n05fer4tu. 1922 nitrate still, black and white photo soaked in one dye. Soft lens, background lost. One hard light from the side, bright spots blown white. Heavy clumpy grain in the grays, thin in the blacks, random dust and thin scratches. Props and surfaces soft past the near edge, highlights melted to white. Flat studio cloth or a plain wall behind. Awkward cropped framing, not centered. Worn movie frame. Superman in profile, head tipped back, looking up at the sky. Cape a dark soft mass, emblem a gray blotch, suit one flat tone. Sky empty, the sun a blown white spot, one side of the face in solid black.