Karl Leck
April 2026 - "Dystopian Handshake"
Original
About the Image(s)
"Dystopian Handshake" is a posed image from a Fallout cosplay event held on one of the New Jersey Fallout sets of the Amazon TV series. The person has lived in an underground vault and has just emerged into the radioactive surface meeting an artifact from the past. The image was made in overcast light with a Nikon Z7 with Nikkor 24-120mm f/4S lens. Exposure was ISO 400, 1/80 second at f/7.1. Post processing consisted of a horizontal flip and heavy Levels darkening of the background elements to give a noir/dystopian look.
4 comments posted
Delightfully strange composition. The smile on the model contrasts dramatically with the erie scene. I like the repetition of the bole blue and red colors in the model's uniform and clown head on a stick in the lower right, and of the orange color in the belt with the orange leaves and bowl interion lower right. The steam emanating from the tunnel supports a dystopian affect, however, the model's playful stance and smile give a rather comic feel to the image. I am not familiar with this series. Posted: 04/05/2026 00:21:46
Fallout is a dystopian struggle to survive. We need to note that these were people dressing like the actors but imparting their own character to the setting. I was hoping for one of the thinner reenactors who played closer to the character of the starving actors in the series, but it didn't happen. Still, I was happy with the smoke and manikin arm aspects. Karl Posted: 04/05/2026 03:01:12
Hi Karl, this is an interesting construct, definitely fun to look at. Again, it makes me stop, to think and feel. An interesting conceptual work. Posted: 04/05/2026 17:26:55
I have never heard of the series, but I find it amusing that the model is shaking the missing arm of the manikin, possibly unaware of where it came from. I think your darkening of the outside areas of the pipe (?) vent (?) add a mysterious element. If I were taking this shot, I would have asked the model to put a startled look on her face, or at least more serious look. Perhaps it is because I don't know te backstory, but if I was starving from an after-Armeggedon world disaster I'd would not be grinning. Posted: 04/06/2026 17:32:59