This is no news: I like processing my photos, and usually spend a lot of time doing so. I found it to be very creative and technical at the same time, which is something I enjoy a lot. But before that, I actually take them! Also a creative and technical way of spending time, and even dangerous at times... This project almost cost me my camera.
After spending some time thinking about the challenge's topic, I concluded that it was not a good idea to depict a scene with too much fantasy in it, and decided to go for some kind of usual 'emergency' scene. This saddened me a bit, since (even remotely) realistic pictures are clearly not my cup of tea, but one can try new things from time to time.
In the middle of the afternoon, my wife and I took the car and drove an hour and half to reach the coast. I knew I wanted to take photos of waves at sunset, including some close-up at wide angle, so I had a spare pair of trousers and shoes with me. Once on the beach, I stepped into the water until the level reached my knees, and started to point the camera at incoming waves, pulling the camera up at the last moment. It went quite well, until a stronger wave lift me up, and made me fall into the water :) Fortunately, I had a good reflex and raised my right hand like a periscope to save my camera... When I emerged from the sea, I saw my wife laughing in the distance: I would have laughed too, but the water was a bit cold, and I suddenly remembered that all my spare stuff stayed in the car, 15 minutes away from there. This walk back wasn't highly enjoyable, but well, at least I will remember that day! As for the camera, it got quite wet nonetheless, covered with droplets, but fortunately the sealing worked well, and after some cleaning it was good for work again.
The day after, I looked at my shots, and sketched the composition. It took a whole evening to create the sea, merging various wave shots together, to obtain a dramatic background.
I also bought a cheap helicopter toy and shot it two times in my home studio, setting the lighting adequately so it would appropriately fit in the sunset scenery. In order to blur the blades, I shot them separately and frontally (totally flat): this way, I was able to apply a radial blur effect, and deformed them afterwards to fit the perspective. I also applied textures and created lights, in order to make the helicopters look a bit less like toys.
Finally, I took the pose for the castaway, and shot a piece of tree trunk to have a piece of wood to let him sit on in the middle of the sea.
I am very happy with the result, at least from an esthetic point of view. Granted, no mysterious concept, philosophical message nor theory to think about in that one, it is lacking in that regard. Another time.
Thank you all so much for the incredible votes and comments!
Statistics
Place: 1 out of 37 Avg (all users): 8.4677 Avg (commenters): 9.4615 Avg (participants): 8.2222 Avg (non-participants): 8.5094 Views since voting: 14136 Views during voting: 566 Votes: 124 Comments: 83 Favorites: 18 (view)
Congratulations, Chrisptophe, on your win, your PB and brilliant score. The image is fantastic and your notes reveal why you succeed so well in your creative endeavours. I'm glad you didn't kill your camera.
WOW.... Simply incredible. Although I look at the top 10 photos in each challenge every week, I haven't commented on anything in years. Had to for this photo though. Congrats on the excellent score, and more importantly, the excellent photo.
By the way, the three people who voted a "2" should be perma-banned from DPC. That score is despicable for this photo.
I'm sorry, I had to laugh as you described your story about being knocked over by a wave. The same thing happened to me on vacation recently. I'm glad to say I was able to periscope mine out of the water as well. My friends were laughing at me as I scrambled up on the beach looking like a drowned rat! I can laugh now too, but that day it was a little scary (all about the camera). Anyways, congratulations on a fantastic image. You never fail to amaze.
am I missing something? or is this website just dying?
considering he cant make use of stock images and has to generate all the images himself, I'd say its a step above "amateur digital art"
the thing that Gyaban does so well is he doesn't just throw stuff together like the rest of us do, he has mastered his lighting so it all blends perfectly.
im not a fan of completely put together shots , but you have to admit he is more than ten steps above most anyone else here as far as hos talents goes, and its not just composite images his creativity and quality are just as stellarand teh effort and time he puts in shows.
its not sucking up, its giving praise where its due.
I don't understand the point of all the sucking up taking place.
This picture is photoshopped. Regardless of how much technical photography skill was put in place, it was all lost when extensive photoshopping and external objects were put on the photo.
Yes it may be artistic, but to me... this seems like amateur digital art. There is much better work on deviant art.
I haven't been here in a long long time, I recall back in the old days this website would restrict the extensive use of photoshop. I remember there was some rules about photos only having minor touch ups accepted. where did this rule go away?
am I missing something? or is this website just dying?
i was actually hoping he'd get the all time score, its a poor reflection on this site that the top rated image even if its teh site creator is an average at best shot, (submitted today it would struggle to pull a 4.8-5) i know voters have got a lot harsher which is a shame, so many great photos on this site.
When we get down to 2 entries in a challenge you'll see the highest and lowest scoring records broken.
Highest DPC score in the last 10 years - it's fitting that it goes to you.
I think people sometimes look at your PS work but forget about the amount of dedication you put into each of the shots and the overall project itself.
I like some of your other composite work more than this one, but I'm really pleased to see an image from you in the all-time top images.
I actually think you will beat this score - perhaps even very soon.
Well done.
i was actually hoping he'd get the all time score, its a poor reflection on this site that the top rated image even if its teh site creator is an average at best shot, (submitted today it would struggle to pull a 4.8-5) i know voters have got a lot harsher which is a shame, so many great photos on this site.
Congratulations Christophe! Your figure in the water seems lacking compared to some of your other work (still ten times better than I could do) but other parts of this image are brilliant. Love the glow of the helicopters!
Sometimes the best shots put your camera at risk. I took a trip to the coast myself last month and almost lost my camera to the water too- three times! :P
This is very impressive. Just when i begin to think my skills are approaching intermediate, i feel like a beginner again and its an awesome .. bittersweet feeling.
Now this is in the spirit of the challenge. I understand your generally leaning toward more fantasy and perhaps you have "bent to the trend" in this instance but it shows how dedicated you are to this "new" calling of yours. Superb vision as always, and for me, my highest vote in this challenge. Un travail remarquable, bith sur le terrain et dans la chambre noire numérique, Cristophe.
It's very well done, congratulations. I think if that was a real person in that water they wouldn't be able to stay astride the log without it rolling, they'd have to cling on instead.Not that it matters!!
Well I already congratulated you :)
As this was not really "your cup of tea" as you said yourself, I hope you won't be too disappointed that this image now graces the top of your home page with your highest score ever.
You make it sound so effortless, Christophe. ;-) Congrats! Appropriately landed in your top slot and will be hard to beat - even for you. AWESOME, AWESOME WORK!
So incredible! Such a wonderful back story! Huge congrats!
This is truly awesome. It may not be fantasy, it may not have philosophical meaning, but it's a truly incredible piece.
Regarding my comment about standing in the water -- my eyes aren't the best (that's why I over sharpen everything. :) When I look at it, I didn't see someone on a log. When I look at it, the log looked like a person. The part that's out of the water looks like a face to me with the body mostly submerged. So it looked like you were protecting another person. If that's the case, you must be standing, because you wouldn't float on a person. :)
It is so mindblowing to see you exceed yourself at every challenge. You are definitely the Mozart of photography, constantly bettering yourself with each project. Congrats on the bleu.
Another great image. Perfect job at blending the images as well. I think a raft would have been a better flotation devise instead of the log. I think the survivor would have a very difficult time staying upright on a log in an ocean with 14ft waves. Otherwise, great image.
There are two ways to look at this. One is acceptance of it as it is - a very good, no make that excellent, manufactured Photoshop image combining elements and creating a painting like impression. The other way is to really hit this hard because it just doesn't look like a real photograph, more like a painting which would more properly belong in a wholly different category other than "photograph". I honestly don't know what to do or how to rate it. My default position is give credit where credit is due and give this a ten just for the sheer ability and skill used in developing the image. I need to think about this and look at the remaining images before I rate it - comparison can sometimes help develop an opinion.
UPDATE: Well, this is clearly the class of the field in terms of editing skills. It also is the class of the field in terms of composition - the high drama is evident. Minor technical issue in that the two choppers would not be working that close together [sorry - former USAF Air Rescue (CSAR)], but that's not the point. I'm just not convinced that this qualifies as a "photograph". But that's really the point isn't it? You're depicting an emergency situation using photographic elements to make a coherent composition. However, there doesn't seem to be a dispute with regard to that issue so I'm giving credit where credit is due. Well done - I'm rating it a ten. Should win the contest.
My Favorite of the challenge if I am really critical I find the guy on the log a little awkward and maybe should have been positioned a little lower in the water but that's just if I had to find a nitpick.
Wowowow. Christophesque. Just wondering what that thing on the right of his waist is. Also, the way the wave is splashing against his but makes it look like his left leg is extremely thin. There's something odd about that region. But the light, the drama, top drawer.
Astounding composite. You've sort of got Michelangelo's hand of God going on here with the light, which is appropriate when they're saving (giving) your life.
I can see you getting a fourth 8.x with this image.
Stupendous....Let me congratulate you with the blue ribbon as there is no way in hell that this won't come first. 10
Can't wait to hear the set up and story behind this one. I hope you will tell in the photographers comments.
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