No, this isn’t a homicide. Just some fellow who encased his head in plastic wrap.
Every photographer should study the life work of Arthur Fellig. Better known by his self-appointed nickname, Weegee (see Figure 1), or, more accurately, Weegee the Famous, Fellig captured the raw emotional foibles that predominate our society. From gangland murders to distorted portraits of celebrities, Weegee photographed it all, remarkably, in 4-x5-inch shocking detail.
Figure 1. Weegee with movie camera and Lufthansa bag, circa 1960. The inscription reads: “To Wilma, long live the queen, Weegee, England.” Photograph courtesy of Caroline Marmon Fesler Fund, Gift of the Alliance of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Roger G. Wolcott Fund, Nancy Foxwell Neuberger Acquisition Endowment Fund, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore P. Van Vorhees Art Fund, Cecil F. Head Art Fund, James V. Sweetser Fund.
The International Center for Photography in New York City houses an excellent collection of Weegee’s work. In this impressive oeuvre, we see both the scandalous and the sensational life that walked the streets of New York City during the 1930s and 1940s. Illuminated with a single flash bulb and captured in extraordinarily large-format detail, we see life in an unprecedented clarity that transforms the viewer into a voyeur.
While it’s impossible to relive Weegee’s world, we can update his equipment and begin recording today’s life. First, a more modern camera system is needed. Thankfully, those great folks at Lomography have just the ticket for this contemporary crime drama: the Lomo’Instant Wide Camera Black Edition is ideal for capturing life without needing a darkroom.
Using Fujifilm Instax wide-format film packs gives you the closest thing to an instant 4×5 print experience without lugging a darkroom around. You can locate your own copy of this camera here.
The retail price is $170, although sales occasionally reduce that price to $135.20. Unfortunately, there is one tiny problem with this camera setup – the Lomo’Instant built-in flash ain’t gonna cut it. Ideally, a vintage “potato masher” electronic flash, like the legendary Metz Mecablitz 45 CT-4, is a must-have accessory (see Figure 2). On today’s used market, you can find this flash in “excellent” condition priced between $80 – $200.
NOTE: In its most basic power configuration, the Metz 45 will require 6 AA-size batteries.
Figure 2. This modern Weegee camera setup is perfect for capturing instant nightlife.
Once you’ve attached the flash to the camera, all that remains to do is load the camera with an Instax film pack, load batteries in the Metz flash, plug the flash sync cord into the camera, and you’re armed and dangerous. Just remember that when using your Weegee camera – firing the Metz flash can blind the dead, and the noisy Lomo’Instant motor “whrrring” to eject the film can wake the dead–both of these “features” will make you larger than life. Whether you’ll become “famous” or not is up to you (see Figure 3).
Figure 3. Remarkably, no was injured in this accident.
