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It's not fun to be Magneto's son
1st PlaceIt's not fun to be Magneto's son
gyaban


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Knife Fork Spoon II (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Canon EOS-5D Mark II
Lens: Canon TS-E 17mm f/4.0L MF
Date: Jul 3, 2011
Aperture: f/20
ISO: 400
Shutter: 1/80 sec
Galleries: Humorous, Self Portrait
Date Uploaded: Jul 3, 2011

 Sorry for the delay about these notes, I was away a few days a I'm currently trying to cope with all the work that kindly waited for me :-)

Anyway, this one is a total self-portrait, as I did it during a lonely afternoon at home. The idea is not that new (some pointed to other photos depicting similar situations), but I found it fun, and wanted to give it a try.

The lens choice was really obvious, since the cutlery had to appear quite big in the foreground while I was supposed to be relatively small in the background, so a wide angle it was. I used my T&S lens simply because it is also the widest angle I currently own, but its specific capabilities were not used in this photo. On a side note, that's 8 ribbons out of 9 photos taken with this lens, I'm really starting to like it!

The setup itself was rather simple to create: each fork or knife is hanging on 2 threads, that were all cloned out in post-production. The biggest challenge was to arrange them so that they would all nicely create a tunnel effect towards me.

Lights were also very straightforward:
- main light = strobe + bowl + grid from my right (left side of the photo)
- fill light = strobe + snoot + grid from my left (right side of the photo)
- 2 strobes on the cutlery to make it shine: I had to carefully position them to avoid lens flare.
Light behind me is natural: it was a very sunny day, and 400 iso were enough to capture it despite the small aperture.

From there, about 30 tries using a timer, and that was it. Post-production consisted in the removal of the holding threads, and in adding a coldish mood inside the house while insisting on the warm feeling of the outside, the escape.

Thank you everyone for your comments and votes!

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 66
Avg (all users): 7.2800
Avg (commenters): 9.1579
Avg (participants): 7.0000
Avg (non-participants): 7.3933
Views since voting: 7128
Views during voting: 370
Votes: 125
Comments: 52
Favorites: 13 (view)

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AuthorThread
 07/17/2011 08:22:28 AM
Awesome!! What a talent! Your expression is priceless, too -- good acting!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/13/2011 03:44:56 AM
Look at the score from commenters...wow...great work Christophe...as usual
'
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/12/2011 11:47:42 PM
Great job Christophe. Congrats on the blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/12/2011 10:00:53 AM
Another excellent image and I envy all your lighting gear, lol! Remind me to never eat supper at your house...could be dangerous.... :P Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/12/2011 01:33:14 AM
Originally posted by Invincible:
Hi. Great composition. :)
I have a question. How do you get the picture size so low (40 KB??). I guess, to upload to this site, you need your pics to be around few KB size. All the pics from my DSLR are atleast few MB. Please let me know how to get the pics to a small size.
My email: lekkalachitti@gmail.com
I would really appreciate your help.

Thanks


Thanks for your comment.
The picture size is limited to 300KB for challenge entries, not 40KB, so it's not that bad. The photos you uploaded to your portfolio have been obviously resized and watermarked, and fit this limit, so it looks like you don't need help anymore :)
 07/12/2011 12:58:26 AM
Originally posted by littlemav:
Congratulations another Masterpiece of crazy genius!! Did you wire your tie up this time or did it just flop perfectly at the right time?


Thank you :) No wire for the tie, it's a real movement that I had to synchronize with the camera timer, hence the few tries ;)
 07/12/2011 12:42:37 AM
If this were facebook, I would "like" clive_patric_nolan's post.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 10:47:36 PM
Congratulations another Masterpiece of crazy genius!! Did you wire your tie up this time or did it just flop perfectly at the right time?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 07:53:29 PM
Hi. Great composition. :)
I have a question. How do you get the picture size so low (40 KB??). I guess, to upload to this site, you need your pics to be around few KB size. All the pics from my DSLR are atleast few MB. Please let me know how to get the pics to a small size.
My email: lekkalachitti@gmail.com
I would really appreciate your help.

Thanks
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 03:48:40 PM
Thanks for the "how to stuff"! *grin*
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 03:26:19 PM
Originally posted by Pug-H:
It's a seriously fun photograph, and congratulations on creaming the opposition again. But, if you think about it, how likely is it that the utensils would all be attracted to the magnet point first?


Sorry to be all pedantic and stuff but the nature of Magneto's powers means that he can move metal anyway he wants so that wouldn't be a problem as he isn't turning his son into a magnet here. Which leads to another problem with the image though. Magento's son is Quicksilver who's mutant power is super speed. As such he wouldn't be that bothered about this situation as he can just zoom away at super speed avoiding the cutlery. I decided to not mark you down for this though as the title is technically correct- It's not fun to be Magneto's son- because they obviously have a troubled family history (let's not even go into the trouble Magneto's daughter, The Scarlet Witch, caused).

I do think it is important for DPC members and voters to have an understanding and base knowledge of Marvel superhero history. It just benefits us all in the end after all.

Great image though and congrats on the ribbon. ;)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 12:01:11 PM
Amazing. You're just amazing, Christophe. I do hope you're gonna tell us the how to stuff.

Congrats on your ribbon. (I need a stamp, too)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 11:48:58 AM
LOL! Totally missed during voting that you have only one shoe on :-) Congrats again, Christophe. I look forward to rollover every week just to see how you will astound me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 11:45:18 AM
Congratulations,great idea,great shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 11:43:00 AM
Congratulations!! Fantastic job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 11:18:57 AM
I should have looked through this gallery earlier Christophe as I enjoyed the laugh this image gave :) Another finely crafted image with wonderful humor, congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 09:22:03 AM
awwww... no set up comments? :(

I always look forward to reading your setup notes -- they fascinate me!

Congrats on the run-away blue!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 06:08:07 AM
Love this. Reminds me of paulbtlw's wonderful
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 01:10:59 AM
Oh look, it's Gyaban with another ribbon. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 12:59:34 AM
Originally posted by MargaretN:
I can see it is taken with a T&S lens so this is why you look so small. Seriously, did you move the furniture for this shot? :) Amazing as always.


Thanks Margaret. The lens wasn't tilted nor shifted, it's just a standard wide angle effect you see there. As for the furniture, there was just a table to move on the side, no big deal.
 07/11/2011 12:58:13 AM
Originally posted by Pug-H:
It's a seriously fun photograph, and congratulations on creaming the opposition again. But, if you think about it, how likely is it that the utensils would all be attracted to the magnet point first?


Thank you. They wouldn't be attracted at all, since silver isn't magnetic ;)
 07/11/2011 12:51:16 AM
It's a seriously fun photograph, and congratulations on creaming the opposition again. But, if you think about it, how likely is it that the utensils would all be attracted to the magnet point first?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 12:42:18 AM
I can see it is taken with a T&S lens so this is why you look so small. Seriously, did you move the furniture for this shot? :) Amazing as always.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 12:20:31 AM
I realize I already stamped this, but congrats again. Very well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 12:08:03 AM
very worth winner. Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/11/2011 12:02:28 AM
What a great idea. Love it. Congrats on the blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
07/10/2011 11:17:29 PM
Heee heee...I hope it's legal and is the winner !

Well...just finished voting...IMO nothing comes close.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/09/2011 06:31:02 PM
Creative. That will probably win you a ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/08/2011 07:48:41 PM
Phew! What can I say? Yet another Blue to you :) Amazing idea and execution. With the exception of the reflections on the 2 knives to the left, everything's perfect!
And that floating tie! You do take care of the details don't you? :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/08/2011 09:14:53 AM
He's done it again...simply remarkable. Imagination and photographic skill 2nd to none. Christophe, where's all the furniture, did you sell it to buy that lens? Some serious HFD DOF going on there!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/08/2011 02:42:44 AM
in a way for a new ribbon..well done! 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/07/2011 02:29:00 PM
Exceptional photo & will be #1 - 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/07/2011 01:58:07 PM
I have a feeling I am looking at a ribbon winner here :)

Love the composition here and the expression and stance of your model really makes the image. I also really like the colourand fantastic level of detail. Congratulations, this image is awsome!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/06/2011 08:34:40 AM
I honestly hope that you will create a "how did they do that" for this oeuvre. Great job.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/06/2011 03:20:08 AM
hope you do well with this (I had a similar idea but failed to make it work. It was fun trying though) - 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/05/2011 12:16:10 PM
Wonderful...just when I thought no one had a new idea. 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/05/2011 11:59:11 AM
*waving* Hi, Christophe! Advance congrats on the ribbon! :-) 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/05/2011 10:27:30 AM
Looks like another winner to me,super image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2011 08:54:11 PM
Very funny Christophe again when do you sleep
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2011 03:51:55 PM
Excellent idea, nice angle. This will win.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2011 03:48:37 PM
Nice work Christophe, congrats on the blue :D
Just one critical comment : your setup is too perfect and sound fake. I find that it lacks the unrepared feeling of a snapshot that you can find in this shot. //www.flickr.com/photos/orrin/434817880/
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2011 01:29:47 PM
LOL. This is very strange. You look two dimensional and the lighting on you doesn't seem to match the situation. Are you related to the Dazzler as well? :P
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2011 07:51:49 AM
I was wondering what you where going to come up with, and you didn't dissapoint, ribbon for sure. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2011 07:15:11 AM
Awesome. I so love your creativity and attention to detail.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2011 05:06:36 AM
Great great image. Almost certainly a ribbon here. In all likelihood the blue too. Superb action. Great composure. 10 and a fav fro me. Great set up too. Made me laugh. I can see this scoring either really highly, or regular highly (for you), I can't figure out which. I'm hoping for the former.
Something about this makes me wonder if it might be a photo of a photo. I think it's the lens perspective.
Congrats on a great image again!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2011 04:50:43 AM
AWESOME another BLUE coming your way I think.,, from shez
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2011 04:46:54 AM
LOL. Love it. I am always amazed at the wonderful ideas that you constantly come up with, couple with the brilliant execution. Well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2011 04:00:43 AM
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2011 01:22:01 AM
Christophe:
a) your imagination is incredible
b) your house is extraordinarily clean.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2011 12:32:58 AM
Well this is definitely the Blue. Congratz Gayaban.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2011 12:31:17 AM
Holy...Cr*p! Nice work, Christophe!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2011 12:22:03 AM
How in the WORLD do you come up with all of this! ?

You're my Creative Hero, Cristophe.


I may or may not be voting, so please do not equate my comment with any score.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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