How do you photograph a vampire with a DSLR.

[John 2]

One of Izzie's replies to my Bolton Abbey post got me thinking - since it's Halloween. The answer is with live view since vampires don't have a reflection in a mirror.....and there you go. Yet another advantage of using a mirrorless camera.

[MrB]

Would the resulting image be the first ever? The pictures and films of vampires that I've seen have never shown one with a DSLR.

Cheers.
Philip

[Ndukes]

I've never seen a vampire with a DSLR!

[IzzieK]

Mirrorless camera because they do not have a reflection ...good play at words...thanks for the morning laugh...just choke on my breakky. too simpleminded to think that way...

[chauncey]

'Tis not difficult at all...simply use the mathematical double negative premise.
Simply pose vampy in front of a mirror and take the shot of the mirror...voila.

Makes perfect sense to me...at three thirty in the morning.

[Ndukes]

'Tis not difficult at all...simply use the mathematical double negative premise.
Simply pose vampy in front of a mirror and take the shot of the mirror...voila.

Makes perfect sense to me...at three thirty in the morning.

Now there's something to reflect on.

[John 2]

I've never seen a vampire with a DSLR!

..............are you sure?

[dem]

The answer is with live view since vampires don't have a reflection in a mirror.....and there you go. Yet another advantage of using a mirrorless camera.

John, you must be joking. Focusing on a moving subject in low light using a mirrorless camera?! Surely that is impossible

[Mike Buckley]

Good one, John!

[jcuknz]

John, you must be joking. Focusing on a moving subject in low light using a mirrorless camera?! Surely that is impossible

This 'john' would pre-set the focus as he always does with tricky focus situations.
But then I have never seen a vampire reflected or not.
But I will be ready with my MFT and bridge cameras

[Manfred M]

Live View on a DSLR does not use the mirror in the camera, so that should work just fine.

[James G]

Interesting if somewhat esoteric thread!!!

I would suggest that it might just be impossible to photograph a vampire...(regardless of mirrors focus etc..)

Some folks believe(d)? that a photo in some way captures/steals the soul (or part of etc...) so since a vampire has no soul if they are right.... then no photo would be possible?

I've just clicked why all those idiots take selfies! They are checking they are not the undead........

[Saorsa]

Live View on a DSLR does not use the mirror in the camera, so that should work just fine.

Yes, Liveview is perfect for the undead.

[IzzieK]

I have to google "undead"... dunno what it means...

[Mike Buckley]

I have to google "undead"... dunno what it means...

You're not alone, Izzie. I saw a performance on Halloween of Dracula staged as a radio play and the program notes referred to the term, undead, several times. Its meaning was clear only from the context of the notes. Otherwise, I would have been clueless.

[John 2]

Quote: definition of undead is "technically dead but still animate" as opposed to "technically alive but inanimate" which is dead idle.

Interesting if somewhat esoteric thread!!!

................................ I've just clicked why all those idiots take selfies! They are checking they are not the undead........

James, I think the phrase you're grasping for is brain dead

[IzzieK]

James, I think the phrase you're grasping for is brain dead

Uh oh...we have two here at home who exactly fits that definition... one of whom might not be staying long in this house...

[Max von MeiselMaus]

But do we know how vampires might respond to flash? They seem fine with candlelight, but can't tolerate sunlight. Perhaps it is a wavelength thing. So, flash, having the same wavelength distribution as sunlight, might fry your sitter. You won't get any return custom or word-of-mouth recommendations from that. So, live view DSLR and pre-focused mirrorless camera with tungsten continuous lighting.

You're welcome.

[Steaphany]

** Party Pooper Techie Alert **

The idea of a vampire not having a reflection in a mirror is based on how people in the past, believed mirrors work. Lacking any understanding of Quantum Electrodynamics, it was thought that the reflection in a mirror was a soul. This then implied that any being, living or dead, which lacked a soul would also not have a reflection in a mirror.

People then failed to consider the implications that they could see everything reflected by a mirror. Animals weren't supposed to have souls, but they show up having reflections. Plants have reflections, dead things, even rocks all have reflections. It must take a monumental mind to look as such extreme evidence and not realize the soul hypothesis was, well, WRONG.

So if you can see a vampire, then so can your camera, and mirrorless or SLR, it doesn't matter, they will all work fine.

[chauncey]

It just so happens that this evening I took an image of a rather fetching vampire by the name
of Kate Beckinsale. She is a star of the "Underworld Series" of vampire movies.

In years past, Bela Lugosi held my attention...photogenic as well.