This was a tough shot, mainly because Beau would neither hold still or quit laughing. It also took a fair amount of work, getting the lighting just right, especially getting just my shadow without my finger, hand, or arm showing.
It's cropped rather tight because the tripod was set up in his bedroom, shooting through a narrow doorway.
I also had to really boost the contrast to eliminate marks on the wall the I couldn't spot edit under Basic Editing rules (which is why I also couldn't edit out the tape on the floor where I marked his spot...).
Imaginative use of light - good idea and well executed. I'd maybe like to see it shot from the 'other side' looking more in to his face, with the shadow hanging over him, but a good interpretiation of the theme.
Thanks to all of you who voted and commented here! I deeply and truly appreciate it!
Every now and then, the stars line up, and opportunity meets effort. This shot required 3 days to take. Even though Beau has had a camera in his face most of his life, he still has all the energy of 6 1/2 year old. Because his sister wasn't involved, he was twice as fired up, enjoying the spotlight (so to speak).
Day 1, we did test shots just to see if it would work. The next day, we tried playing with the lights (I was using 2 desklamps with 100 wt bulbs), but nothing seemed to work.
We decided to try one more time, putting the lights where we had them for the test shot. This really took an effort, trying to get a defined shadow without my hand, while also only having 2 seconds to get in place after firing off the remote.
I really owe Beau big for helping me pull this off. Stop for a moment, if you will, to picture this. He really wants to be bouncing off the walls, and he's got this natural killer grin. I line up the shot, and tell him, "Ok, NOW! Don't move!!!" He strikes his pose and holds it for about 4-5 seconds. Then I go check the LCD, and, for the umpteenth time, say, "Aw, my finger's in it! We have to do it again!" Yep, my little man came through for me, and I am really proud of him for that!
Thanks again to all of you, glad that you all found a little piece you could connect with.
Congratulations on your 5th finish. A very strong image with both the tender tones of submission and parental authority. Here you created a poem of an image.
Congrats on your 5th place finish Skip. I keep telling them to give out at least 6 ribbons each time. They keep saying they can't afford all those ribbons. ;)
Probably the best representations of authority in the challenge. The lighting and shadows really set the mood. The little boy's stature truly shows his feelings.
The extreme, dramatic lighting, the posture of the child and the shadow of the hand fill this image with ominous intensity. The door, the light fixture, and the boy's pajamas appear to be from an earlier era so that the image evokes the feeling of memory from the point of view of a child. Very powerful, though distrubing, image. Masterfully crafted.
well taken the shadows are alittle noisy but the grayscale is so well done and the image is such a great example of the challenge discription that it doesn't matter.
I like that you represented authority as a shadow. It gives the idea of auhtority something misterious, vague, uncomprehensible. The boys shadow doesn't add to the atmosphere, though. Perhaps a different position of the light woulld have cast his shadow outside of the image.
I particularly like the boy's attitude, the way he looks at the floor clearly shows that he has no other choice but to accept his parents' order. A great image on the whole.
Clever idea that would send a lot of us back to our childhoods. High contrast with the presence of the large shadows make it work beautifully with great impact. It does make you feel small. Great work.
This took a bit to register in my head (maybe because it is 2:47am right now. But, it really works for me in B&W. The shadow work is imaginative and effective. I almost feel sorry for the child!! 9/10
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