All Hallows’ Eve with ‘Jack’
I decided to do a little Halloween photo-shoot. I bought some pumpkins, one larger and a few smaller ones, for a little seasonal set-up. Carving pumpkins isn’t quite my thing and I wasn’t sure exactly what kind of face would look good for a jack-o-lantern. I wanted a plain basic jack but not too basic; so I settled upon this one.
Image No 539
I set everything up in the back yard. I placed hay on a table to make it appear as if it was heaped into a wagon, then arranged the pumpkins and the jack-o-lantern. I experimented with several different lighting techniques. This set-up was shot in total darkness so I used a flashlight to light-paint the pumpkins. This one turned out to be my favorite. When I finished with the project, I donated it to the locale nursing home for the residents to enjoy.
Jack-o-lantern History:
Have you ever wondered about the history of the jack-o’-lantern? The tradition of carving faces into jack-o’-lanterns was brought to America by Irish immigrants. In Ireland, instead of using pumpkins they used turnips or potatoes. The name jack-o’-lantern comes from Irish folklore about a man named ‘Stingy Jack’.
THE LEGEND OF STINGY JACK:
Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form.
Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree’s bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.
Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then, simply “Jack O’Lantern.”
We had a little fun dressing up our little dog, but I don’t think he enjoyed it much. Poor Milo was scared with that killer clown on his back! When it was all over, he was rewarded handsomely.
I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween!
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