When U.S. 1’s editors saw the rare 29th day of February on the calendar this year, they commissioned a cover story on the astronomical underpinnings of the day. When photographer Craig Terry saw the same day, he envisioned something else, and sent out an E-mail invitation to his clients at Rowan University:
“The invitation: To leap for the camera on Leap Day.
“Intent: We will be setting up a white backdrop with studio lights to capture individuals jumping (leaping).
“Time: Leap Day, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the stage in Pfleeger Auditorium. Come whenever you can. Each individual photo shoot should take about three minutes.”
“Expected height reached by leapers: 1 to 4 inches for the young at heart and 1 to 4 feet for an anti-gravity enthusiast.
“Why: To create a short film of the Rowan Community leaping on Leap Day. To add something new and fun to our extra day this year.
“Historical evidence that this is a worthwhile undertaking: Absolutely! In 1959 Philippe Halsman, with a total of 101 Life Magazine covers in his career, published the Jump Book. His passion for Jump photography captured Audrey Hepburn [inset above], Robert Oppenheimer, the Duke of Windsor, Marilyn Monroe, Salvador Dali, Vice President Richard Nixon, Eleanor Ford, John Steinbeck, Bob Hope and many other high profile people of his time. They were all in the air, off the ground, and having fun.”
The outcome: Terry reports that some 135 people showed up to take a leap on Leap Day. Among them: Karen Lee Holloway, above, a graphic designer at Rowan who from 2003 to 2010 worked at HDR (CUH2A) architects at 1000 Lenox Drive in Lawrenceville.
