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"Artist Facing Blank Canvas" : A Tribute to Norman Rockwell
1st Place"Artist Facing Blank Canvas" : A Tribute to Norman Rockwell
Lydia


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Norman Rockwell (Advanced Editing VII)
Collection: Portfolio
Camera: Canon EOS-20D
Lens: Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Date: Sep 18, 2012
Date Uploaded: Sep 18, 2012

I set this up for whenever I found a willing model... tried my tall and lanky oldest son... he was too tall. Searched for another model... asked around. Nothing.

Then, in walked my middle son on a surprise visit from college (just as tall, but he had come straight from work and had on the perfect outfit (except I added the vest and messed with his shoe color).

I quickly RE-MADE the "Post" canvas in a much larger size, but I know it's not perfect. It should be taller if it's going to be that wide. It was a major pain to get it to stay up there... it's just flimsy posterboards taped together leaning on a large frame that balances on a swiveling guitar stand. It fell every time anyone breathed. I ended up taping it all to each other and then to the wall.

The chair, I glued and taped together (see the tape still there on one of the stringers?) that morning. Ha!

In every other shot but this one, his collar was askew and his yellow tie band showed just like the original. *sigh*

But, for some reason, my lens was not focusing... and I couldn't use a different one because of space, so those weren't in focus and I didn't want to ask my model to re-shoot yet ANOTHER time. The wide angle distorted it. So... I had to manually focus. The camera was totally up against the far wall... I stood on my head almost to see the viewfinder and my eyesight is not really great. I really count on autofocus.

I tried a white background as Mr Rockwell usually used... was not nearly as good as this. I couldn't get it to look right and I think the contrast here is more pleasant. Also, I changed the vest color to blue as in the original... it just said, "Bleh" to me. (As a non-interesting tidbit, I made the red vest for my Hubby when the kids were little. It matched the ones I made for the boys with reindeer with Santa hats on the front portions and the dresses I made for daughter and me with the same pattern. *grin*)

The "paints" on the artist's thingy (palette?) are wadded up colored papers.

I actually drew things on the papers, but it doesn't show. And I should take a close-up shot of my paper watch on the "Due Date" sign upper left. It's a work of art in itself. LOL!

It's funny that now that it's over, my house is a total wreck in several rooms, I still have to haul all of this back to where it goes, and put the furniture back...

The image all seems so simple. It doesn't indicate at all the mess that's everywhere preparing for it.


Anyway, I'm pleased with this. And it only cost me a half of a large pizza for the model. :D

SaturdayEveningPost0242cLr

[Sep. 25th, 2012 12:36:20 PM]

I was, of course, trying to imitate this work of Norman Rockwell's:




Statistics
Place: 1 out of 35
Avg (all users): 8.1308
Avg (commenters): 9.1923
Avg (participants): 7.9048
Avg (non-participants): 8.1743
Views since voting: 7952
Views during voting: 490
Votes: 130
Comments: 98
Favorites: 15 (view)


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AuthorThread
05/14/2019 03:07:37 PM
Incredible image, really well done and deserving of the blue ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/08/2014 05:51:26 PM
Whoa! A new PB for you--- congratulations! It's easy to recognize the painstaking work that went into this shot. And I'll bet you both had fun creating it as well. So well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/07/2014 08:22:19 PM
what a fantastic result .. you went to so much work and it paid off .. the image is a real masterpiece .. congrats on the blue and that amazing pb score .. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/27/2014 06:16:23 PM
Luckily just fell back onto this masterpiece, I can now appreciate the work and the skill that went into it. Once again, congratulations for everything! :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/12/2014 11:28:11 AM
You really went all out to almost identically match the original work.

Very impressive and it came out great! You deserve the win after all that hard work!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/06/2012 07:43:02 AM
Congratulations for the Blue Ribbon!
I am not a photographer - even of the amateur kind. This looks to me like a work of art in itself!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/05/2012 02:43:31 PM


Message edited by author 2012-10-05 14:44:20.
10/05/2012 02:43:09 PM
cool but ugly as hell lol

Message edited by author 2012-10-05 14:43:52.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/05/2012 06:37:51 AM
Fantastic work. Congratulations!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/04/2012 01:03:10 PM
Great! Please tell me what software you used in the editing. David...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/03/2012 10:23:25 PM
Remarkable! And thank you very much for the detailed description of how you got the shot. I often enjoy the stories behind the shots every bit as much as the shot itself.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/03/2012 09:19:28 PM
You know... I'm not sure this isn't more Rockwell than the original. Really great stuff.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/03/2012 06:14:39 PM
Norman Rockwell all the way! Exactly the right 'flavor' to capture the essence of the famed artist!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/03/2012 04:34:14 PM
Shots like this are why I seldom give 10's, I gave three for this challenge and some 9's too- super shot- the hard work paid off- Excellent
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/03/2012 05:46:38 AM
Wonderful !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/03/2012 03:17:47 AM
I am too late to vote but here is another 10 from me :-)
Absolutely brilliant! I loved how you described the whole process and not knowing the original I sometimes couldn't see what could have been different but yours is just so much better! Truly inspiring!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/03/2012 02:42:23 AM
Popped in after long absence to say CONGRATS, absolutely fantastic and I agree with the commenter who said it's better than the original. 38 10s! I'd have given you one too.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/02/2012 02:19:17 PM
I know I said earlier it was a good imitation but now I think it's better than the original. :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/02/2012 11:08:38 AM
This is SO excellent and SO deserving of the blue. Congrats Lydia, brilliant work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 08:57:34 PM
Great Work!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 08:56:49 PM
Absolutely awesome!!!! Huge congrats on the 8+ and the well deserved blue! All for only 1/2 a pizza. I'm impressed. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 08:30:38 PM
Amazing! I would think that somewhere Mr. Rockwell is smiling, and feeling honored. Fantastic job, my firiend!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 06:58:55 PM
Holy Moly, Girlfriend!!! 8.1+. Woo Hoo for YOU!!!! Deserving of every ounce of accolades!!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 02:30:17 PM
CONGRATS!! :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 02:01:32 PM
congrats Lydia on breaking to the 8+ stratosphere! and the Blue, of course. Big effort paid off big time.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 01:53:23 PM
this is so deserving of the blue, huge congrats
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 01:44:13 PM
Congratulations on your ribbon. Just awesome.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:26:23 PM
Had to be very near here somewhere,Congratulations.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 11:41:45 AM
What fun! Congrats again! 8+ ;)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 11:39:25 AM
Fantastic work Lydia - a big CONGRATULATIONS for the blue, a new PB AND an 8+!!

What I want to know is.......where's the amphibian? :-D
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 11:38:09 AM
How wonderful, Lydia! Very, very well done! Congratulations on the well-deserved blue!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 09:37:05 AM
Excellent work! Congrats!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 09:13:51 AM
So happy to see this with the blue and great score! Doesn't it give you a good feeling to know that all the hard work paid off. Sometimes I think that the photographic process (getting there) is a big part of what makes or breaks a good image - shoves it to the next level. Great job.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 09:10:58 AM
Congratulations, Lydia! This received my highest vote, too.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 08:45:10 AM
Congratulations I gave this one a 10 :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 08:30:12 AM
Awesome homage!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 08:24:13 AM
Congrats! This is great. A wonderful interpretation and very deserving of the score and the Blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 07:35:44 AM
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG such a score!!!!! This truely deserves it!! Can us mere mortals talk to you any more??
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 07:02:22 AM
Congrats Lydia on your win and awesome score. Great job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 06:40:09 AM
Congrats Lydia! This is amazing!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 05:38:13 AM
Really fantastic, Lydia. I had this pegged for the blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 05:21:25 AM
Job Done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 04:19:40 AM
Well done, children are useful after all :) Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 03:09:47 AM
Congrats on the blue and a fantastic score. Very well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 02:53:04 AM
Congrats on a well deserved ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 02:49:51 AM
Grreat story great picture great result. congrats
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 01:38:49 AM
sweet!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 01:35:37 AM
Congrats on the blue and the top notch score! Really great job all around!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 01:26:45 AM
Congratulations, Lydia! You're effort and creativity got the result they deserved, it's a brilliant piece of work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 01:09:37 AM
Great work Lydia, congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 01:06:17 AM
Congrats on the blue! Great image!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:57:48 AM
Way to go! What time you must have spent on this set-up. Well deserved blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:54:58 AM
WD Lydia. Top three above 8!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:44:19 AM
WTG Lydia, what a score.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:38:14 AM
Fabulous... Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:37:48 AM
the posing really made this shot, the props were perfect but the slightly over extended joints were something I never thought of as being essentially Rockwell until I saw this shot. Amazing work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:33:40 AM
And I thought this was Christophe.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:23:46 AM
Congrats on the blue. This is classic.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:20:11 AM
Congrats!

Oooh and a new PB too - awesome!

Message edited by author 2012-10-01 00:22:07.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:20:10 AM
incredibly well done. Congratulations on both your imagination and execution of this difficult subject.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:17:55 AM
congrats! excellent tribute
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:16:52 AM
Hooray! a great PB & a great score! Half a pizza--you were lucky there "D! This comp rocks--great job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:14:34 AM
Best ever, congrats
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:12:45 AM
Congrats Lydia, wonderfully done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:10:54 AM
Congrats, Lydia! This was destined for blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:08:49 AM
I love your floors! I didn't vote this, but did glance through this afternoon and this one was the one I looked at. Love all the little touches - especially the paint blobs! Congratulations on the ribbon and such a cheap model! :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:07:15 AM
Really great Lydia! Congrats on the blue and a world class score!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:06:29 AM
congrats on the blue! Very clever imitation!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
10/01/2012 12:06:21 AM
Awesome work....Congrats!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
09/30/2012 10:44:40 PM
Great job recreating a famous scene. I think you are going to give me a run for my money. Good luck it will be fun to see who comes out on top :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/30/2012 10:04:57 PM
Lydia I'm thinking this is you. So clever. Love all the special touches throughout the entire scene.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/29/2012 01:48:34 AM
Simply perfectly Rockwell-like!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/28/2012 05:36:05 PM
Brilliant!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/28/2012 02:51:53 PM
Excellent! Very well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/28/2012 02:40:35 PM
Good imitation of his style and subject.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/27/2012 12:58:34 AM
Wonderfully done! A perfect Rockwell "clone"
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/26/2012 11:36:15 PM
Fantastic! If I didn't know better, I would think this was a Norman Rockwell. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/26/2012 10:09:24 PM
Very nice. Fits the era well.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/26/2012 06:20:29 PM
This sums up Norman Rockwell to me, sorry if I'm wrong because I'm English and not familiar with his work. The colours, however, the style evoke some of his paintings for me. I will say that the editing is very well judged to place this image as paint on canvas.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/26/2012 03:09:57 PM
Grreat work on the legs
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/26/2012 11:50:23 AM
There is always a dilemma when paying a tribute: do we copy the artist or create something in his manner?
I think that your image falls in between.
I salute your passion and extent of work but I wonder if you shouldn't go a little farther in your endavour.
//www.wikipaintings.org/en/norman-rockwell/artist-facing-blank-canvas
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/26/2012 03:28:19 AM
one of my top two picks - great colors, and the model's outfit, posture and pose are great. something weird about that red thing on the top left but no biggie. excellent work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/26/2012 01:38:34 AM
Excellent tribute!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/26/2012 12:29:02 AM
Amazing, well thought out and executed, best in show award and I haven't even finished the rest.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/25/2012 09:54:03 PM
My pick for blue. Very well planned and excuted; the processing is perfect.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/25/2012 03:19:00 PM
perfect. a ten.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/25/2012 02:57:13 AM
very well done except for the missing part in the headline. very rockwellish pose, props and setup. A tad oversaturated for my taste, though. top 5.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/24/2012 05:06:51 PM
Really nice, it has a great feel to it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/24/2012 02:48:26 PM
Very Rockwell-ian...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/24/2012 02:37:50 PM
This is a stupendous image for this challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/24/2012 02:34:30 PM
Truly keeping in the spirit of this competition. Voted previously, 10.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/24/2012 01:25:34 PM
I really love this photo but question whether this truly is advanced editing or expert editing combining multiple images rather than multiple captures. I would love to know the process getting the Saturday Evening Post up there large enough on the canvas without typing in those letters if this is advanced editing. Please let our inquiring minds know. Again...Great image in true Rockwell style!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/24/2012 01:24:58 PM
OMG this is awesome!! It literally belongs in one of my Norman Rockwell books!!

In honor of this outstanding work of art, I give you my Award !!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/24/2012 11:18:48 AM
Beautiful done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/24/2012 11:08:16 AM
You nailed it!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/24/2012 10:33:57 AM
Could well be my fav in this challenge, great work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/24/2012 08:39:04 AM
WOW - you went to a lot of trouble. Nice tribute!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
09/24/2012 01:03:34 AM
Nailed it! Front page, no doubt!
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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