywhere.Captain TonyWith his corn cob pipe, because a corny Tony is what the writers were going for.
Personal collages
Photo collage made for nobody but me. Some are built from dozens of separate sources; the largest runs to thirteen thousand pixels across.
Morior InvictusThe Waiting Room In The AsylumThe Yellow WallpaperSleeping In EdenThe EarthlingsFire and IceLet It SnowThe River and The SeaLovers’ LeapBathtimeDancing in FijiFire Goddess of FijiStorm Watching on FijiTiptoe Through the TulipsThe ResistanceThe Courtship of Emily M.Meanwhile, the Roses BloomedMother of BirdsMiss Monday
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