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Spleen (IV)
3rd PlaceSpleen (IV)
gyaban


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Never Seen on DPC II (Expert Editing)
Camera: Canon EOS-5D Mark II
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Date: Jun 2, 2011
Date Uploaded: Jun 2, 2011

 "Spleen (IV)" is a famous poem, written by Charles Baudelaire in 1857.
"Spleen" in poetry is a kind of a melancholic feeling mixed with anxiety of existing. The word itself actually refers to the human organ: at the time, it was believed that it was producing black bile, inducing these negative feelings.

I happen to own a 1900 edition of the Baudelaire's book: I am holding it in the photo, opened at this poem's page. From there, I tried to represent a situation illustrating the kind of emotion communicated by the poem.

Technically, about 7 hours of driving were needed to gather the needed elements (the water cascades were a bit far from home, but I was feeling that they were needed). Lots of shooting too, about 500 photos both outdoors and in studio. Postprocessing luckily went quite smoothly (about 8 hours straight), so that everything was finished a couple of hours before rollover.

I do realize that this submission's atmosphere is not exactly joyful and smiling, but I sure hope that some will still enjoy it.

Thank you all for the votes and comments, much appreciated!

Statistics
Place: 3 out of 80
Avg (all users): 6.8411
Avg (commenters): 8.0000
Avg (participants): 6.5227
Avg (non-participants): 6.9720
Views since voting: 5993
Views during voting: 491
Votes: 151
Comments: 45
Favorites: 5 (view)

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AuthorThread
 08/09/2011 01:00:41 PM
Surely Sad Surrealistic Stupendous somehow superbly Stunning.

(corrected, there are 2-r's in surrealistic)

Message edited by author 2011-08-09 13:02:26.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/13/2011 03:36:24 PM
I'm so glad your hard work has been rewarded. Congratulations on a superb image. All the subtle detail.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/13/2011 10:11:37 AM
Fabulous piece! Absolutely stunning!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/12/2011 08:06:18 PM
merci, gyaban
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/11/2011 01:47:32 AM
Magnificent!!Congratulations!

Message edited by author 2011-06-11 01:50:15.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 09:41:37 PM
Outstanding editing. I can see this in a contemporary gallery. Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 06:08:20 PM
I really like this... in voting, before I even understood the Spleen reference (had to read your description to figure it out) this picture already represented that melancholic, axious feeling that comes with existence. Beautifully done piece of art.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 05:12:42 PM
Congrats on the ribbon, I did think this was going to score higher then mine though. You have inspiring, beautiful, and thoughtful work!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 02:49:54 PM
When you open a dictionary and look up the word "dedication", there's a picture of gyaban next to the word.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 01:37:57 PM
I just love your work and am amazed at the amount of time and energy that you put into this. Well done but I am surprised it was below a 7 final average.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 11:12:37 AM
Genius!!! Love seeing this on the front page and image that, you with another ribbon, lol!!!
Congrats on a well deserved ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 06:28:24 AM
Another amazing piece of art from you, Christophe! Thanks too for the title explanation. Seamless editing. Huge congrats on the ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 06:06:23 AM
Tend to agree about the eye,Thanks for explaining the idea.Congratulations.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 05:38:40 AM
wonderfully done! I agree about the eyes. It seems like there should be a little more to them. The water on the page and flowing off the page is so beautifully done! Congrats on a great yellow. I so enjoy seeing your work!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 03:35:24 AM
The amount of effort you put into your shots overwhelms me! Another excellent creation.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 03:15:47 AM
Congrats with the red ribbon. Excellent image that clearly required some skilled editing. The result is stunning.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 01:43:40 AM
congratulations! nice job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 01:04:48 AM
I need arts stamp, congrats Christophe
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 12:38:33 AM
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 12:19:18 AM
This sort of thing is your forte! Congrats on the latest addition to your ribbon collection.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 12:19:12 AM
One of my two 10 votes.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 12:05:20 AM
I'm so impressed with the work and detail you put into your images.

I have to say that I don't like her blank eye... it really puts me off, and seems a bit amateurish (this is probably only due to my own naivety about art). *cringe*

I do love your creative mind... and I'm glad you ribboned since you definitely worked for it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
06/09/2011 07:15:41 PM
I am not a fan of these kinds of photos but this one is pretty cool - nice job
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/09/2011 11:09:39 AM
You made me search for spleen 1-3!! I'm crushed that I couldn't find them. :(

Very cool, yet disturbing...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/09/2011 01:04:00 AM
my highest rated image. Really spectacular work!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/08/2011 02:58:18 PM
Love it!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/08/2011 01:35:27 PM
scary, groundbreaking, terrific.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/05/2011 11:08:56 PM
Yeee Haaaa Very nice how the sun is in the book!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/05/2011 06:07:25 PM
Not your best work, but still great :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/05/2011 05:01:08 PM
Oh my lord, so creepy in a weird way... Good PP though.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/05/2011 12:14:26 PM
No I havn,t anyway.May like it better if I understood it.But maybe not or maybe there nowt to understand 7.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/05/2011 09:27:47 AM
Back to comment... Very awesome conceptial work! This must have taken ages to put together. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/05/2011 04:00:49 AM
blue
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2011 10:35:02 PM
Very creative and sad, but beautifully done! Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2011 01:01:58 PM
A lot of skillful work here but so slick and so illustrative that it really falls into the deja vu images.
Masterly work though.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2011 12:21:24 AM
way cool
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/03/2011 07:34:34 PM
Some excellent editing on this - I especially like the water falling from the book, how you've lined up the bowl, sun/moon path, and sun/star. Love the birds in the sky. Not sure I get the red flower/ribbon. Don't like the stuff coming from her eye - can't tell if it is supposed to be salt or water. You have several little "touches" here that help glue it all together - her wet hair, for instance.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/03/2011 12:10:25 PM
Beautiful, haunting. Gorgeously pp'd.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/03/2011 10:34:07 AM
Chapter 4, Tears of sorrow flow unchecked from an undescribable sense of loss hath created thy drenching pool for which I cannot hope to escape. Hence my heart hath fallen, down, down into the vastness of the deep, hopeless, bottomless pit of the shadow of once was my life, the castle, the heaven, the bliss. All gone, gone forever into the endless eternity. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/03/2011 10:28:40 AM
Totally contemporary art. Fabulous use of editing. Way to go.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/03/2011 12:47:47 AM
Hell yes, this photo rocks!10. Hope it ribbons
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/03/2011 12:32:20 AM
spleen the dpl team?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/03/2011 12:21:15 AM
amazing editing !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/03/2011 12:16:52 AM
Very Impressive...I'm not going to vote in this challenge, BUT I would have given this a 10 and will not be suprised when this gets the Blue Ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/03/2011 12:10:42 AM
Spooky
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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