DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register
 
Challenge Entries
Portfolio Images
Ashes to ashes
Ashes to ashes
snaffles


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Song Title/Lyrics: David Bowie (Expert Editing)
Collection: Portfolio
Camera: Nikon D7100
Lens: Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens
Location: Chateau Snaffles
Date: Jan 17, 2016
Aperture: various
ISO: various
Shutter: various
Date Uploaded: Jan 19, 2016

Bowie was meant to live forever.

But even he was mortal and his passing still resonates greatly with me. Is it any coincidence that I learned that Monday morning just over a week ago, here on this site? Probably not.

Anyway...I am trusting that peeps will recognize the trademark Aladdin Sane lightning bolt, which I took the trouble to paint on my own face.

I also had a short red wig which I tried to style into some semblance of the Red Hot Red rooster crest, but had no luck, so left it off. Besides, I already had the bolt done.

I am also trusting that some will recognize that Ashes to Ashes is a Bowie song.

I trust that some will know that Bowie died of cancer, and was undergoing chemo, hence the radioactive tear. Another reason to leave off the wig, or any wig, as he sometimes showed up for Lazarus rehearsals sans hair and/or eyebrows.

I trust that some will know that he insisted on being cremated without ceremony - no shades of that embarrassing spectacle of a funeral broadcast live on TV a few years ago.

I trust that their hearts are probably still as broken as mine.

setup: shot through a white brolly. Nadia, my model, took the hairspray and ashes from the woodstove sprinkled generously all over her in good stride. Then it was a simple matter of warping my face with lightning bolt, shot at approximately the same 3/4 angle, onto hers to replicate that shot. I also used Nadia as the recipient for the luminescent paint, though it was listed as skin-safe. For up to 3 hours anyway!

pp: shot NEF, convert to DNG, mostly global adjustments, some cloning, some NIK.

_____________________________________________

Oh yes...a belated shout-out to Christophe, whose suggestion to make a tear-track through the ashes, as opposed to on top (which is my usual lazy way of doing pp ;-) helped make a difference!

Statistics
Place: 6 out of 58
Avg (all users): 6.2933
Avg (commenters): 5.0000
Avg (participants): 6.2059
Avg (non-participants): 6.3659
Views since voting: 763
Views during voting: 147
Votes: 75
Comments: 6
Favorites: 2 (view)


Please log in or register to add your comments!

AuthorThread
01/28/2016 06:16:17 AM
Hello from the Critique club

An excellent image that meets the challenge well.

Wow Susan! Everything about this is just so good, right from the original concept of the idea through to the finished result, there is a lot of thought and hard work that has been put into this. I cannot fault it but I suppose I can see why you got the comment about the teardrop but your explanation, which was obviously not available to your commenter, clarifies it.

You were up against some tough opposition regardless of the invincible gyaban but thoroughly deserving of your high score and placing, well done and thanks for your original creativity in this sad challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/27/2016 09:21:16 PM
Susan what planning and detail went into this, wish I could be more like that, I seem to take the easy road sometimes :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/27/2016 01:10:24 PM
Great work here, Susan. The ashes covered head is pure genius. Congrats on the nice result, and thank you for your great words.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/27/2016 10:21:17 AM
This was one of my top picks, very creative. Congratulations on your top 10 image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/27/2016 08:02:55 AM
This was one of my top picks. Love all the detail and especially after reading your notes.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
01/20/2016 08:17:32 PM
I like the lighting and composition but the teardrop could use a little work because it doesn't look realistic, and the mouth/lips look blurred.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Prints! - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 03/28/2024 03:59:28 PM EDT.