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Just stumbled into this great shot, and thought it would make a good companion to today’s CC. It’s from a brochure given to buyers of the new 2016 Lincoln MKZ. Is it a genuine vintage shot, or modern retro? It’s from a section titled “Heritage” and has other classic Lincolns. But who knows for sure? Are they really twins or is it Photoshop, or its precursor?
Photoshop, same girl, models in the 1960s would never have stood like that.
Photoshop dates only until 1988, If it is truly vintage, Xacto knives, airbrushes and a lot of manual dexterity was involved!
Reminds me of “The Shining”
I wouldn’t get in
“Hello, Danny. Come play with us”.
I have no idea whether this was a vintage or recent (retro) shot, but a short video clip of these twins opening the Continental’s doors appeared in a very well-done (in my opinion) minute-long Lincoln ad from 2014.
A full version of the ad is here, and the twins appear at about the 14 second mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvhP9N5mJJc
The ad is great to watch, and some good vintage material. Though I searched hard for a brief image of a Versailles, but I must be missing it!
Cool Ad. Since the above photo is a frame from a film/video, It couldn’t be Photoshop. but given the condition and quality, Im guessing it’s recent. nice work though.
The effective use of an overhead white light fill board in the studio, to create strong highlights and reflection, hints at a modern photo session. You can see the white reflections of this fill lighting in the tops of the front and rear fenders, as well as the bottom of the wheel covers.
Also, you can see a fair amount of muscle tone in the model’s arms. Something, I don’t recall being typically shown in vintage photos.
Modern model in a vintage dress.
Another example of this popular technique:
Good observation on the muscle tone, I didn’t pick up on it but that probably contributed to my sense of the models not looking like 60’s models.
They had these lights in the ’60s…
It’s not the same high contrast effect. Technically very different, as the examples from the 60s are much more subtle.
The example you showed is not the quite the same high contrast effect.
Well, I dunno… Contrast seems pretty high in some period studio pics. Especially colour photos, and with a strong beltline like the Lincoln… But maybe I’m not seeing what you’re seeing.
BTW, I also think the Continental pic is a recent one, but not for that particular reason.
Totally understand where you are coming from, it is very subtle. I work regularly with photographers and Photoshop, and I do see a difference in modern and vintage pics that use these fill panels. It appears to be a very bright light source they use on these modern fill boards. And the light is such a strong pure white. As you see the whiteness at the tops of the Lincoln fenders and ‘C’ pillar. And modern photography with its sharpness captures this well. In 1960s pics, it muddier, and less sharp with less defined contrast and edges.
I’m not saying I’m 100% sure at all. 🙂 This is a technique that is widely used since the 80s at least.
And the Lincoln pic sure looks like it’s using these modern techniques.
Here’s another modern interpretation of the technique. The screen/reflector is directly overhead with sharper high contrast between the lights and dark. Lots of high contrast on chrome bits, etc. It is a very common and popular technique used today. I haven’t seen the matching technique used in 60s photography.
No way is this vintage.
Exhibit A :The tires aren’t even close to the available type at the time.
Note how they flatten ever so slightly at the bottom, either they are radials that have been “whitewalled”, or they were photoshopped in. I opine the former.
Exhibit B :In a period shot, they would have removed the data plate on the door to “clean up” the door jambs. This was standard ad agency practice at the time.
Exhibit C: The theme is all wrong. I haven’t seen a single promo pic ( and I’ve seen many, trust me) that wasn’t outdoor themed, usually in front of a stately home, a horse track, tennis court, & assorted other chi-chi locations.
+1. Socioautomotiveanthropologically astute.
There are many ways to make that image without photoshop or even scissors – the techniques date back to the early days of photography.
http://www.photographymuseum.com/seeingdouble.html
Having said that, I tend to agree that the details seem wrong for the era. The girl is taller and thinner than was popular in the early 60’s – that didn’t become ‘in’ until 1966- 1967 with ‘Twiggy’ who is generally credited as
PatientModel Zero for the look.The girl’s hair is wrong for the times, down and messy looking – the bouffant look was the correct look for the early 60’s – at least for Lincoln’s customer base
http://www.beauty-and-the-bath.com/The-1960-Bouffant-Hairstyle.html
Finally, the girl’s dress is wrong. wrinkled looking, while a function of the fabric of the dress, was unacceptable in the times. Finally her posture is wrong for a lady of the times.
No doubt someone will find evidence that this shot is contemporary with the car, but I’m willing to bet a shot and a beer that it is a “Madmen” recreation.
But I still love this photograph and I still want this car
Below is what she should have looked like in a 1963/64 Continental Advertisement
Agree on all your points; I’d also like to add the gloves are completely at odds with her dress, both in color and fit. They do, however, match the shoes, making the look seem all the more contrived ( I clearly don’t work in retail 😉 ).
If you see the commercial, you’ll see that this is a frame capture from video/motion picture. the aspect ratio is wrong for 1960s video and it seems HD. So in no way vintage, but a modern interpretation of the times. Others have pointed out that modern lighting tecniques are also employed.
It is not photoshoped
The model opening the rear door has a different expression then the one opening the front door. Her lips are slightly open. Also her hair style is slightly different. You can see some of her forehead because the hair is moved out of the way. The model opening the front door has her hair fully covering her forehead.
Then there is the reflection. The reflection on the floor on the display pedestal and the floor both show the reflection of the models and the car.
They are ether legit twins or very close lookalikes.
Leon- I believe it is the same girl in two different photographs merged together – take a close look at the left glove. The bunching at the wrist is identical while the right glove is unbunched.
Randy C – now that you’ve pointed out the misalignment of the emblems on the hubcaps, it annoys me….and yes my grandfather taught me the same thing about aligning screw-heads… full vertical or full horizontal: period.
While this post has had interesting points as to why this is recent, the biggest proof is: It’s not a still “photograph” at all it’s a frame capture of a video. the footage is 14 seconds in (Eric703 linked to it earlier.) but here it is:
https://youtu.be/QvhP9N5mJJc
I will vote with Roger628 and Lokki that this is a modern shot. The whitewalls are way too wide and the tires and wheels actually look a bit oversized. Also, the way the car sits is wrong – way too low, particularly in front.
I also agree that the models’ dresses and hairstyles are not right for 1965-65.
That said, it is certainly a cool shot and a great way to highlight the elegance of the car. I still wonder why nobody has done suicide doors since these cars.
Good call on the slammed stance.
You mean other than Rolls-Royce? I’m surprised that the extended cab-type
“almost suicide” doors have never caught on for cars. Other than Saturn and the Mazda RX8, nobody else has done it. Here’s a quick and dirty photochop I made a few years ago to the retro-T-Bird. Stretch it out, add a couple of doors, and it’s 1958 all over again. Ok,….. maybe not!
Wikipedia has quite a complete article on suicide doors. It points out the safety reasons we don’t have them. Most compelling to me: a passing car can smash a suicide door onto someone getting in or out.
Those disadvantages seem kind of ridiculous, you can get hit by a passing car with forward hinged doors as easily, is it better to get smashed by the passing car directly and pinned into the forward hinged door? Seems even more gruesome to me.
I have to believe with modern advances in structure and safety devices suicide doors could be perfectly safe. Speed speed sensitive locks/anchors could easily keep them from opening at speed, and a shifter lockout to prevent the car from moving with them open. I think it boils down to two things, cost and that the word suicide being unpleasant and scary.
When I stumbled into this late last night, my immediate reaction was “retro”. But the folks at the web site where it was were saying the opposite. But you all have made a most convincing argument. Case dismissed!!
The Doublemint Gum TV ads of the 1950s showed various pairs of twins, and of course there was no CGI then. So sets of twins pretty enough to be models were and are out there. I don’t know if the models in the Lincoln ad are twins, but there’s no reason they couldn’t be.
Don’t know if it’s new or old. But why not line the Lincoln emblems up vertically on the hubcaps? I’m only half serious. My grandfather was a carpenter and taught me to always line the screw heads up – either horizontally or vertically – either one, but make a choice and stick to it. Especially on light switch plates and outlets that you see everyday. Drives my wife crazy. So that is the biggest thing I see wrong…lol
Ah HA! Now that’s the most compelling argument for the photo being a modern retro ad!
They were always pretty anal about these kinds of details back in the day. Since this was apparently done for a 2014 TV ad, this sort of attention to detail may have gone the way of the dodo. Or of Mad Men. Result: one of the hubcap emblems is clearly askew.
Well done, Randy!
Who cares – they are gorgeous as is the car! Great TV as too, though I didn’t see the new Conti in it? I was in China a few times last year and the Lincoln name is everywhere. Nice ads, handsome dealerships – they will do well.
Nice photo ! .
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I had both ’64 & ’65 Lincolns in the early/mid 1970’s, very fine cars they were too ~
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The ‘1965 had disc brakes that really hauled it down from speed in a hurry .
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Being young, the ’64 ate brake drums at an alarming rate .
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-Nate
While I don’t have the detail knowledge of old ad/photo techniques or 60’s fashion, it looked a little too clean and a little too “casual” in the models’ dress and manner for an authentic original. It *is* a very nice scene and I quite like the contrast of the yellow dress(es) against the dark blue Continental and black background.
The fact that the hubcap logos don’t line up is one of those things that’s hard to un-see though!
Well, I was smitten and was going to say either door would be fine with me, as long as the twins would be along for the ride…
That is, until youse guys reminded of The Shining! 😉
The lighting and set-up is definitely in the style of Kubrick.
I vote strongly for modern shot. As usual, I’m late to the party and can’t offer anything that hasn’t been said by previous posters. Before reading any comments, I noticed the non-vintage looking tires, lower than stock stance and color. The hairstyles don’t look authentically mid-60’s. I have no expertise in photography, but that just doesn’t look like a 60’s photo to me.
Part of a new ad campaign:
http://lutzvogel.com/lincoln-helloagain/
….and arguably the only flawed part of it, since girls didn’t look like Zooey Deschanel in 1963.
Plus, as others have pointed out, those aren’t early 60s tires.
Does the dude holding the front door jive with his reflection?
Looking for a place to post this – an upcoming auction (April 1) of a collection of 13 500 car brochures spanning the 20th century, and collected by a single enthusiast from childhood in the 1940’s to the present.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/automobiles/wheels/a-whiff-of-a-new-car-smell-just-a-page-flip-away.html?ref=automobiles
https://nesteggauctions.com/connecticut-auction/april-1-automobilia-auction/