Jump to content
Join the Unexplained Mysteries community today! It's free and setting up an account only takes a moment.
- Sign In or Create Account -

Death-defying self-portraits


Keel M.

Recommended Posts

It's an understatement to say photographer Kerry Skarbakka puts himself in perilous situations. He leaps from great heights--often a cliff or ledge--and then clicks the shutter. He photographs himself falling in a series titled The Struggle to Right Oneself. Using a clever combination of daredevil imagination, martial arts, and some rigging gear, Skarbakka captures that proverbial 'point of no return,' the space in between an action or an event, of scary mid-air suspension. The concept behind the work originated as a way for Skarbakka to deal with the loss of his mother to brain cancer and then to the events of Sept 11. "I was dealing with issues of control and the sense of loss of control...and how I could realize this project through the act of giving up control and falling, flying, dreaming and levitating."

10 Picture Gallery

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

The slip in the shower was hysterical. :w00t::lol:

Skarbakka_Shower72.jpg

That is my worst nightmare.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dang. I'll keep my feet on the ground.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aw man! The ladder one! He had to have fallen on it! :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How can he click the shutter when in those positions? Great, although a some what depressing set of pics, but i just can`t figure out how he can click, unless he has set it up to remote control? but it says he jumps then clicks the shutter, theres nothing in his hands.

If the camera is set up then his timing has to be absolutely perfect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone else think some of these shots look "shopped"? There are wireless remotes for cameras, granted, but there are several shots where clearly there is nothing in the subject's hands at all. I agree that they are interesting shots in a sort of dark way. I am just not sure if I totally buy their authenticity. But thats just me.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone else think some of these shots look "shopped"? There are wireless remotes for cameras, granted, but there are several shots where clearly there is nothing in the subject's hands at all. I agree that they are interesting shots in a sort of dark way. I am just not sure if I totally buy their authenticity. But thats just me.

Right. There are several possibilities:

- "shopped" as you mentioned.

- Wireless remote camera.

- Someone else taking the pics.

- A digital movie mode on the stand-alone camera upon which he went through the frames on a computer and chose a pic.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

From the article:

"Using a clever combination of daredevil imagination, martial arts, and some rigging gear, Skarbakka captures that proverbial 'point of no return..."

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

From the article:

"Using a clever combination of daredevil imagination, martial arts, and some rigging gear, Skarbakka captures that proverbial 'point of no return..."

I wonder if thats where the photo-manipulation comes in....to edit out evidence of the rigging gear.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I wonder if thats where the photo-manipulation comes in....to edit out evidence of the rigging gear.

Certainly possible. Good call.

Wouldn't be hard to do at all.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If there is one thing this site has taught me a lot about, it would be the reality most photos can't be taken at face value. There's usually something else going on.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think they're great. I have a feeling that he might be setting up some of the shots and getting someone else to click the shutter. I mean even with the ropes and other rigging gear you'd think there would be someone else with him anyway helping somehow, if not just only to witness that nothing goes wrong. (safety wise)

If the photoshopping is only hiding a clamp or rope, then whatever. It's not really a big deal. I mean what isn't shopped or manipulated in some form these days? Especially in competitive/commercial/art photography.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The purpose of sharing these photos were not to convince anyone that they are anything other than what they are presented as. They are art - nothing more, nothing less - and as such, certain non-essential aspects of each photograph have been removed to convey the emotion that the artist intended. I don't understand why the subject of "shopping" was even brought up as it was clearly stated in the accompanying paragraph description that harnesses were used to protect the artist from unnecessary injury. If you cannot see said harnesses, it's obvious they were removed. Art is about conveying emotions, not about trying to convince you of anything through faking photographs.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The purpose of sharing these photos were not to convince anyone that they are anything other than what they are presented as. They are art - nothing more, nothing less - and as such, certain non-essential aspects of each photograph have been removed to convey the emotion that the artist intended. I don't understand why the subject of "shopping" was even brought up as it was clearly stated in the accompanying paragraph description that harnesses were used to protect the artist from unnecessary injury. If you cannot see said harnesses, it's obvious they were removed. Art is about conveying emotions, not about trying to convince you of anything through faking photographs.

It seems apologies may be in order. My purpose in commenting on the shopping/not shopping was a discussion I was having that in my brain was focused on technique - which is a part of photography. I wasn't bemoaning the fact that the artist had used harnesses and then edited them out, I was commenting on it as part of his overall technique. Apparently I didn't do a very good job of communicating that. I think they are strikingly cool images. My thing is that whenever I see a strikingly cool image I want to know "how'd they do that?" I was discussing that aspect, mostly.

Sorry for derailing the thread. Muh bad.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.