DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 
Challenge Entries
Portfolio Images
This image is not part of a public portfolio.
Slowly, but Surely
Slowly, but Surely
Blue Moon


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Progress (Basic Editing III)
Camera: Canon PowerShot A80
Location: my driveway
Date: Jul 11, 2006
Aperture: 2.8
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/800
Galleries: Nature, Animals
Date Uploaded: Jul 11, 2006

 This was very difficult to do, but was really fun!

:::After Challenge:::

I'm pretty satisfied with this one, I at least got in the top 20. This is the third challenge I've entered. This is definitely my best score yet, with my "Straight from the camera" being in 182nd place and my "10" being at 125th place, 18th place in this challenge is a real improvement.

Ok, I bet you want to know more details about this other than "it was fun" (I only wrote that b/c I was trying to make the deadline). So, first off...no snails were killed in the making of this pic. I needed it alive, duh. The stick/fishing pole is actually a straightened paper clip I dipped in brown paint. The string is really just thread. The arrow is just a paper arrow. And the snail...is really just a snail. Pretty basic, huh?

(The Creation)
Well, it may have been basic, but it was the hardest thing I've ever shot. First I did the paper clip and arrow, which was the easiest part. Then, I had to attach the thread to the paper clip, JUST right with super glue. I then took a very small pebble and put it on the end of the thread(for weight) and then glued on the arrow. Then I took the snail and wrapped thread around it's shell, making sure that it wasn't in the snails way at all. Then I glued the paper clip onto the snail's shell. I didn't actually tie on the "fishing pole" onto the snail b/c I knew I'd never be able to get it off. Then I took it outside and began to shoot...which was even harder!

(The Shoot)
OK, so originally, I wanted to have the snail with the arrow crawling/sliding on a stick in front of a road sign (I made) that was pointing in the opposite direction than the snail was heading. I really like this idea, but soon found it impossible due to heavy winds and my snail's apparent inner ear problem that didn't allow him to stay on a stick for more than 2 seconds. Plan B: I told myself to "think simple" which of course, usually isn't hard for me :)
I put the little guy on my driveway, which caused that crooked horizon people were commenting about. I wanted to have some significant DOF and a nice, easy background. The problem was that the stupid sun has a mind of its own and thinks it can move whenever the hell it wants to, therefore causing over exposure on anything but the grass. That was pretty much it, but also keep in mind that the wind was blowing that arrow around like crazy; and the snail actually had to be looking and GOING in the direction that the arrow was pointing. It kept heading for the grass...I wonder why :)

(Editing)
Yeah, that was hard too, especially since I waited until the half hour before the challenge ended to do so. Since there was bright light at the top of the pic, I could only lighten the snail so much with out totally washing out the grass color. I compromised by sharpening it more than usual, which at least helped. The only reason I didn't fix the horizon was b/c I was running out of time, and didn't realize until 4 days later that you could tilt the horizon in smaller incriments than I thought.

Alright, I think that's it. Thank you all for voting and commenting, especially the commenting b/c I never thought I'd have so many!

P.S. I DID take the stick and arrow off the snail when I was done. I didn't want it to be wandering around for eternity never getting anywhere...I'm not cruel you know.
;p

Here's the better version:

Statistics
Place: 18 out of 152
Avg (all users): 6.1742
Avg (commenters): 6.9032
Avg (participants): 6.0351
Avg (non-participants): 6.2126
Views since voting: 1800
Views during voting: 430
Votes: 264
Comments: 40
Favorites: 6 (view)

Please log in or register to add your comments!

AuthorThread
 01/31/2007 05:12:14 PM
Haha! The horizon is crooked, but otherwise this is just great. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2006 10:17:00 PM
Wow Leah, what a wonderfully creative and funny idea!

In my opinion, the only thing you did wrong was the setting. The texture of the driveway and the grass in the background are merely distractions from the real story, which is, of course, the snail with its funny little fishing pole and sign. You could have simplified the image and focused the viewer's attention on the snail by shooting it on a sheet of blank paper or smooth plastic. Some yellow poster board probably would have worked great.

Anyway, it was a great idea and a funny image. Congrats!

  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/24/2006 04:30:11 PM
Love it! :D

Reading your editing comments and thought of something... Did you try shadow/highlight? That might help, not sure without trying it :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/22/2006 12:25:27 AM
Great idea, pretty good execution, fantastic story. Thanks! Going into my favorite pictures. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/19/2006 01:23:27 AM
Lol. great sense of humor and delighful execution here. Congratulations on your top 20 finish.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
07/18/2006 07:55:01 PM
7 for making me laugh.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/18/2006 06:17:38 PM
Gotta give you mucho credit for your creativity. This picture definetely made me smile
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/18/2006 05:22:26 PM
Great idea!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/18/2006 04:44:18 PM
nice image but Iwish the file size was bigger. The max allowable is 150 kb, your image is 35 kb. This means you could have had nearly five times the detail in the shell sould have been much better. Here is a link to the preparing submissions for challenges tutorial. This tutorial is based on using photoshop, but I think it would help your scores to look into whatever software you are using to get the biggest file size you can for images. You obviously put in some work to this photo, and I notice alt of photos get scored low solely because is altillte too small or is alittle jaggedy which comes from small file size, hope this helps you out.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/18/2006 03:45:23 PM
Very funny setup. You could get committed for less... :-) Nice shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/18/2006 09:14:28 AM
Dude, that´s just mean! Like picking wings of flies or something, lol! Poor fella never knew what hit him, just suddenly had a dart in front of his face, hehe :) I actually laughed out loud with this one, we apparently have the same sense of humor! 7 from me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/18/2006 12:26:08 AM
aha what??
thats creative
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/16/2006 02:46:44 PM
LOL...clever
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/15/2006 07:18:21 PM
Now that's just hilarious!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/15/2006 06:03:27 PM
Aww, man! That's snail abuse! Poor little fellow. But a cute shot nd meets the challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/15/2006 09:40:20 AM
I like the angle of this shot, and the arrow is really amusing and kicks this up to a creative level..
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/14/2006 06:00:32 PM
Dr. Achoo? Is that you???? ;)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/14/2006 05:16:16 AM
Haha! What do you think the snail was thinking as you did this?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/13/2006 11:40:44 PM
So creative!!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/13/2006 11:17:53 PM
What a cute shot and idea
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/13/2006 10:01:30 PM
This is my life! I was a little distracted by thshallow depth of field, but must've been tough with such tiny subject matter. If your camera lens won't do it, screw on close-up lenses are an inexpensive way to go.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/13/2006 12:59:29 PM
Nice!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/13/2006 12:15:07 PM
:)Creative mind!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/13/2006 12:02:25 PM
LOL too cute!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/13/2006 11:26:42 AM
Funny and witty. I hope it does well.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/13/2006 10:07:59 AM
Heheh, this is a great concept.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/13/2006 09:35:42 AM
Wow..cruelty to animals...but hilarious. Nice camera angle and DOF.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/13/2006 07:49:14 AM
that's hillarious...well done, hope the snail eventually got the idea :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/13/2006 07:29:42 AM
HAHA, very funny ... i like it the DOF is nice
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/13/2006 06:43:23 AM
nice pic, thats an original take on this. the snail looking at the arrow makes all the difference
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/12/2006 09:37:38 PM
Gotta give you an 8 for humor. You need to watch your unlevel horizon, and some more use of basic post processing tools would help. But a good laugh. Thanks.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/12/2006 09:09:17 PM
That's kinda cruel.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/12/2006 08:22:51 PM
clever! I'd like to see this bigger - I think the wide pano crop on such a small image loses detail, but your concept is well expressed.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/12/2006 08:12:54 PM
Nice idea ;o)
Like the arrow
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/12/2006 07:00:42 PM
awesome awesome, nicely done
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/12/2006 05:55:07 PM
Oh the poor snail! It's a shame you couldn't find a little carrot or something instead of the arrow. Funny.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/12/2006 02:37:45 PM
omg this is funny
9 because the quality couldve been better
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/12/2006 05:39:06 AM
idea is a winner, but the DIY look, the tilt and the strange crop spoils all the fun. 5
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/12/2006 01:46:36 AM
HAHAHAHA I love it!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/12/2006 01:00:23 AM
cute...
  Photographer found comment helpful.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 03/12/2025 02:27:08 AM EDT.