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Life
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gyaban


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Beauty II (Expert Editing)
Camera: Canon EOS-5D Mark II
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Date: May 1, 2014
Date Uploaded: May 1, 2014

 Life's ability to reproduce itself is staggering. When you think about it, almost any creature in the world can create another one: what an accomplishment! Unicellular organisms, fishes, birds, mammals, mushrooms, trees... They all have their own way to successfully reach that goal, despite the fact it is an incredibly complex task. Some don't need any partner and are able to divide themselves, some lay eggs and create life externally, some perform the whole process in their own body... or some cleverly mix various ways. While we struggle to actually fully understand how the human body works, other animals or plants don't care the slightest about it, yet everything works mostly smoothly. So impressive.

This contemplation inspired me this image, as a metaphor of life creating life.

Technically, here is how I created this image:
- The jellyfishes were photographed at an aquarium, at 3200 ISO, f/2.8, because of the lack of light. The use of flash was forbidden, but I don't think it would have worked very well anyway with the reflection of the glass. I find these beings fascinating: their ballet in the moving waters is absolutely beautiful. I probably spent a full hour in front of them, photographing their poses again and again.
- My (pregnant) wife was kind enough to pose for this project. We shot her photo in our home-studio. It is essentially a single photo, except for the hair that was photographed separately.
- The ribbon (symbolizing an umbilical cord) is composed of 12 separate photos. I had to take a lot of various shots to be able to stitch the different sections and obtain the desired global shape.
- For the bubbles, I used a small tank that I filled with water in my studio. I simply moved my hand through it to create bubbles.

Thanks for watching, much appreciated.

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 71
Avg (all users): 7.1111
Avg (commenters): 8.3846
Avg (participants): 6.8125
Avg (non-participants): 7.3061
Views since voting: 3124
Views during voting: 246
Votes: 81
Comments: 29
Favorites: 3 (view)

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AuthorThread
 05/14/2014 04:42:23 AM
Congratulations on so many levels :) Keep living the miracle.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/12/2014 08:17:26 PM
Congratulations, Christophe!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/10/2014 11:29:47 AM
Originally posted by vawendy:
Silly pople -- didn't they see the info back in March? How can I get enough people for the France gtg for a baby shower if they're not paying attention??

It's wonderful, Christophe. Is your wife feeling better yet? The beginning was always such a huge, huge drain, and then it got so much better after that. (well, until delivery, but you don't need to mention that to her... :)

Huge congrats on the blue!


Thank you Wendy! Yes she is now feeling much better, fortunately. Which permits me to bother her with some photo projects ;-)
 05/10/2014 07:58:29 AM
Silly pople -- didn't they see the info back in March? How can I get enough people for the France gtg for a baby shower if they're not paying attention??

It's wonderful, Christophe. Is your wife feeling better yet? The beginning was always such a huge, huge drain, and then it got so much better after that. (well, until delivery, but you don't need to mention that to her... :)

Huge congrats on the blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/09/2014 03:29:29 PM
Beautiful and congrats with the blue! I'll bet you're nr.1 on the Unofficial DPC Expert Editing list (there's no such thing yet as far as I know, but I like the idea).
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/09/2014 10:10:07 AM
You sure do know how to keep your private life PRIVATE! Congratulations on the impending addition to the family. How incredibly exciting!!!!

Oh, and of course, congrats on the blue :)

ETA - At the aquarium, I am also fascinated by the jellies. Surreal and ethereal.

Message edited by author 2014-05-09 10:11:17.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/09/2014 09:26:48 AM
Congratulations on the mini-Gyaban..

Congratulations on the ribbon as well. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/09/2014 04:08:02 AM
Amazing work as always.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/09/2014 02:18:19 AM
Congrats Christophe. A wonderful piece of work. Thank you as always for the detailed description and background info.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/09/2014 01:57:40 AM
Amazing creativity as always. Congrats on the ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
05/08/2014 11:51:55 PM
Beautiful, but ... not sure that I like the vertical presentation.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2014 11:26:07 PM
congrats
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2014 10:52:38 PM
Is this photo-manipulation or are there congratulations in order for little Gyabans in the oven? I like the whimsical pairing of amniotic fluid and red scarf cord mixed with primordial jellyfish. very classic feeling.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2014 10:39:23 PM
beauty is such a fragile, delicate thing. turn the dial too far and it becomes grotesque
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2014 05:16:37 PM
lovely work
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/06/2014 11:17:47 AM
Best in show award, congrats. Great concept!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/06/2014 07:45:34 AM
such an amazing work of art .. cant imagine this not getting a blue ribbon .. its already a bit blue anyway .. lol .. anyway .. congrats on such an imaginative and creative entry .. WOW .. !! ..:)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/05/2014 06:18:45 AM
9 today.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/04/2014 05:11:07 PM
quite remarkable
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/03/2014 09:30:39 PM
Beautifully choreographed image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/03/2014 12:07:27 PM
A beautiful creation, Christophe. I love everything about this - the muted colors and tones, the spectacular light,the water "surface" where we wouldn't expect it. I'm a bit puzzled about the belly at lower left, but I suppose it is a "meta" belly, giving birth to all life.

As someone who has been stung by jellyfish, I'm a bit freaked out about them being so close to her, but their color and transparency is delightful. And either congratulations are in order, or that is a very nicely 'shopped pregnancy ;)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2014 11:40:13 PM
dreamy still coming to terms with this style I quite like it, but I'm a bit of a luddite ,.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2014 10:44:07 PM
I love this. I find great beauty in pregnant women.

Her left hand position... although, probably natural... in this "expert editing" sort of image... We all know it's not "real"... I want it to be perfect. I want it to cradle her child more. From below the bump... with hand held open and widely loving.

It seems that she's hesitant. And in her hand position alone, it makes me think that she's afraid of something. Then, I search more and find that her eyes agree.

I am now uncomfortable.
I want to be feeling the peace of the baby floating inside her and her mimicking the floating outside.

All that stops me is ... the hand.

Call me picky... but... if you're gonna do the "expert" part... make it perfect.

I never can. So, I didn't enter this challenge although I had something shot before I saw it was "Expert".

I want that hand to make me feel like she's LOVING the baby... not protecting him/her from something.


Then... I look at the lighting. All of the light on the body is from the top right corner going to the bottom left corner.

But... the light on the "ripples" comes from mid top to mid right.

Unless there are two light sources... the second, LESSER strength, which seems to be added later with a minimal light from just below upper right... onto the body, but it gives MORE effect. The highlights on the body are much stronger than even the other, stronger light source.

But, in "real life" there's only ONE light source in an underwater scene, right?

This leaves me confused.

Still... an 8 from me.

I do love looking at your image. It's a WONDERFUL creation! But for beauty... it makes me uneasy. I want that hand to help me. And, it doesn't. I want it low and cradling... not tense and protecting.

I only say all of this because you OBVIOUSLY aren't a newbie. You know what you're doing.

Well done is my final critique. Well done, indeed.


ETA: I've started playing a game while voting...

Wanna play along?


Describe your image (without knowing the challenge topic) in four words.

Is "Beauty" one of them?

Nope. Mine either. Here are mine:

Underwater

Pregnant

Afraid

Jellyfish
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2014 09:01:06 PM
This image holds a lot more interesting details, symbology, or allusions that speak to the viewer. I can see the belly in the lower left corner that this underwater Venus is hatching from. I do see her as a modern underwater version of Botticelli's Birth of Venus. Instead of her springing up from a shell on land fully grown she is emerging from the womb fully grown in a nourishing waterworld (water itself is a support source of life. Unlike Botticelli's Venus she has not yet emerged from the sea but instead has emerged from the womb - where life is nourished and grows before it emerges into a larger world. This fully grown Venus herself also holds and cradles with her hand life in her womb. The imagery upholds the saying 'life begets life' and/or shows the the continuing cycles of birth from mother to child ad infinitum. I like how the long scarf acts like an umbilical cord that 'connects' her to the mother womb showing that she will always have strong ties to her mother even when she is about to become a mother herself. The jellyfish I see as akin to the flowers Zephyros and I think an angel in Botticelli's painting - here they are delicate sea blossoms that float in the currents of the ocean. Maybe my eye is playing a trick on me but I think I see some letters in that one jellyfish by her knee. Just a natural occurrence or intentional?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2014 10:35:36 AM
OK, this is a 10 for me. Just gorgeous! I would imagine it might win a ribbon...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2014 04:54:51 AM
Incredible photo! And a great one for the family album:) This will win the blue - no doubt whatsoever!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2014 03:17:05 AM
Just can't get enough of this style, Christophe. As always, I'm a big fan of yours.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2014 01:44:56 AM
OMG R u guys having a baby or is this just more of your magic ?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2014 01:29:49 AM
Ha! Expert editing so was expecting to see your entry in here. The master does not disappoint :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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