legacyaward photos on Flickr

Join us at the Legacy Awards in Hollywood on Thursday October 20, Directors Guild of America, Hollywood. We'll be honoring Adam, Lifetime, and discussing the amazing and important work of the Outfest Legacy Project for LGBT Film preservation.

For tickets:

www.outfest.org/tla11/

Frances with Pram, South Porch by Millard Sheets Center for the Arts at Fairplex

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Christopher Schneberger

Three photos by Christopher Schneberger in this year’s photo competition—Frances Descending the Front Stairs; Frances with Pram, South Porch; and Franny and George Waltzing are part of a larger project entitled "A Case of Levitation" that documents the fictional story of Frances Naylor, who had her legs amputated as a young girl and, after experiencing powerful dreams of walking, wakes up one day to discover she can levitate.

Schneberger had the idea of combining his interest in the supernatural with the technique of stereo photography, which takes two slightly offset pictures of an object to produce a three-dimensional image when viewed with a stereo viewer. (Although the photos in the exhibit appear individually, they were all captured using a stereoscopic camera.)

Schneberger began a series called "Communing with Spirits" and later discovered that ghosts had actually been a popular theme in the stereo photographs of the late 1800s. Early photographs had unintentionally captured faint, “ghostlike” images of people or moving carriages that had passed in front of the camera during a long exposure. Stereo photographers capitalized on this technique to create "spirit" images. Viewed in 3-D, the spirits seemed to emerge from the picture.

Schneberger is a proponent of stereo photography and has had his work featured at annual conferences of the National Stereoscopic Association. Stereo photographs often told stories through a sequence of photos and had the effect of placing the viewer in the realm of the image—features well-suited to Schneberger’s narrative style.

Schneberger is a storyteller at heart, and whether they stand alone or in a series, his images always suggest a hidden tale. Many of his pieces are based on existing legends, while others are Schneberger’s inventions, often inspired by a person or location. Schneberger carefully constructs his alternate realities, using his choice of cast, costumes, props, set pieces and location to create an air of authenticity. “The hardest part is finding a levitating model,” he jokes. As he works, Schneberger gets a sense of his characters and their story and writes detailed narratives to accompany projects.

Another series, "The Strange Case of Dr. Addison and the Crosswell Twins," was made into a seemingly biographical gallery installation, complete with period furniture, antique stereo viewers, and typewritten “diary” entries from Dr. Addison. (Friends knew that the project was a creative endeavor, but some visitors were upset when they learned it was a fabrication. Another remarked: “Oh, they debunked that one years ago.”) Schneberger’s projects usually involve some written claim of authenticity to add to the realism of the story. Schneberger says it is not his intention to fool people but rather to entertain them and present them with something that allows them to suspend their disbelief.

In addition to the unique experience they offer the viewer, Schneberger’s photographs are a reminder of the power of photography. Deceptively “objective,” photographs have the ability to influence our beliefs and stir strong emotions. Photo manipulation may now be commonplace, but it is nearly as old as the medium itself. It is important to remember that photography remains an artistic medium—an interpretation of reality, not a duplication of it. In spite of our awareness of this, the fact of our credulity suggests a desire on our part, willful or otherwise, to believe in the vision of the artist.

Schneberger received his MFA from Indiana University and currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. Read the full story of Frances Naylor at www.christopherschneberger.com

2014-5-23 Yo-Yo Ma Legacy Award (141) by Saint Vincent College

2014-5-23 Yo-Yo Ma Legacy Award (173) by Saint Vincent College

2014-5-23 Yo-Yo Ma Legacy Award (285) by Saint Vincent College

2014-5-23 Yo-Yo Ma Legacy Award (112) by Saint Vincent College

2014-5-23 Yo-Yo Ma Legacy Award (131) by Saint Vincent College

2014-5-23 Yo-Yo Ma Recital (179) by Saint Vincent College

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Franny and George Waltzing by Millard Sheets Center for the Arts at Fairplex

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