Fashion photographer Rankin uses Nokia 7610 to take Cottingley fairy images

Nokia has contracted with noted British fashion photographer Rankin (no first name?) to showcase the company's new 7610 one megapixel camera phone, Nokia's press release today says. Rankin has used the 7610 to take photos inspired by the famous Cottingley fairy photos.

The original Cottingley fairy photos (see below) -- sent to Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle -- are hoaxes, but they have captured the imagination of many people around the world.

As the Nokia press release says, "The magical Cottingley fairy images, created by schoolgirls Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright, have fascinated and mystified the world for nearly 90 years. Now, retraining his eye from fashion to fairy tale, Rankin has re-created these historic photographs with a modern twist using the latest technology from Nokia.

Fairy inspiration

Rankin has created six photographs that, I assume, are similar to the ones taken by the French girls (as I posted above). Rankin also has taken 60 "inspiration shots," the press release says.

According to the press release, the photos are located at www.nokia.com/imaging, but I haven't been able to find them. Perhaps these fairy photos require "magic" to see! Or, perhaps I'm just not looking in the right place.

I have sent a couple of e-mails to Nokia to get a link to Rankin's photos.

Update: Here's the link and one of the photos (see below)

Rankin's comments

Rankin says of the photos and Nokia 7610, ""I've always been captivated by the Cottingley fairy photographs and have harboured a secret ambition to give them a modern day reworking!

"I draw inspiration for my work from the environment around me and being able to capture my ideas in vivid detail, using the Nokia 7610 -- no matter where or when they happen -- is priceless. It also allows me to instantly share my ideas with the rest of the team."

I'm very interested in seeing what an expert photographer can create with a one megapixel camera phone. These type of promotional efforts are great for stimulating use of camera phones and encouraging people to be creative.

Comments

[cellphone philippines]

This is simply brilliant! I know that it was possible. Stumbled it for you very informative blog. Keep posting!

vee

[ravi]

I like so much this type of photos.

because this is a special type of nature.Thethe beauty of lady is the several times greater than "Natural beauty"

congrates

Thank You

[Cloe Cassandro]

I am extreamly inspired by Rankins work each subject taken with entirely new and exciting twist could anyone tell me who Rankin has been inspired by other than Sherlok Holmes and the Cottingely fairies?

[Ed Goto]

One-named fashion photographers or no, I know I'm hot for a mega-pixel camera phone. Two years ago, I picked up a Sony-Ericsson T300 with an MCA-25 camera attachment, and I love the silly thing. Barely a day goes by when I'm not bedeviling distant friends with some VGA-quality scene from my day ("Look! A Starbucks! Bet you don't have one of these!"). But it's time to graduate to something with more resolution.

I'm actually of two minds on this. First is to follow the evolution of SLR cameras, and load cellphone cameras with all the bells and whistles - optical zoom, manual speed and aperture settings, flashes, and why not interchangeable lenses and filters? And has anyone developed a tripod for a cellphone?

My second thought, which I favor, is for the equivalent of a pinhole-camera. Very simple, very reliable, and it's easy to figure out what works and what doesn't. No auto-exposure, nothing. Maybe a manual setting for the exposure.