This took 2 hours total from beginning to move the bed out of the room, to putting the bed back in the room. The process: my dad and I decided that it would be fun to shoot a bed on the beach for the separation challenge. So we found a good day (nice weather, no other necessary activities or errands), and moved the bed out of the house (the frame, the back board, the mattress), tied it onto the top of the car, made the short five minute drive to the beach (convenient location ), untied the bed and got everything else ready. Besides the bed, we also had a bedside table, a globe, an alarm clock (barely visible, but still there), one sheet, one pillow, a stuffed animal rabbit, a broom (not used for anything), caution tape (not used either, but another random idea), a stool (got used to set other stuff on top of), a basket for carrying some of the small pieces, and a few other clothing accessories (extra shirt, slippers, and the bathrobe). After we got everything piled on top of the bed, we hauled it down to the edge of the dry sand for a break and a test look. This is when the tourists began gathering a little bit. We told one group of old ladies that it was for GQ Quarterly, one of them said,"I told you it was a magazine, I told you!" We're still considering submitting the shot to them. But after that, our reason was an "international website" which was much more correct. Then we hauled it down to the wet sand, rotated for a good direction of sun and began shooting. My dad sitting on the bed, and me making camera adjustments and compositional changes. It was quite fun. I wouldn't have minded people asking more questions, but they were respectful while shooting, and didn't ask any. The only nervous part was when a larger wave did come in and wash around the bed, as we both looked on, we weren't afraid it would wash out, but if the mattress would get wet, it cleared by about 2-3 inches (5-8 centimeters), fortunately.
This image is supposed to evoke a sense of separation (obviously), a separation of this man and society (not with anyone else), humanity and nature (a bed on the beach?), and the inner separation (looking out, but not able to step out and leave, an inner conflict).
Zoomdak: I am watching you! I have read many of the comments written about you and this shot. To those of us who are fortunate enough to know you personally: we are all Very Proud of you...and am most curious as to where all of this is going! Here you are only 17 years old...being raised by the best parents on planet earth...on your way to College (do you really need college?) : you should be teaching them! I am most proud of you for not neglecting the Gift which HE has placed within you! Please, keep up the good work...and thank you for inspiring all of us aging baby boomers to aspire to those dreams which we have long since forgotten. Blessings--bonny in cannon beach
Ok Zoom. Gotta say I love this. It reminds me of Storm's work with Pink Floyd. Only thing that I would change is a crop that is half way between where you chose (submitted) and where the close up was shot. He seems just a bit too far away here, but way too close in the close up.
If the Floyd were planning a tour, this could be the cover and I'd bet even the hardcore fans like me would swear Thorgy took it. GREAT JOB! and congrats!
ok, 4 1st places. That's enough. When you get any other bright ideas like this, e-mail them to me... Only Joking, what a wonderfull image. What i am most puzzled about is why i only gave this shot a 9 and not a 10?
Never mind. Keep up this amazing work.
Kev
You are amazing! Congrats on the ribbon. Hard work pays off. I enjoyed your story here on the way you set all of this up. Its most defanetly another great piece to add to the awesome series.
Each & every shot you take at this location is both breath taking & unique. This one takes the cake. Absolutely stunning job! The talent & creativity you show by being able to create such a portfolio of one location leaves us all wanting to be able to do the same & maybe just a tad jealous ;)
Congrats on another blue. Just keep following your instincts & dreams & you will go as far as you want. I think I'm almost as proud as your parents are! :o)
Can they take my kids for just a little while & do whatever it is they did to you?? lol
This is great :-) Reminds me of the scene in the movie Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. The two main characters woke up with them in their bed at a snow covered beach. After seeing that scene I've always imagined of trying something like that.
Congratulations on your Blue. I absolutely loved the idea of this. You put alot of effort into this shot and I have to say your ribbon was well deserved. Four Blues. Good for you!
Wow, you made such an effort, but it paid off getting a blue ribbon, well done. It was so nice to read how you did it and appricate what trouble you went to. Well deserved.
debbie
I have been to this beach by Heceta Head Lighthouse. You have captured this wonderful part of the world. Your photo shows imagination and enjoyment, two factors necessary to stand out in photography. Great job!
Wow, great story of how you setup this shot! After all that work of strapping the bed to your car and carrying it out to the beach, I'm glad you got a Blue ribbon out of it.
Well deserved. I really like the "Bizzare Dream" outtake. Great!!!
I hope you appreciate your father! I do not think there are many that would be supportive enough to go to that extent despite the value in doing so. As a relatively new dad, I hope I'm that supportive of my kids and their ambitions when times like these come along.
With that said, great stuff. Great idea. Great vision. Great execution.
One question - How far is Cannon Beach from Bandon and Pacific Dunes golf clubs (the name of the third track that opens this year escapes me at the moment)?
Good job zoomdak. wow this is your 4th blue I am amazed. I thought it would be a winner with that high score of yours. I wonder if you could just bring the whole room down. bla
Even if this wasn't a great shot (it *was* a great shot) you'd still deserve some sort of ribbon merely for the lengths you went through to capture it! Congratulations -- you got a 10 from me!
have you seen this book //www.luerzersarchive.net/news.asp it has a shot just like yours but i like yours better great job very creative got a ten from me.
Excellent effort to make the shot. Your zeal and imagination should be commended. The image came out dreamy and surreal. The composition was spot on, giving room for the elements to add to the total message.
Thank you so much for the commentary. I love learning how people set up their shots. I also love the fact that you included the original, so we can see where it came from. A fabulous shot with so much effort put into it. Congratulations on your well-deserved ribbon!
Wow! Way to go again! And for those who are getting tired of the beach" they have to understand that we in the NW never get tired of our natural beauty. And you have done this beach in so many creative ways. This site is so humbling; getting beat out consistently by a guy only 17! What a future. Congrats.
I have to say, this photo reminds me of the modern Pink Floyd album covers, namely Momentary Lapse of Reason. Absolutely a superb shot, great quality and evokes so much emotion. Great job!!!
You absolutely rock. You are young and talented beautiful person and it shines through your photos. This one is just superb. The idea, the execution, the feeling in it. Just perfect. You are a big inspiration.
How fortunate you are to live in such a majestic area...and to be able to take great photos there! Lovely and well thought out shot...almost has a Dali look to it.
Wow, was not expecting another blue. Thank you everybody for the votes and comments (even you, Robert), very pleased with the placing (and who wouldn't be). Still a little peeved that I can't score a dang red or yellow ribbon though, lol. I'd like to give fair share to arnit's 'Surreal Vacuming' for the base of the idea.
Simply outstanding. Liek i said in my comment during the challenge, I'm getting SICK of you and your beach, and even so I gave it a 10. LOL. You're doing wonderful work, this shows a depth of imagination and willingness-to-go-the-extra-mile that puts it head and shoulders above the crowd. The score reflects this; it's so far ahead of the red ribbon it's not even funny.
this (and outtakes) are some of the best photographs i have seen in a long time, especially on dpc. I love things surreal, and you did it here. Great shot and great thinking man.
great shot.. wow, only 2 hours? very efficient as well.. and i had just noticed that before i read the comment by tyt which says the same.. that you only win blues! and you're on a roll! keep it up!
Zoomdak you did it again, Congratulations!
I didn't vote in the separation challenge because of a time issue setting up a new computer. But wow what as strong image. Some may see a bed in water and thats all, but I see more. Thank you for a wonderful photograph that makes one think and relate.
Great Job!
Congratulations again! Goes to show how hard work, creativity and natural talent in combination can create something of spectacular beauty. Well done indeed!
I am so glad this one won! Well done, what a lot of effort you made in getting this one, and it was worth it, not just for the ribbon but for a really top quality shot!
Well we all knew you had some serious technical skills with your consistently beautiful shots of the same location. Now you've showed us you've got some equally serious creativity.
Once in a while an image comes along that just blows the majority of the members away. This is one of them. Expertly executed and reminiscent of the Mapp and Lucia series, wherein the dining room table floated away in the water. Much like your image the latter sent me off in stiches. This image is presented here with such atmosphere and untold beauty that after it invokes the laughter we are left with a lovelt and enduring image.
Hey, Thomas, Congratulations on this brilliant effort. A most deserved blue.
Dude! This is awesome. You have no idea how many times I've dreamed of doing something like this! You pulled it off splendidly. A real ballsy shoot. I bet you would have scored higher if you were floating out to sea though. :)
A man wanting a larger view of the world, but not from the usual human perspective. Set apart......
Great introspective and thought provoking photo. Hope you didn't get to wet when the tide came in....
yea! Woo hooo. I like it comical yet serious. Fits the challenge extremely well and is a very nice composition. The lighting and colors are just perfect for this shot. Many times I have wished for this .. Very emotional and well done peice.
Okay, this is just too cool. I hope there's some sort of trick to this and that you didn't drag your bed out to a beach, but either way the shot came out great.
Excellent composition here, and fantastic juxtaposition of what absolutely does not belong here cast as if it is a part of the natural setting. Nice presentation of two competing focus points, blurring the second so as not to detract from the first. Very nicely done.
Frankly, I'm tempted to give this a 1 because I'm getting tired of your beach showing up in every damned challenge, zoomer :-) But the image is just too lovely to do that to, so I'll go the other way and give it a 10. At least you're moving up a notch on the metaphor meter. You get high points from me for thinking laterally with this, I love it.
Adrift
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