Phillippe Halsman was one of the most sought after commercial photographers during the Hollywood golden era, he photographed over 100 covers for Life magazine. Helsman was also an author, I was first introduced to his work through a book he wrote himself titled The Jump Book. In his book, Helsman makes emphasis on the act of jumping in front of the camera as a means to help the model reveal hidden psychological aspects. What follows are some fragments I read in his book that got me thinking.
In a jump, the subject, in a sudden burst of energy overcomes gravity. He cannot simultaneously control his expressions, his facial and his limb muscles. The mask falls, the real self becomes visible, one has only snap it with the camera (…)While other psychological methods are lengthy and costly, the jump is rapid and economical. (…)Jumping humanity can be divided into two categories: One which tries to jump as high as possible and one which doesn’t care. The ones who don’t care, either don’t take jumping seriously or lack ambition.
With that said, what type of jumper are you?