Woman Holding Glass

I like shooting in analog then working with the resulting photographs digitally. Later, I will use the photo to make an image transfer or an encaustic piece. For me, it is akin to rethinking the past--purposely distorting memories. 

This image was made with Fuji Instant Film in an old Polaroid 600 camera. When the model saw it, she thought she looked like one of the Living Dead from a horror movie. After working with it, though, I can see the influence of Hopper and Balthus, both of whom worked with horror in their own beautiful ways. The picture is an enigma for me now. What is the woman doing? Is she alone? The way she holds the glass is suggestive. The rigid posture and the unsmiling face provides a narrative tension without telling a story.

When I begin to photograph, I always have an idea for a series, but I am never sure how the image will turn out. This photograph, however, will surely be the beginning of a series of thematically related pictures. Story-telling without the story. I like that.

Text and photo © William Schmidt