Perilous Predicaments

Perilous Predicament


Sinister little bugger isn't he. I tried to tell the boy that we could shoot her some where else and edit her into the machine in photoshop. But nooooo, he insisted on stuffing her in there. And yes, she really was............very clean after words.

Really, there is no good way to mimmick that in photoshop. The only way to make it look real, is to really do it. So as my entire family got together at my parents house last sunday, while everyone was inside I sneakily shot this without them knowing. Well, my dad and his dog were there behind me, because he fully encourages all my deliquent activities, really he does. He thought it was funny.

I was actually nervous, yes even me, right before I shut her in there. But soon as I starting snapping photos, I felt fine. There was enough room so she could sit upright and even turn around. I thought she would feel like a stuffed sardine in there, but she had room to frollic around...Riiight. And she was only in there for less than 30 seconds. I shot a dozen pictures really quick, some with a flash, some without, in quick succession in hopes of capturing that one money shot. Really though, i wanted her to laugh. I wanted her to just bust up giggling. High hopes I know. I thuroughly enjoy when the kids cry when there is no pain or imminent danger, just like the next guy does. But I will admit, I feel a bit unnerved as I stare at this image as the background on my screen. At first I laugh, and congratulate my sinister creativity. But after that passes, I cringe. I don't like to see her screaming inside a washing machine, i really don't. You may not believe that, but it bothers me. Perhaps that's why I shot it too.

I would rather have her smiling in the final image. The shoot I did with Mr Pants soaking in the knife infested kitchen sink, he cried through most of that shoot. In fact, nearly all of the 30 pictures I took of him were of him screaming bloody murder. I nearly used one of him crying, because for a moment I thought it would just look really cool as a framed print on my wall. But the more I looked at it, just as this new washing machine one, the more I didn't want to see him screaming in a photo on my wall every day. So I went with one of the only shots of him smiling. And I wanted the same thing for this new shot too. If a took a few minutes to do some blow fish against the glass, or bonked myself on the head, I may have been able to get her to laugh, at least for a fleeting moment. But I just couldn't leave her in there for that long. was a paradox. To leave her in there for several minutes, in hopes of getting her to laugh for a few seconds, or do it super fast to get a couple shots and use whatever I ended up getting. Went with the latter. Should have stuck it out and made her laugh though....

And yes, the wife knew i was going to do this. She was okay....no no, she accpeted it. But I didn't tell her when i would do it. Didn't want her sitting at work knowing he daughter was stuffed in there. She can think about it after the fact.


I shot this one 10 months ago, and finally got around to editing it. I made it subtle on purpose. At first glance, it's merely a young lad cruising the tracks, but at second glance, there is a very perilous predicament transpiring. Wouldn't you say?