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Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Nightmares II (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Canon EOS-30D
Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM
Location: Logan Cemetary
Date: Apr 19, 2009
Aperture: F5.6
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/320 Sec.
Date Uploaded: Apr 19, 2009

 WOW!!!!! I had no idea this shot would ribbon! I wasn't even planning on entering this challenge. We live close to the cemetery that's by the university here and my wife loves to take walks there. Saturday was a warm sunny day and we went out and flew kites and then took a stroll through the cemetery. I thought something from the graveyard might be interesting so I just found an older looking headstone and tried the zoom blur, but that was meh at best. I then saw a puddle of mud next to the headstone and had an idea. I asked my wife if she'd do me a favor and she gave me that "here we go" sort of look. She said she felt embarrassed because there were some people close by, but covered her hand with mud and put her arm over the headstone in the creepiest way she could. I looked at the shots I got in RAW and chose the darkest one. All I really did was crop, B/W filter. large radius USM, resize, small radius USM, add black border, and then save for web and that was all the processing I did.

Now some of you asked if the "King" was intentional. Amazingly enough it was purely coincidence and I didn't draw the connection until someone pointed it out in the comments. I left the King there because it was a woman's grave so I cropped the woman's name out.

Thank you all so much everyone for your wonderful comments and for all the help I have received over the last 6 years from the DPC community. I really owe this one to each one of you who has helped me in one way or another.

Statistics
Place: 2 out of 95
Avg (all users): 7.1235
Avg (commenters): 8.1429
Avg (participants): 6.5682
Avg (non-participants): 7.3175
Views since voting: 6386
Views during voting: 399
Votes: 170
Comments: 59
Favorites: 5 (view)

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AuthorThread
 05/24/2009 12:58:24 AM
Good Job MATT! AWESOME!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2009 07:54:34 PM
Brilliant capture there!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2009 05:59:04 PM
Congratulations. This is truly a nightmare -- except for the ribbon. I'm very impressed and happy for you.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/29/2009 04:08:38 AM
Congratulations on your first ribbon... and a PB by a massive amount... guess you'll be looking at this image on your profile page for a while. Well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2009 02:22:48 PM
1st Ribbon, PB, and a 7+... MOST EXCELLENT!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2009 02:10:15 PM
Glad for you, excellent work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2009 08:50:23 AM
This is also like out of a Stephen King movie. Great cropping and duotone style. Nice fingernails :-)
See there can be some happy outcomes, even from nightmares.
Such as your first virtual ribbon, congratulations!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2009 03:24:55 AM
Sweet job! Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2009 12:54:17 AM
Congrats! Exciting, isn't it? :D And WELL-deserved, to boot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2009 12:04:32 AM
This is a Rad photo! Graveyards always spark an emotion in people, great Shot! inspires me to wanna shoot photos in a Graveyard!

hahaha congrats on the ribbon
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 10:26:00 PM
i am very proud of you matt:) you are doing so well these days, its incredible. im happy to see how much you are learning, it gives me hope lol
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 09:47:39 PM
well done man !~!~!

looks like a ribbon to me :)

  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 09:47:16 PM
Well Done!!!

Very cool effects ... wish I had taken this ... Congrats on the ribbon
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 05:09:18 PM
So cool! Congrats on your ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 05:09:01 PM
Oh, VERY well done! Congratulations on a most deserving spot in the winners' circle. I'm trying to get a visual of the scene where you were actually taking this photo. If anyone else was witness to it, it could have made them quite curious. Great execution for a great idea!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 12:54:52 PM
Congratulations on your first ribbon and a new personal best! This is in the best tradition of the scary zombie movies and is definitely a nightmarish scene!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 12:41:39 PM
this is truely very creppy looking. nice work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 11:29:27 AM
Way to go Matt, congrats on your first ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 09:41:27 AM
Well done Matt. This is excellent, and a ribbin too.
You are now ahead of me when it comes to ribbons. I only have yellow ones.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 09:12:18 AM
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, your first ribbon and PB, SO COOL, well done mate, awesome job!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 09:02:45 AM
WOW, congratulations for this great picture, a PB, and your first ribbon. Very well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 09:01:13 AM
Congrats mate!!! So happy for your PB and first ribbon...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 08:24:31 AM
Congrats on the ribbon!! Well done! :D
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 06:56:59 AM
terrific! congratulations!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 06:50:52 AM
Congrats on the ribbon !! excellent shot !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 06:28:20 AM
Really scary and a fantastic shot. Congratulations on your ribbon and new PB, Matthew.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 05:07:36 AM
Congrats on your first ribbon
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 03:28:27 AM
i thought this was so well thought out when i saw it.
congrats on the ribbon
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 02:27:14 AM
Well thought out - conratulations...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 01:02:16 AM
Great image, it stayed with me long after I looked at it. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 12:32:59 AM
OMG Matthew, that is such a terrific shot. Great work and huge congrats on your first ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 12:31:53 AM
Congratulations Matt on your first (of many) ribbon! I bet it was no accident the grave was "King", as in Stephen King?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 12:30:44 AM
A scene from a Stephen King Thriller, congratulations.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 12:27:16 AM
Loved the processing on this one, congrats on your ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 12:20:36 AM
This is wonderfully creepy! The "King" on the stone makes me think of Stephen King... and that's creepy, too.

Perfect. Congrats on the ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 12:17:57 AM
Congrats on the ribbon. Love the processing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 12:09:17 AM
Very good drama well taken congrats on the ribbon
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 12:05:47 AM
That would certainly be something scary. Congrats on your red ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 12:02:02 AM
EXCELLENT! Congrats on the ribbon! (And perfect name to select, for those of us who grew up reading Stephen King.)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2009 12:02:01 AM
Dude! How are you?! Warm congrats on your ribbon! SUPER happy to see you and your pic on the home page!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
04/26/2009 05:17:42 PM
My #1 pick, good luck!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2009 07:12:07 PM
classic well done
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2009 05:23:25 PM
amazing editing
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2009 01:37:34 PM
Wow - so much creepiness is conveyed in one hand - now that makes for a good shot. Wondering if the King on the headstones is a nod to Stephen King?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2009 07:36:10 AM
Love it! 9!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/23/2009 02:46:43 PM
amazing and cray!
The hand position is perfect!!!
what can I say? simply WOW.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/22/2009 06:09:39 PM
love it....
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/22/2009 05:36:14 PM
What a nightmare. Great picture
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/22/2009 12:30:55 PM
i really like how the texture of the hand is almost the same as that of the headstone. same with the background too. well done, good b&w
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/22/2009 03:27:49 AM
Nice. 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/21/2009 08:21:29 PM
eeeek! this is great.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/21/2009 12:59:33 PM
Well done! Great detail and mood!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/21/2009 06:56:57 AM
The 'King' is a nice extra touch.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/20/2009 08:24:59 PM
Here there be Zombies. Terrific conversion, strong and evocative of the natural terrors of the night. Well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/20/2009 08:04:26 PM
Looks similar to one that was in the first nightmare challenge but I think this one was done great. The King on the stone makes me immediately think of Stephen King also. Black and white really makes this pop. 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/20/2009 06:56:06 PM
Very nice take.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/20/2009 12:41:22 PM
Love the crook of the hand and fingers, and that the surname on the headstone is King...like Stephen King, maybe? 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/20/2009 08:52:52 AM
Its good. I like the composition and the dirt, it would be better if it were at night probably.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/20/2009 06:46:52 AM
This is a creepy pic. That's a gnarly hand. B&W fits nicely. Nice creepy shot for the challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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