The Little Boy and His Ghostly Father

Brian Moore

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This I took at The Getty Center in Los Angeles on December 31, 2011.

You can see the lad apparently transfixed by the illuminated fountains. Look a little to the left of the lad and you can see a figure leaning casually against a railing. That's a security officer I do believe. However, look between the lad and the officer and you will make out what looks like a shadow. That is the boy's father. (OK,...that's an assumption on my part to be sure, but certainly it was a fellow who was serving as the boy's guardian for that brief moment in history.)

The father did not record well on the image because this was a 30 second exposure and he was busying himself with apprehending the lad, among other custodial duties. Indeed, you can see that the wee lad is a bit vague, too. Yet he stood long enough prior to recapture to be recorded quite clearly.

Having no tripod I set the camera on the deck to make the exposure a steady one. That's why the big foreground.

I took this with my Cheap-as-chips-challenge camera--a Konica Autoreflex TC and Konica Hexanon AR 50 f1.7 lens--equipped with Ilford Delta 100 film which I developed in Rodinal 1:25 for 9 minutes.
 
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This is really nice. The security guard adds an element of intrigue to it as he almost seems to be unaware of the lad and his ghostly guardian and is more interested in the fact that you are acting in a suspicious manner placing odd objects on the ground :D

I quite like the big foreground, it gives a depth to the image.
 
Thanks Kev. You might be right aboot the security guard. I caught another one giving me the evil eye when I stopped to take another long exposure a little later. Thanks again, KEv.
 
So is this a cheap as chip entry then?
No Hamish, I don't think so. I haven't decided yet which 3 to offer up from that roll.
really interesting shot by the way, i like it!
Thanks, Hamish.
It is a bit spooky ain't it, Brodie? Funny thing,...when I took the fotie I was aware of the kid and the faither, but forgot about them totally until I saw the processed image. Then it all came back like,..."Oh aye, I remember that noo..." Thanks, Brodie!
 
What a wonderfully surreal image Brian. Not just because of the ghost / shadow but also because the long exposure and the movement of the lad has created an almost cartoon-like profile (head too big etc) and the leaning figure adds so much to the overall mystery of the shot. Certainly my favourite 'Cheap as Chips' entry so far!
 
The lad dis have a big heed don't 'e, Pete?

You and I have shared comment before about Miss Sarah Diperty. She has visited me again on this one. Thank you, Pete.
 
I think you caught Jack's son on a day out Brian!

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