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Ballet dreams
1st PlaceBallet dreams
Budya


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Personification III (Basic Editing)
Camera: Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D
Lens: Konica Minolta AF 100mm f/2.8 Macro
Date: Dec 16, 2008
Aperture: 22
ISO: 800
Shutter: 1/15
Date Uploaded: Dec 16, 2008
[Dec. 17th, 2008 09:21:05 PM]

I am very surprised by this score and truly grateful for all the comments and votes. I wish this challenge came up a week earlier and was included in the DPCO-IV. Oh, well.

There are have been quite a few questions of how I did this and I decided not to wait until next week to wrtie it up. I am sure there are other more elegant ways to achieve this effect and I would love to hear any suggestions. Here is the setup:

The ballerina is a paper cutout that I taped to a sheet of white paper. It is backlit to create the illusion of the shadow. I positioned the nail at the base of the shadow (the hardest part was to make all of this look connected). I used a flashlight on minimal setting to highlight the nail but not to cause any shadows (the backlight was quite strong, so that took care of the nail shadow).

Procesing is pretty straightforward:
- converted to tritone
- curves
- brightness and contrast
- noise reduction
- resize
- sharpen
- add the border

*** Post Challenge ***
Wow. I am still amazed -- I have never received so many comments before. Thank you for all your votes and feedback. I cannot believe I spent the whole week hitting the update button. :)

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 75
Avg (all users): 7.4638
Avg (commenters): 8.4375
Avg (participants): 6.5909
Avg (non-participants): 7.5540
Views since voting: 12499
Views during voting: 577
Votes: 235
Comments: 65
Favorites: 30 (view)

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AuthorThread
 12/29/2008 10:41:17 AM
Hello again Budya,
Finally I found out the name of the photographer: VLAD ARTAZOV. He has a quite big collection of his famous "nails"
Here you have a valid link. ENJOY IT

//www.photoforum.ru/user/5808/photos.0.0.date.desc.0.0.0.1.en.html
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/28/2008 08:20:01 PM
Originally posted by azofaifa:
Hello Budya,
I love this image but I've seen it before...I think Art V is the nick name of the photographer and I suppose you got your inspiration from him... Am I wrong?
I attach the image I'm referred to.
Will you solve my doubt?
Thanks and regardsIve found more places with this image.


I am so glad that you found this image -- I did see this image many years ago on one Russian photo forum but could not remember where I saw it or who shot it. Too bad, your links don't seem to name the photographer or provide links to his/her site. I contemplated different subjects for it -- safety pins, bolts, push pins but at the end decided that a nail would be more elegant.
 12/28/2008 11:26:10 AM
Sorry, I think links was not included. here it is:

//www.nyf6.com/bbs/UploadFile/2008-6/20086198375960340.jpg

//www.nyf6.com/bbs/dv_rss.asp?s=xhtml&boardid=54&id=62244&page=3&star=39&count=421

//whiteowl.blog.siol.net/2008/03/30/igra-2/
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/28/2008 11:19:48 AM
Hello Budya,
I love this image but I've seen it before...I think Art V is the nick name of the photographer and I suppose you got your inspiration from him... Am I wrong?
I attach the image I'm referred to.
Will you solve my doubt?
Thanks and regardsIve found more places with this image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/27/2008 10:28:16 AM
Congratulations on your blue, very well deserved with this outstanding image!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/26/2008 11:25:00 AM
Congratulations on this! Great to see it perfected!

These are mine from previous challenges. Two different methods on the same subject.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 07:09:00 PM
That's a great setup idea, I'd never have guessed that's how you did it. Brilliant effect though, and I really like the tones as well.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 03:44:29 PM
WTG, Anna! I loved this from the first moment I saw it. It's "only" a nail and a shadow but it's so poignantly beautiful. Great work and congrats on your blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 03:32:53 PM
Congrats on a beautiful, poignant image. Thanks for sharing how you did it!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 02:54:27 PM
Well done on your first blue! It's a wonderful image :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 11:01:56 AM
Anna - This shot just rocks. Congrats on the Blue! So well deserved.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 10:34:54 AM
Oh, Anna! How amazing. The only thing surprising is that you are surprised at how well it did. It is such a great photo! Congratulations!

  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 10:26:51 AM
Congratulations, and thanks for sharing your methods!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 09:12:52 AM
Anna completes the ribbon trifecta with a whooping PB... oh man, beautiful Anna
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 05:28:06 AM
I love the simplicity and minimalism of this - although technically difficult to pull off well - you have made it look so subtle. Well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 05:21:41 AM
Very creative and brilliantly executed photography. An outstanding winner in this weeks challengs. Thank god this challenge was not last week and not part of the DPCO;)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 04:25:56 AM
Congrats on the blue and the PB. This is fantastic!!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 03:49:44 AM
Wow congrats
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 01:58:44 AM
congrats! glad to see she's not always nekkid!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 01:45:23 AM
Anna, congratulations on the Blue! Great idea and excellent execution! WTG - it is your NPB! You are worming up for February I see!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 01:34:09 AM
congratz on the ribbon and your new personal best!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 01:28:57 AM
Brilliant, awesome, creative, clever and masterfully executed. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 01:13:19 AM
quite beautiful in a wonderfully simple way...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 12:41:24 AM
Yaaaay!!!! Oh, I'm so happy for you. Such a great idea, and so very well done. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 12:24:15 AM
Brilliant!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 12:23:34 AM
great idea and flawless execution, with great attention to all details including making the wonderful highlight on the nail with a flashlight (made me wonder where the nail shadow was :)). Congrats on the 1st place, Anna, well deserved!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 12:22:17 AM
That is pretty much how I figured you did it. Very creative! Well worthy of a ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 12:10:57 AM
Congratulations on your ribbon! Nicely done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2008 12:03:25 AM
AWESOME :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
12/23/2008 07:38:33 PM
I like this though I'm not seeing how the shadow was produced. Doesn't matter, I guess. Nice job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2008 03:56:22 PM
I love the shape of the shadow and the nail, a near perfect example of personification - but if I were you, I would change the background colour to blue or pink, blue signifying sadness, or pink signifying ballerina.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2008 03:18:29 PM
Oh, very well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2008 12:13:26 PM
I'm interested in knowing how you did the shadow. I expect to see this in the top 10.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2008 12:36:39 AM
Lovely and creative!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/22/2008 11:02:52 PM
Brilliant, love it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/22/2008 09:15:12 PM
Awesome, Just awesome! I just started scoring, but this is a front pager if I've ever seen one. Perfect!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/21/2008 08:14:55 PM
cool!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/21/2008 06:42:33 PM
I don't know if it's just me but this is the first truly appealing image I have seen so far in this challenge. Interesting juxtaposition and evokes an emotion in me. Also a non-obvious take on the challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/21/2008 06:12:02 PM
Well done! I was trying to figure out how to do something like this for the Shadow challenge, so I'll be interested to read your comments about how you set this up.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/21/2008 12:35:05 PM
Fantastic idea! Good luck.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/21/2008 12:15:33 AM
w o w
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/20/2008 06:59:52 PM
Now how did you come up with this? Why do I not have your imagination. Great shot. Just a week too early for the shadow comp. should do well
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/20/2008 06:28:13 AM
This is a beautiful capture and I wonder how you got the shadow's shape. 9 for me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/19/2008 09:04:31 PM
lol nice shot
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/19/2008 06:31:38 PM
Beautiful photo. Could you post a photo (or at least an illustration) of the setup?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/19/2008 06:01:43 PM
this is going to get the 'shadows' challenge competitors thinking.
(the shadow is being cast from stage left) Neat idea - good luck 7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/19/2008 01:23:11 PM
outstanding creativity here
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/19/2008 06:44:13 AM
great! crerative and well excuted. my favorit.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/18/2008 10:20:51 PM
This is the best of the bunch, IMHO. Wonderful concept!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/18/2008 07:04:29 PM
Clever shot. 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/18/2008 12:09:34 PM
great imagination. very well executed. I love the tones you converted the pic to.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/18/2008 11:44:48 AM
Very creative and well executed!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/18/2008 10:21:14 AM
I'm curious to know how you did it! The photo is great! One of my favorites in this challenge!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/18/2008 02:20:37 AM
How the heck?? Maybe I am just to tired to see how ya did this one.. but I like the pic.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2008 09:12:55 PM
brilliant! i want to hear how you did this!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2008 07:43:34 PM
How did you get that shadow? Looks really nice!
Like the concept, the title is really well chosen.
Also, like the image tone.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2008 05:04:14 PM
I really really like this shot, if only you could have known that this weeks challenge was going to be shadows lol....
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2008 05:01:05 PM
Darn clever... my question is how does the ballerina relate to the nail? Does the nail wish it could dance? I like this photo quite a bit, but I curious about the "story".
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2008 04:04:55 PM
Wonderfully poetic shot...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2008 01:30:55 PM
One of the best in the challenge. So soulful and perfect in bw. I'm dying to know how you got that shadow in basic.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2008 12:33:37 PM
Amazing that you could do this within the rules restrictions. It just hit me how it's possible, but still, wonderful. This would work for the shadows challenge too. Love it. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2008 12:19:39 PM
It's been a while since I've given a 10, thank you :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2008 09:44:55 AM
Wow.... this is marvellous. Hit the nail on the head, as it were... (my apologies, I just HAD to use the pun) :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2008 08:49:14 AM
Maybe B/W would make this look better. I like the idea overall, my only nitpick is that it's a bit flat. A little bit more contrast would really make this pop.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2008 06:41:51 AM
So up comes the shadow challenge ;-) Nice idea.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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