2600 Photo Shoot

[hallopino]

A while back I mentioned I used the Atari 2600 in a photo shoot, and was asked to post an image. I got swept up in work stuff, so I didn't get to posting right away. I finally got some downtime where I can share. Nothing too exciting but here goes.

 

Atari 2600 Photo Shoot

[kain_kusanagi]

Cool stuff. I liked the spilled popcorn, it sells the gamer lifestyle. Pretty girl, is she your sister? What were the pictures for?

 

BTW, the 2600 isn't plugged into the TV or the power. I've noticed this is very common with a lot of video game promo shoots. I know it's just a prop and all, so I'm not saying it's bad or anything. The worst I've seen was a picture used for a Video Game College with a guy holding a gamepad backwards. Not upside down, backwards. As in joysticks toward the TV.

[Chris Leach]

There was a classic episode of Threes Company where Jack was torn between some dilemna with the woman and there were shots of this Atari 2600 hooked up in the living room to the tv, point is.....? There were no cords.....LOL!!!

 

I think they even played it in the same episode with real sounds and everything....Pac-Man was played if I recall?

 

"Where is the Game?" "Controllers store so nice on top of the system!"

[Hitachi]

cool pics.

 

i only have one criticism.

 

In the second picture.

She's holding the joystick wrong. the button is towars her.. At least i don't play like that...

[hallopino]

The image was pretty much just for fun. I was doing a bunch of stock photos for general use in magazines, new sites, etc on that day with that model and we added this one at the end of the night for kicks.

 

I was short on cords. I really didn't look into the box when I took it before the shoot. I just had the power cord that runs of the bottom of the frame.

 

I'm trying to remember why the joy stick is backwards. Or at least have a witty answer. I want to say it was an artistic choice, but I'm thinking it's more because that was the image were she had the best facial expression and was holding it in a way that we could see it was a joy stick.

[Atarian7]

There was a classic episode of Threes Company where Jack was torn between some dilemna with the woman and there were shots of this Atari 2600 hooked up in the living room to the tv, point is.....? There were no cords.....LOL!!!

 

I think they even played it in the same episode with real sounds and everything....Pac-Man was played if I recall?

 

"Where is the Game?" "Controllers store so nice on top of the system!"

 

 

I think they were playing football. Jack made some comment about how you couldn't possibly

kick a field goal that long. (I forget how long it was.)

[kain_kusanagi]

The image was pretty much just for fun. I was doing a bunch of stock photos for general use in magazines, new sites, etc on that day with that model and we added this one at the end of the night for kicks.

 

I was short on cords. I really didn't look into the box when I took it before the shoot. I just had the power cord that runs of the bottom of the frame.

 

I'm trying to remember why the joy stick is backwards. Or at least have a witty answer. I want to say it was an artistic choice, but I'm thinking it's more because that was the image were she had the best facial expression and was holding it in a way that we could see it was a joy stick.

 

It's the subject that matters. The girl is pretty, well framed, and expertly lit. She's full of energy and the photo conveys all the fun of classic gaming. The only people that would notice the cords and joystick errors are hardcore gamers like those of us on atariage. Like I said before, great stuff.

[hallopino]

Thanks guys. I'm glad you like.

[tetrode kink]

Hey, nice photos.

 

Just to contribute to the Atari nerd factor:

 

Another problem is how she's holding the sticks. She's got such a delicate grip that she'd never get anywhere actually playing a game. Those sticks need to be handled! But then, some girls are timid when handling sticks...

[TheLunarFox]

 

Another problem is how she's holding the sticks. She's got such a delicate grip that she'd never get anywhere actually playing a game. Those sticks need to be handled! But then, some girls are timid when handling sticks...

 

Being a nerd girl, I couldn't help thinking, "Man, that's a girl who's never properly held a joystick." But that was nerd girl + perv combo there.

 

 

But other than that, I really liked that first picture. The colors and the way the games are stacked, plus the detail of the popcorn. Everything draws the attention back to the girl. It's a fun picture and well done.

[+Random Terrain]

The only people that would notice the cords and joystick errors are hardcore gamers like those of us on AtariAge.

You only need to play one game for 10 seconds to know which way to hold the controller. You don't have to be a 'hardcore' gamer, whatever that is (must be a guy who plays in the nude with the joystick up his stinker).

 

I've seen all kinds of photos/TV shows/movies that show people using various products in the wrong way. You could instantly see that things were being held/used improperly without being an expert. You just have to be alive on planet Earth. It makes me wonder if most photographers and directors are really aliens from another planet or dimension. It's the only thing that makes sense. Nobody from this planet could be so clueless and ignorant. It's not possible.

 

 

Assistant: "Sir, she's holding the joystick the wrong way and it's not even plugged into the Atari."

 

Director: "I am not concerned with trivialities, you puny human! The only thing I care about is corrupting Earthlings so my kind can feed on their negative emotions. Now look what you've done! Her nipples are hibernating! Bring in the nipple fluffer!"

Edited September 15, 2010 by Random Terrain

[Rom Hunter]

Not the way to hold a CX-40, but excellent pictures!

 

[hallopino]

 

I've seen all kinds of photos/TV shows/movies that show people using various products in the wrong way. You could instantly see that things were being held/used improperly without being an expert. You just have to be alive on planet Earth. It makes me wonder if most photographers and directors are really aliens from another planet or dimension. It's the only thing that makes sense. Nobody from this planet could be so clueless and ignorant. It's not possible.

 

 

I gotta say as far as people holding things wrong in general, it's been an ongoing frustrating and intriguing thing.

 

Sometimes you get a model that seriously doesn't know how to hold something. It's like they forgot basic motor functions. I had a guy come in as a warrior and then held the sword wrong. I didn't know you could hold a sword wrong, but he did it. It was some baffling awkward way that I can't even begin to describe or mimic. I think I spent 30 mins trying to teach him how to hold a sword, he somehow had never seen a movie with a sword fight, or pretended to have a sword fight with sticks as a kid. It was very disheartening. Even though he got better after a while, it still looked like he had no idea what he was doing. So sometimes even if you correct them, they don't get it. And sometimes they hold it wrong and you are so focused on the lights that you completely miss it until you are editing photos.

 

Then I have a few where neither photographer or the model knew the correct way of holding an item. We did a shoot with an accordion and learned only weeks later after the photo was displayed and sold for use that the accordion was upside down. Most people never catch it and we still sell prints of it for stock use. I'm also sure there are countless costume piece that have been worn wrong, and I've had the costumer point it out to me once she sees the images.

 

Then you have the artistic edit. You know it's wrong, but it looks better wrong then it does right. Best example of this is that top image. Yes, she could of gripped it tighter like she was intensely playing, but you wouldn't be able to see the controller. So you need to find a way of holding it where you can see the item and it doesn't look completely insanely wrong. It's a tricky line. Cords go into this area as well. Cords are ugly and distracting to most audiences, so do you leave them in for realism, or do you take them out for a sharper, cleaner image.

[TheLunarFox]

 

Sometimes you get a model that seriously doesn't know how to hold something. It's like they forgot basic motor functions.

 

So it's not the photographer or directors we have to worry about, but the models who are probably the aliens. Good to know!

 

Also, how in the world do you hold a sword wrong? Wow that brings up all sorts of funny images. "No no, the pointy end points out." "But that's dangerous. I could poke somebody's eye out!"

[Pioneer4x4]

I personally cannot get past things in ads or movies or TV that are just bad "directing" or continuity. The no cables, and holding controls wrong is up there on my list. Other than that, everything else is OK.

I remember when I worked at Rockwell, they were making a flyer with pictures of the facility I worked at. They hired actors to pose at the equipmentas employees, they looked like idiots (with nice teeth & hair). You know the typical crap pose holding a clipboard... Plus they can make up whatever diverse arrangement they want, even though our department was mainly women.

[tremoloman2006]

Nice photos... I love the T-Shirt you are wearing (if you couldn't tell by my avatar)

[hallopino]

I remember when I worked at Rockwell, they were making a flyer with pictures of the facility I worked at. They hired actors to pose at the equipmentas employees, they looked like idiots (with nice teeth & hair). You know the typical crap pose holding a clipboard... Plus they can make up whatever diverse arrangement they want, even though our department was mainly women.

 

I know the feeling. We are having the same problem with our work. Making advertisements and been looking for photos of contractors. Except all the photos we are finding are really super happy handsome guys flashing big smiles at the camera. Everyone can see how badly fake they all look. so, we've been shooting new ones ourselves on the rule of no smiling.

 

Random note: Not sure if it's the same company, but my dad used to work for Rockwell in the 80's. I still have one of those block note pads from them on my desk at home.

[Pioneer4x4]

Random note: Not sure if it's the same company, but my dad used to work for Rockwell in the 80's. I still have one of those block note pads from them on my desk at home.

I have cool coffee mugs of the Space Shuttle & B1B Bomber. The funny part is, I worked at the "Measurement and Flow Control" Division. Sounds hi-tech for a space age aerospace company, actually it was the Water Meter factory in Uniontown, PA. I worked for the electronics department which was mainly small parts (electro mechanical) assembly, and inspection/test/repair. I worked there a bit over 3 years and I got laid off in 1990.

[Chris Leach]

So the controller is held wrong to everyone who has commented on the controller thus far. I think it is fine how she is holding the controller. The controller is square and for the bulk of the atari 2600 games you only need to know the difference between left right up down. If you can master an atari game you should be able to master it with a minor handicap such as left is up or right is down..what have you?

 

More advanced players have actually challenged themselves to beating games with the use of the Resident Evil Chain Saw controller.....

 

This picture is clearly of an advanced Atari player and the controller idea of being misused...? Rediculous...its a great pic!

[HollowPoint123]

Reminds me of some early episodes of Dallas in the Ewings office the secretary with a Compaq 286 Deskpro happily typing away when there were no cables what-so-ever. No mains, no connection to the monitor nothing.

 

My other half hates it when I spot those sorts of things. Like PCs in films that can boot up in seconds. All printers - even inkjets - must sound like an 80's dot matrix. All wording on monitors must be at least 1/2 inch high. When a secret file is being downloaded it has to say 'downloading file' in big letters on the screen. Fax machines that produce perfect printouts in seconds. Incorrect jargon written into a script by someone who thinks it sounds authentic but just sounds stupid. Publicity pics of people using laptops on beds when all that would happen is it would block the air intake vent on the underside and overheat the thing. The pics on the nes actions set box where they're playing on a nes that isn't even swiched on and the cart for the game their playing isn't loaded into the console.

[hallopino]

And hacking looks way cooler in movies then it does in real life with all those nifty graphics showing that something is going on verses the exceedingly boring reality of watching someone looking at code.

[Rex Dart]

Publicity pics of people using laptops on beds when all that would happen is it would block the air intake vent on the underside and overheat the thing.

 

 

Now now, that IS how the majority of laptops in the world are treated.