Under the Stairs (Photo Added)

[phodru]

With Halloween approaching it has put me in the mood to get imaginative with the camera. So I created something that is a recurrent fear of mine every time I go upstairs at night-time. The thought of phantom hands grabbing at my ankles is enough to set my heart racing and sometimes my legs too.
Under the Stairs by phodru, on Flickr

Created by blending two exposures - 1 for the legs and the other for the hands.

 

[posiview]

Hi, this one has great potential but the hands of a little too blurred for me and the right hand side it's a little distracting and is a little close to the left hand side. I might try one shooting for the bottom of the stairs upwards.

Cheers.

 

[phodru]

Hi, this one has great potential but the hands of a little too blurred for me and the right hand side it's a little distracting and is a little close to the left hand side. I might try one shooting for the bottom of the stairs upwards.

Cheers.

With the blurred hands I was attempting to make them less human and more phantom like without having to use fake props. The composition could probably be better, I agree.
Thanks for your comment, Andy.

 

[posiview]

With the blurred hands I was attempting to make them less human and more phantom like without having to use fake props. The composition could probably be better, I agree.
Thanks for your comment, Andy.

No worries. I love it when people try different things.

If you do any more I'll keep an eye out.

Cheers.

 

[Snooky]

I like this. Can see what your trying to create, did you try it without the blur effect? Just an arm reaching through?

 

[phodru]

I like this. Can see what your trying to create, did you try it without the blur effect? Just an arm reaching through?

Glad you like. I went for a ghostly effect with the blurred hands as I thought anything less would detract from what I was attempting to achieve.

 

[SarahLee]

Love the concept of this and really hoping that we get to see more

Have to agree with the comments about the blur though.
I think you may have been more successful with the ghostly / phantom feel by keeping the hands sharp but lowering the opacity of that layer to make them translucent rather than going with the blur.

Still really like it though and would genuinely look out for a second take on this.

 

[phodru]

Love the concept of this and really hoping that we get to see more

Have to agree with the comments about the blur though.
I think you may have been more successful with the ghostly / phantom feel by keeping the hands sharp but lowering the opacity of that layer to make them translucent rather than going with the blur.

Still really like it though and would genuinely look out for a second take on this.

Sarah, I never thought about lowering the opacity of a static hand layer. That and a composition in portrait orientation is definitely in mind for the near future.
Does anyone have any ideas on processing the image for a more spookier feel other than the B&W conversion that I did?

 

[phodru]

Okay. So I've reshot in portrait orientation with non-blurred hands and the opacity reduced.
The first attempt is still working much better for me. I have to say though that quite probably the composition of both could be improved upon.
Untitled by phodru, on Flickr

 

[posiview]

Much better, but I will crop out the lower step to add more focus on the feet and hands. I Might also see what a slight vignette looks like.

I preferred the hands blurred as opposed to reduced opacity as the hands look a little static in latest photograph.

Cheers.

 

[Bobsyeruncle]

Great idea. I think if the hands from the second were in the first, it would be much better. I like the composition of the first one better.

 

[Snooky]

I like the second shot more! I'm no expert in processing pictures by miles, have you tried a hdr filter over top then converted into b/w! Might pick up the roughness in carpet,grains in the wood and wallpaper!
Silent hill kind of remake it reminds me off!