Okay, so I saw this trend on TikTok about “Hannibal NBC extreme close-ups,” and, well, I got sucked in. I mean, who doesn’t love a good, dramatic close-up? Especially with all that gorgeous cinematography from the show. So, I decided to try and recreate some of those iconic shots myself. It was… an experience.
Getting Started
First, I dug out my old DSLR. I haven’t used it in ages, mostly just rely on my phone these days. But for this, I figured I needed something with a bit more oomph. I also grabbed a couple of lamps from around the house – gotta have that dramatic lighting, right?
The “Subject”
Now, finding a willing subject was tricky. My cat, Mr. Fluffernutter, was NOT interested. He gave me the stink eye and went back to napping. My roommate? Also a no-go. Apparently, “staring intensely into a camera for an hour” isn’t their idea of a fun Saturday afternoon. So, I ended up doing it myself. Yep, selfie time, but make it artistic.
Experimenting with Lighting and Angles
- I tried a bunch of different angles. Like, seriously, a LOT. Holding the camera up high, down low, tilting it all weird ways… my arms were killing me by the end.
- The lighting was also a challenge. I positioned the lamps in different spots, trying to get that chiaroscuro effect, you know, the strong contrasts between light and dark. It’s harder than it looks! I ended up with a lot of pictures where I just looked… sweaty.
- I played around with the focus a lot too. I love the show how they’d have just one eye super sharp, and the rest kind of blurred. I spent a good chunk of time just twisting the focus ring back and forth, trying to get it just right.
The Results
Honestly, most of the photos were terrible. Blurry, weirdly lit, or just plain unflattering. But, after a few hours and like, a hundred photos, I got a couple that I actually liked. They weren’t perfect, definitely not up to the professional level of the show, but they had that intense, close-up vibe I was going for.
It gave a newfound appreciation for the cinematographers on Hannibal. Making people look both beautiful and terrifying at the same time is a real skill. Maybe I’ll stick to taking pictures of my cat… when he’s in a more cooperative mood.