Fairy Tale

Digital Photography Studio

ou can't just walk outside and snap a picture of a fairy," says Andrea Kohler. "You need imagination to create one."

Kohler, along with digital photography students Katherine Turner, Stacy Olenoski, and Susanne Mugford, shot a photo series featuring Kohler as a fairy "with curls in my hair, gauzy wings, some glittery make-up, and a little bit of sparkle," she says. A detail from one of those images appears on the cover of this magazine.

Inspired by photographer Julia Margaret Cameron's angels and fairies, Kohler tried to create similar "lyrical" effects with her choices of materials, lighting, and color.

Her team used a Megavision Digital View camera, which captures three separate color shots — cyan, magenta, and yellow — with a five second interval between each, then combines them to create the final image. "So if I made the slightest movement between shots," explains Kohler, "you could see the individual color where the movement occurred.

"We liked the effect of the smears of color created by motion, so we moved the fairy wings and redraped the chiffon while the lens was open." The photographers also waved lace and chiffon scarves in front of the lens, creating a misty or filmy softness, adds Kohler.

The fairy series is unique, because the photographs were not digitally enhanced. "We wanted to create effects while taking the picture instead of afterwards," says Kohler, "so we let the creativity flow."

— Alison Balmat

Andrea Kohler received a B.S. in photography and graphic design in May 2000 from the College of Arts and Architecture. She collaborated with Digital Photography students Katherine Turner, Stacy Olenoski, and Susanne Mugford. Their project adviser was Gerald Lang, professor of photography, College of Arts and Architecture, 210 Patterson Bldg., University Park, PA 16802; 814-865-0444; gxl7@psu.edu. The Digital Photography Studio is supported by Apple Computer, Calumet Photographic, Eastman Kodak, Megavision, M&T Bank, Joe and Sue Paterno, Photographic Supply, and the Rockwell Foundation.