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Night Mare
Night Mare
Ristyz


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: The Great Pumpkin Carving Challenge (Advanced Editing IV*)
Camera: Canon EOS-10D
Lens: Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM
Location: Front Yard
Date: Oct 29, 2005
Aperture: 18
ISO: 400
Shutter: 20 seconds
Galleries: Still Life
Date Uploaded: Oct 30, 2005

 Post Challenge:

This took me HOURS! first I knew I wanted to do a horse somehow since that is my main focus.

First step, choosing a pose. I went through many many photos looking for one I could redo as a simple graphic. I choose a photo of my own horse (there is another image, Boomer, in my portfolio from the same shoot, previous frame) While I was drawing and redrawing the graphic I decided to add the tree.

Carving took about 3 hours with little pumpkin carving knives, Saws, really that I went out & bought at midnight as the grocery store was closing. I did have to modify the horse during carving a little to give it enough support. While I was carving the tree I decided to add a few leaves. The moon and stars were last minute additions.

I shot it the first night at about 2 in the morning. I was unhappy with the results and went to the store the next day to buy a new tripod. My old one suffered a bad break during a snowy night shoot last winter. I rarely use the things but I like to have one so I got one. The second night I had company so I had to wait until late again to shoot the pumpkin. Again about 2 in the morning. I carted this rather large pumpkin all over the yard (half the time with the candle burning) and took tons of pix during the course of an hour. I used a flash light to try some "fill" but the shot I choose was externally illuminated by my porch light, a motion activated light that wouldn't stay off when I wanted it to and I had to move closer to it when I wanted it on.

I added the leaves and only this one shot showed the "star" from the flame. No filters. I brightened the grass in the left corner in PS and worked saturation to my best advantage on the leaves in front of the pumpkin. I cloned out a few carving blemishes (where I didn't follow the dots with the knives) and a few hot pixels.

Good fun, overall. The sad news is because the trunk of the tree was so big and the day time weather was so warm the pumkin withered very quickly and didn't make it to Halloween night!

Statistics
Place: 14 out of 88
Avg (all users): 6.5695
Avg (commenters): 7.4000
Avg (participants): 6.1000
Avg (non-participants): 6.7423
Views since voting: 1526
Views during voting: 403
Votes: 223
Comments: 19
Favorites: 1 (view)

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AuthorThread
 11/08/2005 11:49:12 AM
Congrats Cristy, this was one of my favorites in this challenge!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/08/2005 10:39:33 AM
Congrats - a really artistic entry!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
11/07/2005 08:41:03 PM
Interesting carving. Love the flare of the candlelight! Only drawback I can see is the harsh shadow cast behind the pumpkin.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/06/2005 11:11:50 PM
good exposure. my only issue is the shadow off the pumkin.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/06/2005 08:57:46 PM
Very nice
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/04/2005 07:54:26 PM
Good carving, light from wihtin and surroundings.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/04/2005 07:14:11 PM
Great job..Love it...10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/03/2005 01:39:34 AM
great carving job. I like the rays coming off the light too and the leaves in the foreground. The only thing I would change would have been to darken the grasses in the upper left.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/02/2005 07:29:37 PM
Great use of the cross filter!....I like how you included the leaves & brush.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/02/2005 03:37:48 PM
this is beautiful. I can't identify the images of the carving, but the candle gleam is pretty. This photo is composed nicely.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/01/2005 08:19:39 PM
great picutre-great carving-i love the way the light reflects especially at the back of the horse=10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/01/2005 06:39:21 PM
Great title. Great carving. Great setting!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/01/2005 05:44:17 PM
Very beautiful carving!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/01/2005 04:17:29 PM
Nice job! i like the way the candel flare can be seen just off the horses back! nicely done, and wonderful carving job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/01/2005 10:04:02 AM
Awesome!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/01/2005 08:38:15 AM
GREAT TITLE!!! I love the leaves and the "setting."
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/01/2005 07:02:33 AM
nice carving
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/01/2005 12:40:31 AM
Great photo and good carving too! I like the burst of light.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 11/01/2005 12:07:32 AM
Great title and staging!
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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