About the Photo - Face of Suicide

I took this photograph about 3 years or so ago. I call this one, "Face of Suicide". I do not remember the model's name per say, but I do remember that we were just driving in Kendall looking for a "cool spot" to shoot at. Ahh, back in the day, I just winged it. A model and I would hop into a car, and just drive around unknown locations in hopes of finding something neat. Now I plan too much...perhaps it's time I go back to my original style of shooting.
Anyways, the model and I found a neat looking building that appeared to be abandoned. This was in the Kendall area. It seemed that the house was not maintained at all. The grass was taller than we were! It was kinda spooky really. It was odd that we found planks of wood and construction equipment lying around, collecting dust. Saws were rusty, a sanding machine with dusty sand paper everywhere...but what we found inside was neat! We found a very old piano, dusty and keys missing. We found a pinball machine, and we found slides of photographs everywhere. The photographs depicted a family. Interesting I said to myself.
While looking around this house, the skies turned dark and it began to rain. Thunder soon followed. I confessed to the model, "Fuck, I'm scared as shit but lets shoot!!!". She was scared too and we continued with our shoot. (The photograph in the background of my website was also taken during this shoot.)
While shooting I came upon this room. I felt something eerie and creepy about this room. I felt like there was a GIANT SMILE in the room and I could not help but envision a floating image in this room. A ghost of sorts, or something. What would it say? I asked myself. "Kill yourself".
I'm creeped out just writing this lol. Anyways, I had a vision and I wanted to capture it! All in the name of photography right!!! With goosebumps I yell at the model to come over to where I was standing (she was also looking around the abandoned house). I showed her the room, and I told her my vision. I walked to the middle of the room (goosebumps alerting me of something) and I grabbed a stool that was near by. I placed the stool in the center of the room and I told the model to stand on it and show NO expressions whatsoever. She did it (I LOVE brave models). I took the shot and this is what I got!
I proceeded to edit the photo.
Some people see a girl being hung, but that was not the vision I was looking for. Those wires were just a coincidence. The original intent was to make her appear as if she was floating. Regardless, whatever someone see's can still be pretty powerful. An unintended result, but one that I too welcome.
Meaning behind the photograph:
The meaning behind this photo is to visually describe the innermost thoughts some people who undergo depression may sometimes experience.
Location:
This shot was taken in South Kendall.
Equipment:
Canon 40D
Tripod
Editing:
Heavy editing was done to this photograph. While editing I noticed that the model's face was WAY too underexposed. You could barely make out her face. What to so? MAKE IT EVEN MORE CREEPY! I darkened out her face completely and drew a sinister looking face. I remember using red and white paintbrush with different opacity settings. It took me about a week to make this face. I have a weak stomach for scary things (as I write this at 2:18am, Elena walks into my office and scares the heck out of me!!). Anyways, I have a weak stomach for scary things, so this was one of the more difficult edits Ive ever done.
The model stood on a stool, which I then removed in photoshop.
Noteworthy:
- On some sites, like MM, this photo was labeled as "X-Rated". I suppose a mod on that site got the hebejebes.
- On MM, this is my most "Favorited" photograph with over 144 comments, 69 lists, and about 4.5k views.
- Was offered $1,600 to sell the full rights to this photograph but I declined.





