DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 
Challenge Entries
Portfolio Images
Still Life with Ordinary Tools
Still Life with Ordinary Tools
kanaj


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Outside the Box Still Life II (Standard Editing)
Collection: Portfolio
Camera: Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
Date: Dec 24, 2025
Aperture: 1.8
ISO: 50
Shutter: 1/1289
Date Uploaded: Dec 25, 2025

 Man, this is a really big swing. People are either going to love or hate this, I imagine. I feel like I'm probably breaking some written and unwritten rules but something about this ordinary scene at my father-in-law's tool shed in late afternoon direct sunlight just spoke to me this way for this challenge. I hope the invitation to think outside the box includes the invitation to lean a little metatextual with the subject and to stretch (or outright break) some of the conventions of classical still life.

Statistics
Place: 5 out of 26
Avg (all users): 6.4118
Avg (participants): 6.3889
Avg (non-participants): 6.4375
Views since voting: 115
Views during voting: 63
Votes: 34
Comments: 9
Favorites: 1 (view)

Please log in or register to add your comments!

AuthorThread
 01/05/2026 12:51:34 PM
Originally posted by posthumous:
the shadow of the phone suggests it's another tool.


That's exactly what I was going for -- I'm tickled that it came through. I would have been content to leave myself out of the shadow, but I felt like I needed enough of my torso to convey that the what you're seeing is a hand holding a phone and not some other random tool. So this is something of a commentary on way digital "ordinary tools" have in many ways supplanted but not completely replaced reliable, analog ones like these. :-)

Then again, maybe the biggest "tool" in this image IS me? :-P
 01/05/2026 12:39:17 PM
i gave you a 10. the shadow of the phone suggests it's another tool.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/05/2026 12:24:43 PM
Congrats on top 5! Very cool shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/05/2026 12:04:40 PM
Congrats on top 5! These would be useful for my side hustle.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/05/2026 07:18:22 AM
Well done!

You've experimented with different types of edits since you've returned, hats off to you.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
01/04/2026 05:47:23 PM
The subject matter works well, as does the shadow for interest. Not quite sure about the 'light leak' post application to the top edge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2026 03:57:34 PM
Awesome. One of my top picks
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2026 05:52:46 AM
This is funky! Not a big fan of the person in the image though, not sure they add anything to this.


I love the vintage edit though.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/03/2026 01:17:51 PM
Gotta love it. And I will admit that I'm not big on the use of frames (inside the photo), but I must keep an open mind just in case something like this comes along. I hope you print it. A definite keeper.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2026 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 01/15/2026 06:17:30 PM EST.