DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 
Challenge Entries
Portfolio Images
a sacred place
2nd Placea sacred place
tanguera


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Winged Things (Expert Editing)
Collection: 2014
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Location: firefly heaven
Date: May 17, 2014
Date Uploaded: May 17, 2014

 Inspired in part by a discussion in the forums about throwing pieces of colored paper into PS, warping and transforming them, and calling it a "photograph". All the flying creatures were created with colored paper.

[May. 22nd, 2014 11:24:42 AM]

Thank you, Rich, for calling this creation ethereal. That was precisely the feeling I was trying to achieve.

My first thought for this challenge was to create an angel with a broken wing. But I was having no luck finding a model (which was a first!!). I decided the Universe was telling me to do something else, so I thought about what sort of winged thing I wanted to create, and the idea of fireflies came to mind right away. I am fascinated by them, and heartbroken that we don't have them in SoCal. The few times I've ever had them swirl around me, I felt I'd been transported to heaven.

The place in this image does not, of course, exist. It is a composite of two trees on my street, paper lilies growing in my front yard, and me in an $8 special from Goodwill. All the fireflies were created from one I made out of paper, stuck on a stick, and photographed in various positions.

The double tree is, well, a "special", magical tree. I wanted to use the purple jacaranda, but although it was full of blooms, the tree itself was a bit Charlie Brown-ish, and by itself looked sad. Doubling it up just made the image about the tree. The other tree by itself was big enough, but not interesting enough to me. Together they sort of became a "unicorn" of a tree.

Finally, the why of the mason jar... I'm really not sure if I intended to show the woman releasing the fireflies, or hoping to capture some. Perhaps she is the Goddess of the fireflies and this is the place from whence all fireflies are brought into world. Or perhaps she represents the child within all of us, hoping to capture some of their magic in a jar.

[POST-CHALLENGE]
I'm so happy that I was able to create an image that conveyed how these flying critters make me feel. Thank you all for your magical votes and comments.

Statistics
Place: 2 out of 52
Avg (all users): 6.8043
Avg (commenters): 7.8182
Avg (participants): 6.9714
Avg (non-participants): 6.7018
Views since voting: 2632
Views during voting: 251
Votes: 92
Comments: 27
Favorites: 2 (view)

Please log in or register to add your comments!

AuthorThread
Canon EOS-5D Mark II
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM
 05/31/2014 12:23:46 PM
Pure delight - beautiful thoughts behind your creation and you brought it all to life - so talented.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-5D Mark IV
Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 USM
 05/31/2014 12:42:43 AM
OhMY! Johanna! You outdid even YOU with this one! This is so enchanting and wonderful and magical! You are so amazing!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III
Olympus 45mm f/1.8 M.Zuiko Digital
 05/27/2014 10:44:03 AM
Johanna - this is so magical and beautiful! Congrats on the red!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D700
Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8
 05/27/2014 04:22:06 AM
Absolutely delightful. I admired this beauty enormously during voting. Great stuff, Johanna.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Google Glass Google Glass
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM
 05/26/2014 09:42:04 PM
Beautiful image! Fire flies are one of my favorite things. As a California native, I consider them compensation for my current exile. As my granddaughter said the first time she saw them... Oh, Opa! They look like stars!

Magical creatures and a magical picture!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D700
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G
 05/26/2014 04:40:18 PM
Beautiful composition as usual! congrats
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-1D X
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM
 05/26/2014 10:05:58 AM
What I particularly like in your entry is the clever use of different levels of brightness: the main subject does really pop to the eyes like rarely. It is difficult to achieve such result while maintaining an overall harmony throughout the image. Congratulations on your ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/26/2014 09:12:25 AM
OOO Johanna This was one of my top ones, congrats!
Just so awesome,
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon Z7II
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
 05/26/2014 08:00:16 AM
Bravo Johanna! Beautifully presented.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D750
Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 ED-IF
 05/26/2014 05:30:01 AM
(singing in a jaunty style) s'marvelous s'wonderful ;¬)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D810
 05/26/2014 01:14:03 AM
Congratulations on the ribbon Johanna. My only 10 in this one.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D7000
Nikon AF-S DX 18-105 f/3.5-5.6 ED VR
 05/26/2014 01:12:33 AM
Congratulations, Johanna. Beautiful creation - and good for you that you took that 'coloured paper thrown in the air' (as I remember that remark was a little disparaging) and ran with it. The result is gorgeous and blends your creative skills with your photography skills beautifully.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Olympus PEN E-P3
Konica Minolta MF 85mm f/1.7
 05/26/2014 12:29:49 AM
wow, beautiful.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D90
Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED VR
 05/26/2014 12:16:07 AM
SQUEEL... You fooled me, had no idea this was yours! Well it ended up one spot lower than I thought... WAY TO GO ... I was going to comment enchanting, but my stoooopid brain cell could not come up with that word. sigh So lovely, ethereal, and enchanting
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
 05/26/2014 12:06:21 AM
Lovely, Johanna. Beautiful work. Congratulations on your ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Fujifilm X-Pro2
Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 R IOS
 05/26/2014 12:05:18 AM
Masterfully done, Johanna. Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Olympus 60mm f/2.8 Macro M.Zuiko Digital ED
 05/25/2014 11:54:09 PM
Somewhat bizarre.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D7000
Nikon AF-S DX 18-105 f/3.5-5.6 ED VR
 05/25/2014 09:24:16 PM
Beautiful - I love all the romantic glowy-ness.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D810
 05/25/2014 07:43:17 PM
My favorite in the challenge. Beautiful.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony Alpha a55
Sony DT 50mm f/1.8 SAM
 05/25/2014 05:49:55 PM
The is sweet.Well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon Z7II
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
 05/25/2014 05:39:54 PM
A lovely fairytale.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon Z6II
Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S
 05/25/2014 07:40:12 AM
Lovely, very fairytale-like.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2 R WR
 05/22/2014 10:16:27 AM
Great magical feel to this ethereal image. I love how the fireflies seem to be the animate spirits of the white flowers. The mythical ethos is furthered by the woman/goddess releasing the fireflies from a jar. Why were they in a jar in the first place? Just curious. Also, personally, I don't understand the forward purple on the tree. These are minor quibbles. This is far and away my favorite in the challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D90
Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED VR
 05/20/2014 12:42:16 AM
Lovely
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS R6
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM
 05/19/2014 07:47:27 AM
What a sceme!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
Olympus 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 MZuiko Digital ED EZ
 05/19/2014 07:40:16 AM
Wow
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony DSLR-A550
Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED
 05/19/2014 07:06:18 AM
well done not sure with these if I should judge on the quality of the manipulation or not? surely perhaps the better it is done or nor?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Theme: Classic / Light / Dark
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: 10/15/2026 09:56:40 AM EDT.