DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 
Challenge Entries

 
You are viewing 1st place.
2nd
Portfolio Images
This image is not part of a public portfolio.
Hallowed Be Thy Name (Iron Maiden)
1st PlaceHallowed Be Thy Name (Iron Maiden)
gyaban


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Heavy Metal Song Titles (Expert Editing)
Date: Dec 15, 2011
Date Uploaded: Dec 15, 2011

 In order to create this image, I went through some heavy metal band's covers, and found that Iron Maiden's ones were quite interesting. They are consistent in style, feature "Eddie", their mascot, and depict dramatic situations: I liked them, and decided to try and create another one, exactly like for a "In the style of..." DPC challenge.

"Hallowed Be Thy Name" is one of their classic song. Instead of illustrating what is actually happening in it from an external point of view, I wanted to show how it could have been perceived by the sentenced unfortunate person, in his imagination. From there, the idea of using Eddie to represent the condemned man's perception of lack of God came quickly.

Some words about the photos:
- The background is composed of photos of sky, at night. I was out almost every night of the week with my camera, until I got lucky and shot what I was hoping for: the moon clearly appearing in a hole, in a very cloudy sky. There was a lot of wind, and the clouds were moving fast: I had to use a fast shutter, and consequently, rise the ISOs, even at f/2.8. Fortunately, the camera did the job well, and denoising the result was not a problem. As you probably guessed, these moon shots became the eyes of Eddie.
- The bell is the one at my garden's door. I had to unscrew it, bring it to the home studio, and shot it by emulating the light coming out of Eddie's eyes.
- The man is composed of 2 photos of me: one with a rope around the neck, but with the feet on the ground, and another where I lift myself, holding a beam, so that my legs were in adequate position. I blended the 2 photos in post production.

The processing wasn't too long. The light around the eyes was mostly good, so I didn't have to change much things: I simply burned darker lines in order to create the wrinkles, composing Eddie's face. I would have thought it to be extremely difficult, but in fact, using a tablet, it went quite smoothly. The same technique was used for the hand: I chose another image of clouds where the light was close to what I wanted, pasted it as a new layer over the picture, then masked it in the wanted shape and burned wrinkles again. Finally, I created some shadows on the bell, added the blood, some blue filters for good measure, and that was it.

Thank you all again for your votes and comments! Much appreciated. Regarding the "Digital art" VS "photo" controversy, honestly, I don't care much about it: as I stated several times, what I try to do is a convincing final result, whatever the tools used for that. One can use photos to create something that doesn't look like one - yet good photography skills are required (that is the case here), or one can paint a canvas and achieve a photo-realistic result (although this requires some serious painting skills). Debating over the categories names is nothing that excites me, I much prefer to spend my time creating stuff that I like.

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 67
Avg (all users): 7.1129
Avg (commenters): 8.2667
Avg (participants): 7.0714
Avg (non-participants): 7.1341
Views since voting: 8309
Views during voting: 384
Votes: 124
Comments: 41
Favorites: 11 (view)

Please log in or register to add your comments!

AuthorThread
 12/28/2011 06:10:44 AM
Awesome! That is MUCH better than the new artist they have!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/25/2011 09:38:49 AM
Wow! What can I say. The artistry is amazing beyond words! Congratulations!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2011 10:16:46 AM
It would be awesome if there was a way to submit this to the band. You're talent is lightyears ahead of most.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/24/2011 12:00:24 AM
This had winner written all over it!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2011 10:43:57 PM
Awesome work, great description of your photo and editing process and excellent approach towards everything. I think those who balance both the technical and artistic qualities of photography produce the most consistent and compelling pieces of work. Getting it "right" in-camera is definitely important but so is expertise editing in post to bring out your vision.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2011 04:24:23 PM
Great work as always Christophe, glad I was one of your 10s! And congrats too on sticking to your guns during that silly debate that keeps arising here.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2011 02:49:46 PM
Well done on yet another ribbon. What struck me (pardon the pun) was the final touch of the bloodied marks on either side of the inside of the bell, where the blood soaked head mask has hit either side during rings. Odd no-one else picked up this little detail or that you mentioned it in your comments. Une image très macabre. Joyeux Noël à vous et votre femme. J'espère que vous obtenez quelques dormir ce soir!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2011 01:00:59 PM
Congrats on the Blue with this most amazing creation. Your skill and imagination continues to evolve and give all of us inspiration. Thanks for commenting on how this image came into being. Wonderful work as always Cristophe.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2011 11:28:41 AM
Great stuff Cristophe...this was one of my favorites...and my favorite Iron Maiden song! :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2011 10:00:58 AM
i thought it was so kewl you got eddie in there!!! yay glad you won
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2011 06:39:05 AM
Congratulations on another fine image and ribbon,and thanks for all the info.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2011 06:18:06 AM
Thought this was yours just from the style and professional look. Loved it in voting, it is a great piece.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2011 01:51:25 AM
Congrats on the blue Christophe, for me this is one of your best and was a straigt 10. Please add a description as to how you made this image, I would love to know.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2011 12:47:22 AM
Congrats on your ribbon Christophe! If I may be totally honest with you friend, I have to say I more appreciate your reality based images, but you did a great job with the digital art in this- and I really like the look of light on that bell photograph! ;)

Message edited by author 2011-12-23 00:48:05.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2011 12:27:14 AM
You should sell it to Iron Maiden to use it as an album cover - at least you can try ;)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2011 12:15:12 AM
Congratulations! I miss having you describe how you set up the shot and what you did to create the final image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2011 12:04:31 AM
Congrats, Christophe, on your RIBBON!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2011 12:02:54 AM
Congratulations Christophe! I was pretty sure this was yours, and that it was blue. I'm honoured to be standing next to you!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/23/2011 12:01:25 AM
Congrats! Your skills will never cease to amaze me!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
12/22/2011 05:04:29 PM
fantastic!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/22/2011 10:25:00 AM
Masterful digital image and fits the song extremely well.. this could be an album cover for the band.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/21/2011 12:59:23 PM
Compared to the rest of the entries, this seems to be the best edit. But IMO it crosses into Digital Art and is a bit too far from photography as the rule set requires. No doubt a tremendous example of extremely creative work, but I think SC should consider a new category identified as "Digital Art" for works of this level.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/21/2011 12:29:04 AM
Totaly Awesome
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/20/2011 06:19:53 PM
Good illustrative idea but less appealing artistic result.
no vote
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/20/2011 11:55:58 AM
Now that's an album cover if I ever saw one! Well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2011 08:46:06 PM
Very nice collage.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2011 07:47:32 PM
One of your more disturbing images, Christophe!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2011 05:45:13 PM
I like the artwork, but despite Eddie and supernatural is so much part of Iron Maiden visuals, many of their songs are, at least as I see it, much more about real life with no supernatural interventions. An Hallowed by Thy Name really is about the indifference of god, rather than his active interest in human sufference. But I love the bell touch :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2011 01:01:20 PM
Very creative, and such masterful editing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2011 11:47:25 AM
Nice could be a cd cover
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2011 09:42:03 AM
A really great shot, I think a ribbon may be inevitable for you! How you achieved this, I have no idea, so I can't say much from a technical standpoint other than your "image" seems properly exposed, haha. I'm not sure how the song you've associated this image with goes, and I don't exactly see the connection between title and content, but I think you've done an excellent job with this.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2011 05:56:55 AM
Christophe, one of your best images! My prediction is that it will go close or ever over 8 - at least it would deserve it!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2011 04:29:06 AM
Amazing thought and processing the use of the elements.....8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/17/2011 02:02:25 AM
This is fantastic! I love everything about it. 10. (It could also be Hell's Bells.)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/16/2011 10:42:12 PM
nice
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/16/2011 04:49:00 PM
And Gyaban takes it again...wiiiiiiiiicked!!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/16/2011 01:21:32 PM
Wow! This is an amazing piece of work. Fits Iron Maiden to a T.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/16/2011 11:08:12 AM
Very nice work,near the top in my opinion.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/16/2011 08:29:02 AM
Terrific. Certainly worthy of an album cover.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/16/2011 07:26:31 AM
christoph? nice skull how did you do that? drew it photoshop or photographed a mask etc? love the detail on the hand of teh beast, and the attention to detail in no shoes and feet hanging down. giles
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/16/2011 12:48:53 AM
My pick of the challenge. Amazing!
  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: 03/31/2025 12:35:27 AM EDT.