Submitter's name:	John A. Lind
Title:	Last Hand, Winner Takes All
Gear used:	OM-4, 35-105/3.5~4.5, T-32 with diffuser, tripod, self timer
Diaphragm:	f/3.5
Shutter speed:	1/60
Film used:	Kodak Royal Gold 100
Technical information:	A first attempt at double exposure. Accomplished by pushing rewind button and winding film carefully to reset shutter while holding rewind knob. This isn't easy with the OM's as the film can (and does) shift. Took four identical shots and only one did not shift the film. One lesson learned from this is setting up a very dark, uncluttered background for multiple exposures like this. Suspicion that numerous shots would be required because of film shift risk was confirmed!
Subject information:	Since this is a self-portrait submission, this is obviously me playing high stakes poker with myself in our dining room. The end of the game, the stakes high, and both had great hands. The poor loser is left with a lens cap as a memory of the fine camera system he used to own as the winner gleefully scoops up the winnings. Got the idea from looking at lenses and thinking how they look like stacks of poker chips.
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Comment left by: Olaf Greve (ogreve@web-wizards.com)

Really cool! Very nice composition, and a very original idea. I wonder how you could prevent the "ghost-like" effect in double exposures. Maybe an interesting question for the list?

Comment left by: Hans van Veluwen (mail@veluwen.demon.nl)

LOL!!!! Great idea! Yes, too bad about the background (a black cloth would have prevented it), but this ghost image thing does add something to the pic. Two ghosts playing for all the Zuikware? Can even the dead show emotions? P.S. John now that you're dead, you really don't *need* all this stuff anymore, now do you? Can I have it? ;)

Comment left by: B.B. Bean (bbbean@beancotton.com)

Great idea - I wish I'd thought of it.

Comment left by: Jodi Jakeway (jjakeway@iserv.net)

Great shot John ! Very creative and funny ! My OM-2000 has a double exposure knob, so I don't have to worry about film shift.

Comment left by: wiliam wagenaar (wiliam2@wish.net)

Great idea. The background does not bother me for this purpose. It shows more of you and your environment.

Comment left by: Giles (cnocbui@indigo.ie)

Very witty

Comment left by: Ron Spolarich (caesar2@mediaone.net)

Great idea John! Are you sure that isn't Tom Scales on the right side . Just kiddin' Tom!

Comment left by: Gregg Iverson (giverson@webkorner.com)

Great idea, John. It's quite original and well executed. What exposure compensation did you use? I've had some success by winding the film somewhat tight before releasing the lever and recocking.

Comment left by: John A. Lind (jlind@netusa1.net)

Thanks to all who have left comments thus far. I had fun doing this one. Hardest part was moving from the camera, climbing into a chair, and posing without moving anything before it went off! Thanks for asking Gregg; I forgot to put that in the tech data. Had the T-32 in TTL-Auto with a diffuser panel using bounce from the ceiling. Had the OM-4 in Auto Mode set to 200 ASA (ISO 100 film) as there would be two shots. Rotating the compensation ring to +1 would have done the same. For Hans: "But I'm not dead!" (you'd have to see Monty Python's "Quest for the Holy Grail" to understand). And thanks for your Sales Info File site! I've been using it a lot lately while thinking about yet more Zuikos.

Comment left by: Siddiq (siddim01@student.ucr.edu)

I think it's time to comment now (fyi, I've been looking at the pics longer than most of you, ahem, thanks to inside sources ;)) This is my favorite in the "non-classic portrait" category. I don't know how it would have looked with a dark background though; I think you'd still be a "ghost". This has the air of two spirits playing, very nice! I also see a chrome OM-1n there, which I just noticed. What's the waterproof film-case about though?

Comment left by: Joel Wilcox (jowilcox@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu)

I like the double-exposure/ghostlike effect. The zuikos are bolder and more substantial that way; the ghostiness of the figures of yourself almost confer a sense of motion which is also very effective. If you do this again, you might experiment with changing your shirt or putting on a silk suit, etc.

Comment left by: Siddiq (siddim01@student.ucr.edu)

Another idea would be to expose 30:70 or 70:30, instead of the 50:50 you did. That way, either the winner could be made to look like he's vanishing with the winning, or the loser is vanishing off to sulk; this would go perfectly with the "ghost" images, yes?

Comment left by: Alan Krantz (no e-mail specified)

I like the idea -- but I think the ghost(s) should be a wee bit darker to see more facial detail. Not sure...

Comment left by: John Lind (jlind@netusa1.net)

Acer asked about the waterproof film cannister: It has the Oly logo on it, and is the "good luck" charm belonging to the guy on the right. Obviously it worked! ;-)

Comment left by: Alasdair Mackintosh (Alasdair.Mackintosh@eu.citrix.com)

One of those pictures that makes you say: "Why didn't I think of that?" Very clever, and very inventive.

Comment left by: Chris O'Neill (coneill@nucleus.com)

I've tried a couple of double-exposures with no success... danged film always slips a bit! (Sigh!) This one is great! In fact, I was *just* about to submit my own TOPE1 photo (yet-another-reflection-of-me shot), and then I saw this. You've given me a *great* idea for my own self portrait. So, stay tuned, folks... gotta go chew through s'more film, first!

Comment left by: Gilles Perez (gillesperez2000@hotmail.com)

I ususaly don't leave any posts or comments since I don't think of myself as experienced enough to judge other's photogrpahs, but this one I gotta say caught my eyes! I really really LOVE this picture and I beleive you are very telented and creative to think of a self-portrait of this kind. BRAVO!

Comment left by: Carlos Santisteban (cjss@supercable.es)

Superb idea! The ghost-like effect is not that bad, but I agree with Siddiq that a 30:70 exposure would be great -- 70% for the winner. The subtle details are also amazing: the remaining lens cap of the loser, the 'Olympus' film cannister of the winner... In a word, impressive.

Comment left by: P. Berry (no e-mail specified)

Good job. Really thought out. Very creative. Nice lens.

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