Gregory Crewdson works on large format images that are reminiscent of film noir with their depiction of small town America. They show you enough information to build a narrative, but that narrative is built in the mind of the viewer and requires their participation as the images themselves are purposefully ambiguous.

The production of these images is gargantuan with Crewdson working with a crew of up to 50 or 60 people just as in a movie production. Either on a sound stage or on location the production is executed of a series of days with lighting rigs, props and actors all directed by Crewdson. He uses an 8×10 Large Format plate camera and takes around 40 or 50 sheets of film to create the one image which is then created digitally during post production from the shots made. The idea is to create a hyperreal level of depth where everything is in focus, meaning that when you stand in front of the massive 2.5m wide prints you can fully experience this reality, so much so that you can’t take in everything at once, our eyes aren’t capable of the level of focus that has been achieved.

via danponting