It was a beautiful week-end. My 7 months old daughter and I were both enjoying the spring sun in the garden. She was looking at everything around her with amazement: grass, flower, cats, bugs, leaves moving in the breeze. Her little hands were overwhelmed, trying to touch and feel everything. There were no words, nor any need for them: our smiles and shiny eyes were speaking for us. I felt so privileged to share this peaceful moment with her.
In the evening, I put the TV on, and the return to reality was brutal. As a global society, we really live without consideration for this world. Without stepping into extremism, what shocks me the most are all these unnecessary destructive attitudes, that are widely considered as banal and normal. There's some bug that got into your house? Bam, kill it. There's a tree where you wanted a road? Who cares, cut it. My wife, who is a vet, came back from work in the evening. Once again, she had loads of sad stories. Beside the various illnesses and accidents, a man kicked an old man's cat, simply because it was wandering in his garden. The poor old man was crying. The cat was suffocating, its chest being crushed, then died.
Why? Is power such a heady feeling? Why is it so easy considering ourselves superior on some conveniently crafted scale? Is it simply because we can? All I see is arrogance and stupidity. It really makes me sad. I hope we can learn from our mistakes, but I'm doubting it more and more.
Regarding the technical side of this creation, I started to photograph the moon. Then, my wife posed for the main character: she was originally holding to a rope to avoid falling while maintaining the position, then I shot her right arm and leg separately to create the levitation effect. For the underwater part, I went to a lake nearby, put my camera in a fish tank, and used the whole in the water. It worked quite well: I even shot some real fish unexpectedly! Back home, I photographed lots of pieces of fabric, thrown in various ways: I used those to construct the dress, the tentacles and the wildlife.
Thanks a lot for the kind votes and feedback, much appreciated!
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Place: 1 out of 43 Avg (all users): 7.9595 Avg (commenters): 9.2222 Avg (participants): 6.9091 Avg (non-participants): 8.4038 Views since voting: 5879 Views during voting: 251 Votes: 74 Comments: 24 Favorites: 8 (view)
A complex assembly of images to make a statement. tbh, without your explaining, I wd not hv understood it as much as I hv. I am a poor reader of images/imagery!
What drew me to this pic was the intimations of grandeur in it.
The context you have described and the thoughts that flow out of it is a powerful statement on human stupidity.
Great pic. Congratulations on the blue. This will be one of my favorites.
Congratulations, Christophe. Awesome image. I agree with your notes. Children see everything with wonder and appreciation. Pity that for some, in the process of growing, something goes awry.
Another amazing image. The blue is well-deserved. There is no excuse for cruelty to animals. Seeing that would be one of the hardest parts of being a vet.
This is a beautiful, and intriguing shot. Thank you for explaining how you did it! I am more thankful, however, for your comments on human's disregard for each other and for other species. We are the only ones who enslave, torture, hate, and the most destructive beings ever to inhabit the Earth, and yet, we consider ourselves superior. How pathetic! If you haven't already, you might like to read Straw Dogs, by John Gray.
Your notes are very touching. Some of us live in these beautiful, harmonious bubble with babies looking in awe to the yet untainted world around them, and what a gift in life this is! Don't' let it be spoiled, don't let your heart harden; after all there are more good people in the world than the media could cover and no tv news hour will say: look, Christophe had a lovely morning with his baby in the garden!
Congrats on a well-deserved Blue, Christophe. Again a beautiful creation. But even more than the image I was touched by your contemplation about why people act like they do, without any respect towards persons, animals or objects of nature. It is one of the things that keeps me busy day after day and also the reason I'd like to hide myself from this world more and more, seeking refuge in the most remote parts of Scotland when possible!
I hope you can find comfort in being with your wife and daughter, together enjoying the beautiful things that nature provides. And please keep on with your refreshing and beautiful reproduction of this world in your images. Thank you!
Fabulous photo as usual. I totally agree with your thoughts on the world. I struggle on a daily basis to understand how fellow humans behave in such inhuman ways.
Stunning image, and I SOOOO agree with your comments to your image. It is so sad how humans use their power, either physical or mental or both to do nothing more than inflict harm :-(. I often wonder when the turning point will come. Surely it has to come at some point???
This image took my breath away when I saw it! (I didn't vote due to computer problems) Absolutely fabulous, and as always I appreciate your photographer's notes. I love hearing how you create these masterpieces.
The world is a cruel place, and all we can do is try to mitigate the horror with beauty, peace and love. Your photos help achieve that goal.
So sorry about the old man's cat. I cannot understand how humans can be so heartless and cruel. Your fish and fish-creatures are very magical - thank you for them!
this is gonna be the winner-- -- I just think at this point its not a photo but a work of art that only 1% of us could do.. I applaud you on your genius. but find it hard to judge as a photo.
Congrats though on your talent and image, I hope I didn't Offend..
Well, this is extremely good. Very hard to imagine this not taking first place. great concept, great execution. Cute elephant.
If I absolutely had to find something to critique, maybe the murky underwater area looks a bit similar to the sky (cloudy greens and yellows). Perhaps the color could have shifted slightly, or something else to differentiate it.
Cherish life in its diversity
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