Alleys and Ruins: The Book

Alleys & Ruins no. 151, Razor

2017, Philadelphia, PA, 10:30pm

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​​I'm preparing for the shoot that would become “Razor”, mounting my 50 year old Hasselblad to my equally old Gitzo tripod when two guys come out of the shadows and surprise us.

 

“What is this, man? What y’all think you doin’ back here?” they look around at us, at our gear and the other guy says, “The hell y’all settin’ up back here?”

 

We freeze, my heart rate goes up a notch. We're in Harrowgate, one of Philly's most notoriously crime ridden neighborhoods. And deep in a completely secluded dead end back alley. I'm hoping they're not hostile.

 

I glance at my assistants and they're looking back nervously. I raise my hands slightly, palms out, voice calm.  “Hey, sorry. We’re just setting up for a photo shoot. I'm gonna light up the alley and take a picture.” I say smiling and friendly. “No harm meant.”

 

“Photos? At this hour? Man, we saw them flashes. Thought somebody was messin’ with our spot.” 

 

The air is clearing and the other guy says, “Yeah, nah, we cool. We got a music studio right there in that buildin’. We do beats, vocals, all that.”

 

Turns out they’re both chill and friendly. One of the guys helping me, Andrew, wants to check out their studio and they’re happy to oblige. They head off and I resume preparing the shot.

 

The lighting scheme usually comes quickly to me. Placing the tripod and locking the camera in place is often what takes the longest (outside of exposure times).

I finally lock it all down, and click the shutter open. It's going to be a 35-minute exposure and I’ll want to do at least three so I know I’ve got it right. I’m shooting film after all, and there are no second chances. I’ll be in Chicago when I finally see what I have.

 

I grab my lights and attach the colored gels. I flip the black hoodie over my head and step in front of the camera to begin lighting. After 35 minutes, this one is in the can. I click the shutter off, and prepare for shot number two. 

 

At around the 20 minute mark, I’m walking backwards and lighting the wall on the right, when my left leg gets tangled up in something. I don't get what’s happening because it’s too dark, so I shut off the light and shake my leg to release whatever’s there. Then I feel a sharp sting followed by a rush of warm liquid streaming down my leg. It’s a short, but effective coil of razor wire.

 

Within 5 seconds my shoe is full of blood.

 

I head back to the camera and put black velvet over the lens to pause the exposure. Then I sit down and pull my pant leg up, and I’m horrified by what I see. There’s a big gash so deep that part of my muscle is showing and the blood continues to leak out. Andrew and his friend Dorian volunteer to find a pharmacy and bring back supplies.

 

Once they leave I snap back and realize the shot isn’t finished. And this is only my second exposure! I grab my lights, remove the black velvet from the lens and get back to work. Ten minutes later shot number two is done.

 

The guys haven’t arrived yet and the wound and loss of blood is making me dizzy. I really don’t think I have another option. I was hoping to have bandaged the wound by now, but I know my leg will heal, and it’s now or never for the shot.

 

I slump back to the camera and click the shutter for exposure number three. I’m in a bit of a haze as I begin lighting and my blood-filled shoe keeps squishing with every step. I've never done a shot while being so injured and it’s not pleasant, but the adrenaline keeps the pain at bay.

 

A few minutes after I’ve completed the shot, the guys return with urgently needed medical supplies. Being photographers, Andrew and Dorian can’t resist taking photos of my wound. Looking at them later, they are gruesome and reminiscent of crime scene photos.

I clean up as well as I can, wrap the wound in a bandage, and start packing up my gear. It’s midnight and I head off to find an emergency room.