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 This image was disqualified from the Fantasy World challenge.
Alien Birth
Alien Birth
swallace


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Fantasy World (Advanced Editing IV)
Camera: Olympus C-750UZ
Location: Nacogdoches, Texas
Date: Jun 14, 2005
Aperture: F2.8
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/20.0 sec
Galleries: Still Life, Digital Art
Date Uploaded: Jun 18, 2005

 While trying to think of something for this challenge, an egg cracking open with light coming out kept coming into my mind. I tried several ways to make this happen, flashlights, etc. Finally did it this way:

Carefully made a hole in the bottom of an egg and cleaned out the inside and rinsed out with water. Made several smaller holes in the upper part of the egg and very, very gently squeezed the egg to make the cracks appear. I then took an empty wine bottle, a birthday candle, and a small piece of fresh bread. I made a small ball out of the bread, stuck the bottom of the birthday candle into the bread, stuck the ball of bread into the mouth of the bottle, turned off all of the lights, and lit the candle, slid the opening in the bottom of the egg over the candle and balanced the egg. I didn't get it right the first few times :-), it took some patience. It also burned the egg shell, you can see the dark band around the top of the shell in the photo. It filled my house with a pretty nasty odor. Whoops....

Post-processing: Cloned out a small area on the right that had some light showing up on a door in the background, cloned out a small portion of the top of the wine bottle; USM; the small area on top of the egg was so bright, I decided to add the Light Rays (PaintShop Pro 8); cropped slightly; resized for challenge; ran through NeatImage to smooth up a little bit.
Disqualification Details
Cloning, dodging, burning, etc. to improve your photo or remove imperfections or minor distracting elements, etc. is acceptable. However, using any editing tools to duplicate, create, or move major elements of your photograph is not permitted.

Statistics
Views since voting: 1458
Views during voting: 442
Comments: 28
Favorites: 1 (view)

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AuthorThread
 06/30/2005 09:25:19 PM
Even though you were disqualified, Awsome photo and good job!!
 06/28/2005 10:35:22 AM
Thanks for all of the helpful comments and for the votes.

I really appreciate it,
Stephen
 06/27/2005 09:34:40 AM
What a fanciful effect! Congratulations on your top 10 finish with this top notch entry.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
06/26/2005 11:32:34 PM
Excellent, excellent Alien image. Good quality and a top image in this challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/26/2005 12:47:59 PM
interesting... the many things u can do with an egg..
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/25/2005 03:42:39 AM
The light rays are so crisp and the glowing shell is amazing! great job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/23/2005 05:35:08 PM
You're probably hearing this a lot, but this HAS to be one of the top 3, if not the top spot. It's truly an amazing photograph that conveys the challenge topic beautifully! 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/23/2005 12:18:54 AM
this is one of the coolest shot in the challenge!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/22/2005 09:28:44 PM
Wow, that is a cool shot. I could totally see this on a movie poster. I could do without the light spot on lower left, but love the image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/22/2005 05:05:24 PM
very very cool and inspiring
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/22/2005 01:16:11 PM
I really like this image. My highest scored in this challenge for sure! This is a good example of taking common objects and making them feel foreign almost. The lighting used is great. Great work!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/22/2005 01:06:57 PM
Illusion? Toy? Never the less and extrordinary performance.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/22/2005 11:33:03 AM
Excellent work. Really well done. 9 - Bumping it up to 10. I'm reminded of the movie "Alien" (as I'm sure others are as well). I'd love to know how you accomplished this effect.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/22/2005 10:58:40 AM
VERY COOL
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/21/2005 05:36:31 PM
Fabulous image. The lighting is great. I love the rays.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/21/2005 12:15:55 AM
It bothers me that it is a little blurry, but the overall concept, composition, colours etc more than make up for it. Great take on the challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/20/2005 11:11:47 PM
your little rays of light are absolutely fantastic. i'm guessing the dark area was a necessary outcome of the lightsource? wish it had the same coloring as the rest of the egg
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/20/2005 06:42:45 PM
Creative. I like the bottom 2/3's of the egg, but the top part is kind of garbled and hard to make out. Major points for trying !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/20/2005 04:35:40 PM
very interesting, definately not a photo you see every day...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/20/2005 03:41:13 PM
Neat. Love the lighting. I get a feeling of suspense looking at this one. Good job.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/20/2005 12:59:05 PM
cool concept, but the dark band at the top of the egg is rather distracting. otherwise, nicely done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/20/2005 11:29:26 AM
the streaks are nice but the light from the hole is too bright.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/20/2005 08:20:18 AM
nice one, but it needs to br more sharp
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/20/2005 06:24:30 AM
was this shot against a black background,as there is no lighting from the light
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/20/2005 04:50:01 AM
Good shot, just seems a little soft on the egg, although the light rays are really good. 6
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/20/2005 04:48:19 AM
well done this is a creative look at life . 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/20/2005 01:44:02 AM
Very imaginative. I like this idea alot. A for originality.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/20/2005 01:10:20 AM
Beautifully done. Right out of the Alien movie tradition. One of only a few that lived up to the spirit of the challenge this week. Great job, feels like a ribbon contender to me. I hope your comments will tell us how you did it!
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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