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Sandman
1st PlaceSandman
gyaban


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Nightmares III (Extended Editing)
Camera: Canon EOS-5DS R
Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Date: May 2, 2021
Date Uploaded: May 2, 2021

When I was a child, I often had nightmares. It is hard to describe their content: most of the time, only a vague feeling would survive the morning, very few precise imagery. This feeling was very oppressing, creating an immense sense of anxiety, like if I had to obey an arbitrary will, giving instructions that made no sense. At around 6 to 8 years old, I remember trying to resist the sleep in the dark: I was afraid to confront the nightmares again. Fortunately, as I grew up, they became much rarer.

However, I recently had an intense period. About 35 years later, here they are again: night after night during about 2 weeks, nightmares, that would wake me up screaming. I suppose that the COVID situation, coupled with an intense workload, had some unexpected side-effect on my brain. Therefore I decided to exorcise them by creating an image, helping them to come out of my head. My daughter Emilie, who is now 6, insisted to pose: I must say she made a great job following the instructions. I am a proud dad!

As weird as it sounds, the plan may have worked: my last few nights have been peaceful.

_____________

Thanks for the fantastic feedback!

Regarding Emilie's expression, as you can imagine, it is indeed deliberate that she is not screaming nor crying. When confronted to an horrible situation, like the loss of a beloved person, sorrow can translate into something deep, leaving the face cold, but the heart bleeding. Here, I tried to avoid the usual approach to the nightmare theme, and decided to fully rely on the scene mood instead.

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 23
Avg (all users): 8.3514
Avg (participants): 8.0000
Avg (non-participants): 8.5417
Views since voting: 884
Views during voting: 113
Votes: 37
Comments: 19
Favorites: 0


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AuthorThread
05/16/2021 04:34:50 PM
I just really like the way you are able to put your thoughts into conception, remarkable. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/12/2021 09:44:50 AM
Extraordinary image (and backstory), and beautifully done! Emilie is perfect!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/11/2021 05:24:09 AM
This is so amazing! I've no words... Except that it'll probably give me nightmares for years ;-)
Congrats, Christoph. You're fabulous.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/10/2021 07:18:12 AM
Congratulations
Your pictures are so incredibly amazing, each image and soul searching story behind them makes the sum of the whole even more incredible. Your passion of photography, editing to perfection and the story is so superb.
Hats off to you!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/10/2021 04:16:22 AM
A certainty of excellent results, as always
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/10/2021 01:27:59 AM
off the charts INCREDIBLE .. !! ..
everything about this is perfect ..
the scaly bits on the sandman .. the light from behind .. all those reaching hands .. that squatting creature with an empty skull .. definitely all the hallmarks of a nightmare ..
is that a spider i see near her foot .. !??! .. she may show more fear if she looked down and to her right .. !! ..
altho not all little girls are afraid of spiders .. my little grandniece has a special place in her heart for all creatures great and small .. even spiders ..
i can see what other ppl might think about the little girl's expression .. but maybe she is just brave like Anita said .. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/10/2021 12:09:28 AM
Originally posted by GolferDDS:

I so appreciate the creative thought and skill that it takes to compose this. I’m wondering that to fit the challenge description if the child should have more of a fearful expression? That is not important though for my enjoyment of your work in and of itself. Those hands are really creepy!


It’s funny I was thinking the exact same thing, about your girl and her expression, maybe she’s just brave!

The hands on the outer and the horns they are what freaked me out. Well photographed, another one for 1x.

  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
05/09/2021 10:48:17 PM
Being torn from your (I'm assuming) child is certainly an unbearable horror. This image forcefully conveys the lofted man's emotional anguish. It's dynamic and unfolds with a fine palette. I do wonder, however, why the girl's demeanor is rather placid. Must be a reason for this.
Personal favorite of the challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/09/2021 06:51:04 PM
Holy crap, Christophe!! (she's not really that old, is she??)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/09/2021 10:26:59 AM
Seriously creepy. That poor, sweet, innocent child needs a savior.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/07/2021 06:44:39 AM
amazing work! top 1! and its easy to tell who is it..:)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/06/2021 10:12:24 PM
I have not been on this site in years. I come lurking every once in a while and just noticed how your daughter has grown so much in this image!! Still making amazing works of art. Congrats and thanks
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/04/2021 06:44:21 AM
I so appreciate the creative thought and skill that it takes to compose this. I’m wondering that to fit the challenge description if the child should have more of a fearful expression? That is not important though for my enjoyment of your work in and of itself. Those hands are really creepy!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/04/2021 04:45:16 AM
I did not know the Sandman story as something scary, so I did some further research. I now understand and recognise some elements in your picture. Of course, technically extremely well done. I especially like the consistent way of using the light and how this adds atmosphere to the image. It is very clean though for a nightmare, does not feel very menacing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/04/2021 02:16:56 AM
Freaky and horrific!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/03/2021 09:48:09 PM
Wow, Emilie sure has grown! Great work Christophe!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/03/2021 11:38:08 AM
She's so beautiful, Christophe!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/03/2021 08:38:00 AM
Magnificent
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/03/2021 12:09:17 AM
WOW!!! You are incredible, Christophe!
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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