I have a journal (virtual journal on my iPad – app is called paper, very cool) and in it are ideas for photos.  I keep putting them in, but this is the first one I have actually shot. I would like to say ‘no Marios were hurt in this shot’, but I can’t. I only had a couple chances to get it right before he melted away. First I tested the exposure for Mario, next I shot it with a match lit next to him to adjust for the flame. Once I had the exposure set, I drilled a hole in his fist snipped a few match heads put them in his hand and took three shots. The first one lit his ear and the side of his head on fire. The second one the head of the match was too big and the flame went out of the top of the frame. The third one I was able to get what I wanted. I would have rather his hand have been flat but this is what I had to work with.  There is no Photoshopping in this photo, simply some vignetting to make the edges darker, and some minor spot removal to cosmetically hide some burn marks. Check out the scars and one of the other shots below – notice the burning ear.

tr/trp

.6sec, f16, ISO 5000, 90mm macro, Nikon D700