James Laing

James Laing spent his days tucked inside a London studio that smelled of old glue and gas lamps, shooting actors straight off the stage. He’d pose them in costume, then light the back of their costumes so the fabric glowed like stained glass. If you stand too close to his “Guy Little Theatrical Photograph” you’ll feel the heat from the limelight still trapped in the print. Look it up and you’ll spot a comedian mid-slapstick, the sequins on his sleeve turned into tiny suns—proof that a camera can freeze a laugh forever.