DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 
Challenge Entries
Portfolio Images
This image is not part of a public portfolio.
Gift of life
Gift of life
LalliSig

Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: A Single Tree (Advanced Editing IV)
Camera: Canon EOS-5D
Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
Location: Studio Grandi, Iceland
Date: Sep 10, 2006
Aperture: 8
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/200
Galleries: Nature, Nude
Date Uploaded: Sep 10, 2006

 This is Katrin again who modeled for us in the rule of thirds II challenge. As usual, Henny came along and took care of the makeup and helped me come up with this pose or rather finalize it.

I was originally going to take a picture of a friend of mine who is big and strong out in the nature, holding a tree over his shoulder, like he was out walking around with his favorite tree or something like that. Well something came up and the weather sucked the weekend so we threw this photoshoot together last minute, fortunately Katrin was available. Thanx to Blomaval for lending us the bonzai tree for this photoshoot.

The thinking behind this photo is that she is mother earth or some kind of godess who is giving the gift of life or something to that effect to the world. I think this shot will firmly bomb cause anal DNMC voters will argue that the bonzai tree is not the main subject but I donīt care, didnīt want to do like the masses and go out and photograph a tree in a landscape and I really like this photo.

Lighting was with 3 monolights with softboxes and 1 reflector.

Post processing was very minimal, basically just standard raw conversion stuff, curves, a little bit of dodging/burning and sharpening after resizing. Oh as a matter of fact I did a lot of healing brush adjustments as a lot of dirt from the soil around the bonzai tree had fallen down on the backround and on Katrin but thatīs it.

Statistics
Place: 106 out of 251
Avg (all users): 5.6279
Avg (commenters): 5.8889
Avg (participants): 5.3299
Avg (non-participants): 5.8729
Views since voting: 7012
Views during voting: 860
Votes: 215
Comments: 43
Favorites: 14 (view)

Please log in or register to add your comments!

AuthorThread
 10/25/2006 04:24:56 PM
The pose and composition is perfect, as is the lighting(as usual). Didn't get a chance to vote and haven't seen all the photos yet but a 5.6! bleh :P surely deserved more. Voted down much too harshly for the tree not being the main object. I get the concept and I like it but it would've been more natural if the belly button stud wasn't there.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/24/2006 06:42:35 PM
It's already been said - under rated, and a wonderful shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/19/2006 01:24:10 AM
Okay first of WOW! What an awesome picture, idea and model! I can't believe all the low scores this got...have people lost their minds?!?!?!?

Second, I guess people can't see the beauty in the human form. I didn't vote on this challenge Larus, but if I had, this would have gotten high marks from me for perfect lighting (as usual) and a creative take on this challenge. This is in NO way tastless IMHO. Congrats to you and the beautiful model for this stunning work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/18/2006 11:51:31 PM
Sorry about all the 1's, 2's and 3's there my friend. Seems that a few figure skating judges signed onto DPC recently. Regardless, a beautiful image with a whole lot of style. Well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/18/2006 10:20:29 PM
This is a joke. Shame shame shame on the voters.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/18/2006 09:42:06 AM
I figured people would be way too literal to give this the high marks it deserved. And I was right. Grrrrrr - keep up the good work. I found this interesting but most of all DIFFERENT!!!! All of us "different drummers" must stick together. ;~D
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/18/2006 09:03:17 AM
Man, sorry for the undeserved low votes you got. LAME!! It's a beautiful photo as was your idea behind it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/18/2006 08:40:33 AM
I can't believe this ended up in 107th place??????? 6 2's and 9 1's??? What's wrong with you people???? Puritanism gone awry...Larus you should be damn proud of this shot!

Message edited by author 2006-09-18 08:45:26.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/18/2006 03:00:24 AM
Well as they say around here, the voters are kings. But as we do here in France, a good revolution to change kings from time to time is good too ;). This score is a shame! Like the excellent shot by tuborg ranked very low, it is really disapointing to see so low a reward is given to more original interpretations of the subject.

Keep up the good work and original approach. This was a great shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
09/17/2006 09:21:19 PM
I sense an Icelandic photog with a 5D here! Beautiful setup as usual! Great idea, nice light and pose. Top 10 I hope!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/17/2006 08:25:38 AM
Compelling. Love the luminous skin. Gorgeous. Bumping up.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/16/2006 06:17:00 PM
You are going to get votes just because (not only because) that model is gorgeous... 6
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/16/2006 08:23:37 AM
you have got to be kidding me
 09/15/2006 11:39:53 PM
WOW...that's my kind of tree...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/15/2006 04:35:48 AM
Hmmmm what is the subject here... itty bitty tree, or BIG NUDE WOMAN???? (Not that the woman is big, just in comparison to the little tree she is holding.) Sorry, but I just don't find the MAIN subject of this image to be the cute little tree. Other than that, great image! And a stunning model, too!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/15/2006 03:59:03 AM
Very nice! The colors are great making the green tree really pop out. The lighting is obviously excellent too. And also definitely a sense of message. Why do I get the feeling I recognize the author (if not the model?)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/14/2006 11:22:58 PM
Nice simplicity and contrast. Well done
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/14/2006 08:49:05 AM
Great shot, would have preferred the model to be looking at the tree for some reason?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/14/2006 02:05:03 AM
Where is the tree? Perhaps a different background would have been less distracting ...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/13/2006 03:35:50 AM
"Tree ! I see no TREE !."
 09/12/2006 09:06:59 PM
Further proof that a hot, naked girl can be an asset to any subject matter! :) I would not be surprised to see this get a ribbon. Excellent sharpness and skin -- er bark -- tones. I wouldn't mind getting involved in an act of photosynthesis with this subject!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/12/2006 07:41:20 PM
now were talking......... anyone that can introduce a hot nude blonde into "A Single Tree" challenge gets a good vote from me.........
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/12/2006 07:34:42 PM
Thank god, I was starting to think there wouldn't be a single naked chick in this challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/12/2006 05:58:30 PM
sweet. Pretty model.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/12/2006 10:28:06 AM
Very stock, but nicely executed. Playing to the gallery. 7.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/12/2006 06:06:55 AM
Sorry the girl distracts from the subject :P
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/11/2006 10:31:37 PM
The model is beautiful, the lighting is perfect. But let's face it, the subject here is NOT the tree, is it? Gratuitous nudity (nudity for the sake of it) is not my thing I'm afraid.

edit to remove unnecessary remark

Message edited by author 2006-09-18 22:35:04.
 09/11/2006 09:46:30 PM
What tree?
 09/11/2006 09:24:09 PM
lighting is too strong on her hair...good idea here
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/11/2006 09:09:17 PM
Hahah, a little improvising here, good job on an interesting take on the challenge :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/11/2006 09:06:36 PM
That looks more like bush and not a tree. ;)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/11/2006 06:20:18 PM
Nice photo, but your eye doesn't go to the tree. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/11/2006 04:36:18 PM
some strange symbolism there. but I always appreciate a naked beautiful girl, so don't let me stop you.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/11/2006 03:18:22 PM
Somebody always finds a way to work a naked lady into the challenge somehow. :( Certainly the TREE isn't the main subject here. Should be interesting to see how the voting curve works out for this one, with the DNMC being applied.

edit to add, this comment sparked a lively PM debate. ;^)

Message edited by author 2006-09-18 08:15:14.
 09/11/2006 03:12:21 PM
I like the pose - body and arms/hands, with the tree. The only thing I dont' like is the background. In the upper half(especially left arm/shoulder and face/hair) of her body, which is lighter than lower half the white background isn't pleasing to my eye. 7 - for comp/tecnique/orginality.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/11/2006 01:53:56 PM
Interesting idea but to accept her as goddess I think the image needs to be more perfect...Detail and sharpness in the tree are lacking. The hair at the top of her head merges with the background and thus has lost it's detail as well. The position of her lower right leg is awkward and looks uncomfortable...as if she's about to be unbalanced. A bit more polished in its presentation and it would have been a ten.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/11/2006 11:11:59 AM
I like the expression on the model's face, as well as the pose. Unfortunately it seems like she is the main subject, rather than the tree. It might have been better to place her in an outside environment rather than having the white background.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/11/2006 09:33:21 AM
well I like this one because it is so differnt from the rest of the standard tree silhouette and gradient sky shots (including my one) best of luck
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/11/2006 08:17:37 AM
ha
ha...
 09/11/2006 07:59:03 AM
what is your subject skin or tree. Just wondering.
 09/11/2006 02:45:40 AM
yes yes ... she is very "gifted" ... ha ha nice work, love the lighting and the pose
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/11/2006 01:22:07 AM
Tree is hardly the subject here. But it's a nice nude all the same.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/11/2006 12:38:36 AM
hooo my !!


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: 04/19/2024 07:28:14 PM EDT.