Rangefinder Magazine
February 2006

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Rf Cookbook by Jacob Rushing
illustrating the Subconcious Mind

This image, taken while studying commercial photography at Brooks Institute, is intended to represent the subconscious mind and how this other, hidden part of us constantly tries to break through to what we’ve come to know as reality. It was my goal to depict the ambiguity of the subconscious and the dreams that lurk there. I also wanted the shot to be a little dark and foreboding, and I knew I wanted the element of water to be part of the concept.

In order to create the shot, I placed the model behind a translucent sheet of plastic. I photographed somewhat close to the plastic in order to show the little imperfections in the material through which I was shooting. The image was shot on a Nikon D70 digital SLR equipped with a Nikon 24–85mm f/2.8–4 zoom lens.

The model was lit with the Profoto Pro-7b generator with two flash heads. The key light source was a bare head, modified by placing a glass vase filled with blue water between the light and the model. I chose to use the glass vase rather than just a blue gel because I wanted to achieve the effect of the refracted light. The second head served as a background light and was modified with a medium honeycomb grid and an 80A blue color-conversion gel. I made subtle changes to color and density in Photoshop.

The goal was to deliver a thought-provoking image that merges the obscure with the actual, in a manner of haunting beauty. This shot is part of a style I am constantly shaping, a style I am building my current portfolio around. Digital technology is a vital tool for me; as a photographer. My personal challenge is to find the most innovative ways to utilize it in creating strong, meaningful photographs.