Off to Work, Stay to Play
by karmat

Comment:
One of my top picks for the challenge (gave it a 9). The idea is great, but I think the relative lack of appropriate emotion was a weak link. Maybe if the little girl was sneering at a depressed woman, or if the girl was heading out the door on a beautiful day while the woman is chained to a desk?

Eggregation
by scalvert

Comment:

Originally posted by pekesty: ...or one crazy chicken that laid that egg!

The rooster was oriental. A Bangkok, I think...

Luck of the Draw
by scalvert

Comment:

Originally posted by metatate: Do we really want to discourage efforts like this example from graphicfunk simply because it could be done with a filter in photoshop?

Artwork backgrounds are AT LEAST as controversial (trust me). I only used the technique here because the objects were separate, and I asked the Site Council for opinions to make sure it was OK before I entered. If it had been a single object as in Graphicfunk's entry, I wouldn't have tried it since that would require arbitrary effects within the object. The effect itself isn't even all that heavy since most of the lines were part of the leaf structure and visible in B&W (see the leaves on the left side). You could almost do this with B&W conversion and USM alone. In this case... could I desaturate an individual object in Advanced? Check. Could I apply a filter or texture to an individual object in Advanced? Check. I merely carried that through to more than one object. Heck, I even put a reflector on the right to minimize the shadows on the hand side photographically.

Message edited by author 2007-07-15 01:50:50.

Luck of the Draw
by scalvert

Comment:

Originally posted by hotpasta: looks like some controversy is brewing here already...

Oh, joy. :-/

Luck of the Draw
by scalvert

Comment:

Originally posted by yanko: ...wouldn't the end result change the "typical viewer̢۪s description of the photograph"?

Wouldn't the same be true of a series of objects going from color to B&W? Yet we all know selective desaturation is allowed. You're forgetting the context of the rule you quoted: "...use ANY editing tool to move, remove or duplicate any element of your photograph that would change a typical viewer̢۪s description." No objects were moved, removed, or duplicated within the photo.

Luck of the Draw
by scalvert

Comment:

Originally posted by metatate: Is that not: "us(ing) distortions to create new effects or radically alter objects" ?

Nope. The clovers aren't distorted. No object or sense of motion was created and nothing significant was removed. Selective desaturation is a common technique on entries, and filter effects and textures are common, too (though usually ineffective). More to the point- I did exactly what I would encourage anybody to do if in doubt: submit it to the site council well ahead of time and ask for opinions. ;-)

Luck of the Draw
by scalvert

Comment:

Originally posted by metatate: So this is a photo of a photo + the hand, correct?

No, it's not. It's a photo of seven clovers and my hand, with a PS filter selectively applied (basically selective desaturation + a texture). Sorry if that wasn't clear.

Message edited by author 2007-07-15 00:21:23.

The last seven to fly...
by xtian

Comment:
Great job! Ya got a 9 from me for this beautiful composition. Congrats on another blue!

_MG_8960_300K.jpg
by Anastasia

Comment:
Geez... who else could take such a "common" scene and make it breathtaking?

Walking into the light years before her time
by timfythetoo

Comment:
Awesome. My only 10 of the challenge. I would have gone with a bluish light, but the purple color you used is more surreal. Nicely done!