Dead Rest Gear

I know there is a guy selling $1000 Headrests in traditional wet plate studio style

Since the rest should not be visible in the image, I don't care about historical reenactment gear

So I made one from a NEW Made in USA Boot Jack from Amazon and this was the cheapest available

The RAM Mounts are also made in USA and I already had them

The strobe is Made in USA, as is the chair, the C Stand IDK...The V Flat is USA & DIY

My headshot is just a test, NOT WP



https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...332195e2_b.jpgDead Rest 1 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c1682b38_b.jpgRead Rest 4 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6c5c10a8_b.jpgDead Rest 2 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...33e92f0b_b.jpgDead Rest TEST 1 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

Good to know the dead can rest.

When I had a wet plate portrait taken, I found the harder I tried to be still, the more shake there was. My boys were good for up to 2 minutes -- but they were in the landscape and stock-still poses were not required.

Actually i was in a group, 'we will sleep when we are dead'

The Dead Rest was a typo, that i liked so much I kept it

The Victorian images of the dead, were popular and they never moved

Looks good.


Kent in SD

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tin Can

Actually i was in a group, 'we will sleep when we are dead'

The Dead Rest was a typo, that i liked so much I kept it

The Victorian images of the dead, were popular and they never moved

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In the 60s I photographed several dead people for memorial plaques on their gravestones. Seemed to be some religious thing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bob Salomon

In the 60s I photographed several dead people for memorial plaques on their gravestones. Seemed to be some religious thing.

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The first professionals I assisted were Damien Waring and his lovely wife, Lurline. Damien got his start assisting London Bond St. photographers after WWII and told me about those head rests that were still used well into the film era. With the view camera, I have often used a tennis ball on an arm off a weighted stand placed between the shoulder blades of a standing subject to keep them in focus. If properly posed, the subjects head will be balanced and not bobble around. As long as they keep that tennis ball in the sweet spot, they will not drift out of focus. Much more comfortable than something which grips the neck.

Damien also got his first good-paying jobs doing funeral photography in Germany, often one of the best and only opportunities for group photos of well-dressed extended family members, friends and business associates.

I set mine to touch the 2 bottom edges of the skull

Not the neck