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The Duel
1st PlaceThe Duel
gyaban


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Ridiculously Disproportionate (Expert Editing)
Camera: Canon EOS-1D X
Lens: Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro MF
Date: Mar 24, 2016
Date Uploaded: Mar 24, 2016

[Mar. 29th, 2016 05:25:38 AM]

Sometimes, unexpected challenges arise. I love trying to predict what could happen from there, or what could have happened "if". Do you? It is a little mind sport that I can't prevent myself from practicing. For example, I can spend significant time thinking about one of my reactions in a given situation, then imagining the other possible outcomes depending on various behavior. Of course, one could say that such thoughts are useless, since the action is past. True, in a way. However, I do know that it actually helped me: in life, many scenes are repeating themselves, and having studied all the possibilities on a similar case permits me acting more appropriately on-the-fly. Experience, I suppose.

Speaking of flies, this is quite a big one. This is where my thinking gets a bit less useful in everyday life: I also can't prevent myself from elaborating scenarios that are wildly unrealistic. It's fun, it makes me smile, so why not? A few days ago, I was walking in the woods, while I heard some shots in the wind: hunters. It really is hard to love these guys. Seriously, running after some defenseless animal with dogs and riffles? For entertainment? What wrong is with them? It would be amusing to see them facing some real opponent. For example, a giant deer, or a giant boar. They would be quite surprised, wouldn't they? Would they still face it, even if the odds suddenly were against them? I doubt it.

Similarly, I always feel bad when I see someone coldly killing a bug. I believe that such behavior is a bit like what those silly hunters do: killing for your own comfort, allowing it simply because there is no risk doing so. What about life respect? Even if one is actually bigger and stronger, does it justify death? Some say that in nature, it is how things work: the strong lives, the weak dies. Well, if human beings are really that smart, maybe it is time to evolve from this ancestral rule.

A few technical notes about the fly shot: I found the insect in the basement of my house. It was already dead. I photographed it using focus stacking: 22 shots were necessary, at f/16 with the fantastic MP-E 65mm lens. Thanks for watching and for the great feedback, much appreciated!

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 38
Avg (all users): 8.1831
Avg (commenters): 9.0000
Avg (participants): 7.5000
Avg (non-participants): 8.4510
Views since voting: 2928
Views during voting: 215
Votes: 71
Comments: 16
Favorites: 2 (view)

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AuthorThread
Canon EOS R6
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM
 04/06/2016 06:55:38 AM
Wow this is superb! Make a great book cover. I am sure you could write the story with your vivid imagination.

Congrats on a very well deserved blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-6D
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM
 04/05/2016 10:12:36 AM
Congratulations, Christophe! Another fine creation... very well done.

Thanks for the PSing trick. I've been masking hairs by hand. *sigh*

I hope you bought that fly swatter for the challenge. Ha! :D
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-1D X
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM
 04/04/2016 05:25:11 PM
Originally posted by vawendy:
Ok -- I already said it was spectacular. But how in the heck do you select around all of those hairs!! I got soooo frustrated working on the squirrel...


Thanks a lot Wendy! Regarding hairs, it is not necessary to select them, it is probably much more efficient to simply use layer blending modes (see here for example).

Message edited by author 2016-04-04 17:25:32.
Sony Alpha a1 II
Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS
 04/04/2016 03:07:40 PM
Ok -- I already said it was spectacular. But how in the heck do you select around all of those hairs!! I got soooo frustrated working on the squirrel...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS R5
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM
 04/01/2016 09:43:52 PM
Just Amazing!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/01/2016 10:46:37 AM
I don't understand hunters either, the ones who hunt for sport. I do understand the hunters who hunt to fill the ice box. I like this image because it does make me stop and think on a deeper level. When I see a spider on the sidewalk, I step over it and go on with my day. I think the spider only kills to survive, not for sport. Excellent work as always.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon Z7II
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
 04/01/2016 08:32:53 AM
Congrats on the blue; wonderful as usual. It is getting hard to pick a favorite and this is right up there.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-5D Mark III
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L USM II
 04/01/2016 06:17:28 AM
Amazing! Your ideas are brilliant and always perfectly executed... Congrats on the +8 score and a really fun photo :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Samsung Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra
Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS
 04/01/2016 12:48:10 AM
Wonderful image, in nearly all respects one of your very best IMO. Only one thing "bugs" me (jejeje); it's the way the moon's too sharp on the bright edge and it appears almost as if the clouds were behind instead of in front, an oddly disconcerting effect. Regardless, congrats on an incredibly effective take on the topic.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Canon Canon 1d x Mark II
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 FG HSM Art
 03/30/2016 06:19:38 AM
I think you're going to need a bigger swatter ;)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-1D X
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
 03/28/2016 04:03:32 PM
This is eatremely well done and will most likely win in my opinion.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony Alpha a7R III
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II
 03/28/2016 03:52:26 PM
Very nice composition Amazing I give 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-5D Mark IV
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II
 03/27/2016 06:03:05 PM
I see a Ribbon here! Very nicely done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-6D
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM
 03/27/2016 04:48:18 PM
Believable. Nicely done. :D
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D7100
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II
 03/25/2016 08:56:51 PM
who else but Christophe would dare face down a giant fly with a plastic flyswatter? Wish we could have seen the end result of this epic battle :-) Congrats on the blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony Alpha a1 II
Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS
 03/25/2016 10:21:56 AM
I want to borrow your brain for a day. How do you even think of these things, much less pull them off?! Voting later, but this is marvelous. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
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