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''Ice Fall'' by Shannon O'Cork
1st Place''Ice Fall'' by Shannon O'Cork
kiwiness


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Book Titles (Classic Editing)
Collection: challenge entries
Camera: Canon EOS-10D
Lens: Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX Macro AF for Canon
Location: Living room, Nottuln
Date: Nov 9, 2003
Aperture: 10
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/200
Galleries: Black and White, Water
Date Uploaded: Nov 10, 2003

The shot wasn't the difficult part of this photo, I actually got it in about 10 tries. I just dropped an ice cube into an aquarium full of water. The problem was to get the background black and to get rid of all the irregularities without spot editing. I post processed as follows:

In Photoshop I cropped the image and used NeatImage very lightly to reduce the background noise. The background still looked rather spotty with minute water drops in it. I reloaded the image in Photoshop and used a channel mixer adjustment layer, clicked monochrome and set R=50, G=10, B=40. Changed the mode to Grayscale and then back to RGB (I guess I could also have just merged visible to get the same result). I then added a Brightness/Contrast adustment layer and booted up to +25/+15. The background was still a little spotty and not completely as black as I wanted so I added a Selective Color adjusment layer and put the Blacks up to +20, which got rid of the rest of the spots and turned the background into a nice crispy black. I did a USM, resized and another light USM. I adjusted the Brightness/Contrast adjustment level to +20/+25, just in case anyone looking at the pic on a laptop will notice the spotty background. Added a border and saved for the web. If you turn the Brightness right up you can see the spottiness I am talking about. This is a good system to remove a lot of junk without spot editing. There is a bothersome bubble on the left just under the water surface which I will remove in the print version.

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 231
Avg (all users): 7.4982
Avg (commenters): 8.6905
Avg (participants): 7.4519
Avg (non-participants): 7.5429
Views since voting: 12880
Votes: 275
Comments: 92
Favorites: 43 (view)


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AuthorThread
08/10/2006 10:01:07 PM
TALENT!!!
im jealous!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/25/2003 02:41:08 PM
Congrat's Gary!
Two winning images in the same period. That's an accomplishment. Great job! They're excellent shots.

Mike
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/24/2003 09:41:09 PM
Congratulations!
Yet, Darn you Kiwi!
I thought you were going to save one for the rest of us :) LOL
Just kidding I have not been able to submit to the challenges lately.

  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/24/2003 05:39:33 AM
Greetings from the Critique Club
Let me begin by saying wow. This image is a wonderful work of art. I absolutely love the way that it reads, the lighting is perfect, the contrast is wonderful, I agree that the bubble should be removed but other than that I would not change a thing. You have a real talent, and I am glad to be priveledged enough to get the inside scoop on how you created this image. (end brownnosing here)
~Rob
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/22/2003 05:04:41 PM
if you boil water - before you freeze it - the cubes will end up clearer ;}

very nice

  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/20/2003 06:12:19 PM
How did you light this shot? I would love to know
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/20/2003 11:43:46 AM
congrats once again kiwi! you are UNSTOPPABLE! :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/20/2003 10:58:34 AM
Congrats kiwi! :D great shot... i need to get me an aquarium.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/20/2003 02:33:16 AM
Gary, you make me feel like I don't know what I'm doing! (Which is ok, though, cause I know I don't.)

Seriously, great shot here. Congrats again, and if you should ever make it to the US, Arkansas to be precise, the first round is on me :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 07:57:13 PM
Congratulations on yet another great shot. You are setting an example that's hard to follow. Anne
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 05:10:15 PM
Go Kiwi! Go Kiwi! Go Kiwi!
:o)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 03:37:37 PM
Originally posted by EddyG:


Congratulations on your recent winning entry. As you may or may not be aware, now that you have earned ten (10) ribbons here at DPChallenge, you are now subject to the "Give Others A Chance" Scoring Adjuster™. This means that after all of the the votes are calculated into a final score, the score of any of your future entries will be multipled by 80% (0.80) in an effort to allow others to have a shot at winning a blue ribbon. Congratulations again, and thank you for your participation here at DPC.


Eddy ya clown :)
11/19/2003 03:17:31 PM
great shot, hon...congrats on another blue ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 11:59:26 AM
EddyG: LOL! You can multiply his scores with 0.8, but in this case, allow me to vote 12.5 for Kiwiness in the future, in order to get his well deserved 10s from me. :-)))
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 10:55:48 AM
You are too good dude.. Great shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 09:05:58 AM
Go Go Go Gary! I long for the day when you have more ribbons than me! I'll be rooting for you!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 08:52:46 AM
Gary,

Congratulations on your tenth ribbon!!! Good picture.

Ursula
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 08:46:54 AM
To: kiwiness
From: EddyG
Subject: Scoring of future entries

Dear kiwiness:

Congratulations on your recent winning entry. As you may or may not be aware, now that you have earned ten (10) ribbons here at DPChallenge, you are now subject to the "Give Others A Chance" Scoring Adjuster™. This means that after all of the the votes are calculated into a final score, the score of any of your future entries will be multipled by 80% (0.80) in an effort to allow others to have a shot at winning a blue ribbon. Congratulations again, and thank you for your participation here at DPC.

Just kidding Gary!! Way to go on yet another Blue for your growing collection!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 08:24:13 AM
dude. you must be stopped.

nice shot. now quit it!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 08:10:50 AM
Congrats on a stunning photo!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 08:02:41 AM
Congrats Kiwi. You definitly da man!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 07:57:29 AM
Congrats Kiwi on another ribbon - well deserved. One of my favorites in this challenge. :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 07:00:56 AM
Wonderful indeed. I had no doubts about this one. I wonder why I didn't guessed it was you. But I don't dare to write to much. I am taking your precious time. You are not taking pictures but writting history.
With you on this site I don't even dare to write on forums anymore. I am afraid I will write stupid things and you might read them. Isn't somehow unfair to the world to be so talented and to have such a brilliant mind in the same time?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 06:44:29 AM
Havent you got enough ribbons already! ;) Congratulations on a well deserved ribbon ;) You´re brilling!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 06:19:41 AM
was definitely my favorite of the challenge - glad it did well
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 05:47:18 AM
Great shot Kiwi! I'm thinking I need to come visit with you sometime soon. Maybe some of your incredible creativity will rub off on me?

  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 04:50:23 AM
Nice one! You're on a roll, man ;o)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 03:41:02 AM
OMG another one lol How do you do it? You could close your eyes and still come out with a blue ri bbon next to your name lol

Hey you are away? How can I email ya? lol I wanna show ya something lol
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 03:18:39 AM
Wow wow wow! Thanks for all your comments and votes. I'll never get tired of the feeling I get when I wake up in the morning and find I got a ribbon waiting for me. Yassir, I LIKE it :-)

Natator, I am away from home at a seminar at the moment but once I am back I'll put up a link to the original.
11/19/2003 02:51:46 AM
Hey Gary .....

Any chance at all of seeing the before version of this pic, sort of post crop but pre PS work. I don't understand a lot of what you've said there and would love to try and work through it.

I've often had the same general problem, but have never been able to solve it.

Message edited by author 2003-11-19 02:52:30.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 02:43:31 AM
Great one, hubby! I knew the moment I saw it it had to be the winner. Will see if you do well in Literalisms as well, why now shock everyone with two blue's again? LOL!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 02:34:28 AM
well done Gary ... another blue ... great photo and a great mind to think of it ...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 01:29:52 AM
I new this was the blue ribbon winner the second I saw it. Awesome photo. Going in my favorites.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 12:57:40 AM
Well.. another well deserved ribbon, please mail me your secrets or your lucky charm which ever applies, seriously great job once again, congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 12:22:41 AM
man, you are on fire lately! nice work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 12:21:06 AM
Gary, you suck. try to take some decent photos would you? I'm tired of looking at garbage like this.

oh yeah...AND you're my hero. congrats, my friend...you continue to impress.

Pedro
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 12:10:34 AM
Wow, Gary, you did it again! :-) I was sure about your win, congrats on your very well deserved blue ribbon, they look amazing in your collection! I think it's time for another party. ;-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 12:07:47 AM
Dang, they're gonna run out of ribbons for you! Way to go, yet again!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 12:03:47 AM
Hey Gary...Congrats on another well deserved blue ribbon, there seems to be no end to your talent! This shot is amazing, definately the best of the bunch. Way to Go!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 12:02:15 AM
congrats idol! simplicity is perfect!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/19/2003 12:01:29 AM
*laughs* Here's a surprise. Another very well deserved ribbon indeed :)

Great tech write up there on how it was done, thanks :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
11/18/2003 08:31:28 PM
didn't see this until just now - don't know how I could have missed it. Lovely! Cleaver concept, excellent execution. Wonderful to look at. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/18/2003 03:11:52 PM
Clever approach to the title, technically excellent shot too. I like this because it relies on the reflection of light, rather than the refraction that so many stopped motion water shots do. There's still somethnig not quite gripping about it for me - it may only be that I've played with such effects so much myself :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/18/2003 04:07:23 AM
Beautiful shot, I wouldn't change a thing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/17/2003 08:22:56 PM
Great idea, well executed. Your composition, clarity, lighting - excellent. Love the background and the frame fits this shot well.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/17/2003 09:52:55 AM
Splash! Great lighing here! This has unique creativity all over it! 9 -danny
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/17/2003 03:06:08 AM
well, this will certainly be up there. there's always something about stopped liquid that gets me. excellent shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/16/2003 11:04:38 PM
Lovely. So crisp and clear - a perfect balance of black and white tones. Oddly enough, I especially like the small opaque bubble in the top left. Beautiful. -10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/16/2003 06:30:05 PM
Good job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/16/2003 11:22:35 AM
Great capture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/16/2003 08:46:31 AM
Absolutely beautiful, perfect lighting and composition, I give this a ten, hope to see it in the top 3!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/16/2003 05:22:32 AM
Not a lot critical to say about this. Great idea and well executed. Good luck with a ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/16/2003 04:30:59 AM
I love looking at action shots....nice work
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/15/2003 11:42:23 PM
Beautiful black and white art. Love the "frozen" motion. Composition is good. Very clean and simply well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/15/2003 10:35:25 PM
you are simply showing off. Great shot- but the cube is out of focus.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/15/2003 10:17:39 PM
Very imaginative. Excellent execution. One of my favorites.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/15/2003 02:34:04 PM
Wonderful freeze of motion. The position of the water surface and the iceblock itself makes this a nice composition, the edges of the drop airhole in the water work well as leading lines. I can hear myself think "Plop" when I look at this.
B&W conversion works well here.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/15/2003 01:31:01 PM
Wonderful.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/14/2003 11:49:17 PM
Great shot, one of my favorites. How many did you have to take to get the right one?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/14/2003 07:15:19 PM
The best! A ribbon for sure.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/14/2003 02:18:14 PM
Excellent one! This is ribbon material! 10 from me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/14/2003 11:39:17 AM
Love it! my fave!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/14/2003 11:29:00 AM
the detail is great
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/14/2003 12:39:28 AM
water isn't level, more contrast would have helped, but very nice.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/13/2003 11:55:45 PM
This is cool. I like the b/w and the action associated with the photo
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/13/2003 09:21:06 PM
Good stop action, exellent clarity and contrast!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/13/2003 08:01:03 PM
love this 10...excellent black and white ...good luck
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/13/2003 06:47:57 PM
Awesome!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/13/2003 03:39:05 PM
Nice lighting, contrast and focus. Title fits, too.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/13/2003 02:53:39 PM
Nice, watersplash photos are always fun to look at.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/13/2003 12:20:19 PM
beautiful clean and sharp splash shot :)
great setup and execution ! 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/13/2003 08:01:30 AM
Great !!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/13/2003 06:31:44 AM
Beautiful black and white. So very elegant.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/12/2003 10:40:55 PM
I really want to know how this was shot and more importantly lit. Excellent capture. Please do explain the method after the challeneg will you?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/12/2003 06:06:10 PM
great capture, definitely my favorite of this challenge
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/12/2003 05:08:21 PM
oooh! nice shot! great angle
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/12/2003 03:42:13 PM
Excellent capture of the moment! I love the effect that the sinking ice-cube makes in the water, and also outside the water, the shapes of drops are fantastic. :-) B&W fits this photo very much, too, so one of my very few 10 points during this challenge! Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/12/2003 01:53:34 PM
Beautiful shot, wonderful timing. Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/12/2003 01:09:39 PM
Good shot, perfect timing and lighting. Ties in well with the title.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/12/2003 11:47:41 AM
WOOOW, definitely 10....i love it
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/12/2003 10:49:44 AM
Great Black and white shot...very well done, the border added to the photo...10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/12/2003 10:32:03 AM
very nice capture....cube is not totally in focus but i doubt that is really possible...the splash is completely in focus and and your exposure is excellent..great job...9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/12/2003 05:47:00 AM
Exceptional. The black background with the light ice is very effective indeed, and you seem to have got the timing for the splash perfect. Great stuff.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/12/2003 05:25:10 AM
Good moment you've got there. Well done
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/12/2003 03:37:39 AM
Ribbon winner! 10.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
11/12/2003 01:54:08 AM
Excellent, magical!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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