It has been exciting working with Landon and observing this form of artwork that is truly different to me. I am not sure how long he has actually been creating these masks, but I know the various techniques and processes have evolved since when he first started. I am hoping to get a few words from him directly (as he is a busy guy) and post them here directly. Until then, enjoy his unusual form of creativity.

I am also currently working on a “Video Portrait” of Landon Meier and Hyperflesh. It will be a short documentary style film with some interview material and some behind the scenes footage of his creations. I am always open for suggestions if you have ideas or questions. Just leave me a comment at the bottom of this post.

Check out more images in the gallery below. Full Screen option is also available.

I remember the first time I saw Landon’s Charlie Sheen mask, I thought to myself “this one really has the potential to explode.” He was working on a few test pieces using silicon prior to this mask and when he showed me a sample of the silicone vs. the latex I new he had winner. Since silicone is clear he paints the skin pigment on the inside of the mask giving it a real “translucent” glow, like actual skin. The detail is amazing. From follicles to skin that has seen better days, this mask is truly a work of art. Even the real Charlie thinks so.

Charlie Sheen mask sells for $5,600 on eBay

Find him:
Hyperflesh.com
YouTube
Facebook

Music: “The Morning Room” by Helios
Thanks to my wonderful girlfriend and helper Mar for providing some footage.

The bellows is really a cheap ($35 Ebay) solution if you want to do macro photography or video but don’t want to pay big bucks for a nice macro lens. I’m sure it doesn’t deliver the same results but I was pretty impressed with the kind of shot I was getting using this with the canon t2i and kit 18-55 lens.

Tutorial and behind the scenes footage

Music Credits: “American Beauty, Main Theme” by Thomas Newman

Featured video.

Music Credits: “Light Pattern” by Bonobo

I love the idea of setting up a little mini studio and shooting random objects in extreme close up and capturing the detail and color.

When I first started shooting video using the bellows I noticed that motion could be a problem because your magnifying something to the extreme, camera shake or focus change can produce a frame that is jarred.
I remembered seeing a tutorial on Dave Dugdale’s website about a turntable he created to bring a little more life to still objects. Because I am dealing with miniatures, I needed a turntable on a smaller scale. I spent hours in target looking for a toy or anything that turns slowly and had no luck. I ended up buying a $2 mini fan with hopes to somehow figure out a way to slow it down. I didn’t want this project to be too overwhelming and I kind of new the fan was not going to cut it so I ended up at Michaels where I found this little Halloween toy with a motorized carousel ($25 on sale). After a few modifications, like stripping it down to a bare platform, I had my motorized turntable.
The inspiration for this video is from “Macro kingdom”, a video I ran across by Clemento on Vimeo (who I am almost sure does not use a bellows) has some amazing footage.

Equipment used:
Canon T2i
50mm 1.4
Tons of white lights from Home Depot
Cheap plastic green table covering from grocery store
Tripod with simple joystick head
Cat

Programs:
Premiere

Various old footage

Video Shot with Canon t2i
Tokina 11-16
Canon 50mm 1.4
Canon 18-55 (kit lens)
Canon 70-200mm 2.8
Konova slider

Edited and color corrected in Premiere

Music: George Winston “Frangenti”

Thanks for checking them out!