In a nutshell, this is the base of a lightbulb that I held in front of a distorted photo of the moon on my monitor.
I positioned a single, clamp-on work light with a full-spectrum bulb just above my monitor, so the light would shine on my fingertips from the same direction as the virtual moon. A sheet of white poster board on the left provided some soft, reflected fill light. I set a custom white balance on a sheet of white paper held in front of the monitor to get the hand color right. This made the monitor image very blue, but it was a simple matter to desaturate that color.
Processing: Crop, slight levels, desaturate the blue channel almost completely and shift it a little towards green, desaturate a bit overall to gray out the hand, and a minor curves adjustment to emphasize the highlights.
I initially shot this against a larger monitor, with a Canon 20D and studio lights, but the results were awful... the bulb shape and proportions were all wrong, the lighting on my hand was terrible, and there were obvious monitor lines running through the bulb. Had I entered that shot, I wouldn't have reached a 6. I was supposed to go out for dinner tonight (the deadline), but a snowstorm forced me to stay home, where I gave it another shot with more pedestrian equipment. Thank goodness!
FWIW, this shot was harder than it might seem from the description. Obviously, I had to do some serious work to get the background I needed. Besides getting the size and shape of the "bulb" just right, I had to line everything up with one hand while looking through the viewfinder and shooting with the other hand. Most importantly, I had to get the lighting right on the fingertips to make this believable. I took hundreds of shots, but the results were pretty bad until my last take- two hours before the deadline.
For those interested, the source photo for the manipulated moon is by T.A.Rector, I.P.Dell'Antonio/NOAO/AURA/NSF, and permitted by the author.
Statistics
Place: 1 out of 271 Avg (all users): 7.7487 Avg (commenters): 9.1176 Avg (participants): 7.5339 Avg (non-participants): 7.8447 Views since voting: 38215 Views during voting: 954 Votes: 382 Comments: 143 Favorites: 197 (view)
I've always loved your work and I'm flattered you stopped by my site to comment - THANK YOU. Your work has taught me that "those great photos" are all in the mind of the photographer. Though I would never think I was capable of such a great photo (like this one) your explanations make me a bit closer to the "dream" if you will. You put masterpieces in reach. Thanks for showing your work!
Beautiful and fascinating. You inpired me to really want to become the best photographer I can possibly be. Your work is beatiful. Continue photography for the rest of you life, it will always stay with you.
Rules? Schmules! Let's not get picky about the semantics of rules or the "ethics" of the contest. Everything is up to interpretation and I think the photo is a true wonder. This is a venue to learn and be creative, so I say HURRAY for your effort. Wish I had the patience to go to that much trouble.
I don't know. Seriously creative and even more well done. I thought I was creative until I started seeing this sort of thing. My only question is how the hell did you come up with the idea, let alone the mechanics of making it so bad ass. well done.
sweet! great score and deserved blue. i was expecting you to win this challenge after our breakfast conversation. too bad my photo of you didn't get the brown like i had suspected, cause that would have been pretty cool. :)
Rules?! Personally I score for: skill, creativity, effort, fitting the Challenge, and grab-you appeal. This "bright idea" fits hugely in all categories. But what it really comes down to is that we are here to share and learn photography, and make great photos! Not to learn how to follow rules! Thank you so much Shannon for sharing!! and daring to skirt the boundries!
The reason this fits in the category of "Surreal" to me is that one, it could not be real, and two it makes you scratch your head.
This was my only 10.
Pleased that I knew how you did this, but bummed I did'nt try to enter something. You Challenge this newbee to reach higher! :)
I didn't get around to voting on 20% so my vote didn't count but I do think this is a ten. Great creativity. A big sigh and a shake of the head to all those who consider this "cheating" or somehow against the rules or even spirit of the rules. This is no different than using a backdrop in a portrait or still life.
I loved this picture and it diffently deserves the ribbon, but does it not mean there is a gap in the rules. I far as I was aware no photoshoping etc (apart from levels, curves etc.) is allowed. Could we all just manipulate all our images and take a photo of the screen on Basic Editing?
Ah-Ha! Knew this challenge would suit your perfectly! Also, thought this might be yours. Congratulations on another well deserved BLUE and a great talent!
As far as I am concerned, what is the difference with this shot and taking multiple exposures? It is EXTREMLEY easy to create surreal images with multiple exposures.
Sorry doesn't seem like it is "pure" enough for my liking.
Not a bad shot (hell I even _like_it_), but seems like "cheating" to me.
Wow, look at all those 10's!
Congrats to you yet again (you ribbon hog :), no surprise to see this shot getting the blue. Thanks for always providing such detailed notes as well.
Congratulations on your blue! I'm honored to have received a positive comment from the challenge winner. (BTW, I don't see any reason the moon photo would have to be yours, as I read the rules. Existing art can be included in submissions as long as it's not a literal representation of the work...so crabappl3's DQ must have been for something else.)
A truly inspiring display of creativity. As I am fairly new to this site and photography, I am continually amazed at the talent pool here. As I see your location of the picture taken, I am about 5 miles away in Fairfield. Thank you for yet another great photograph.
I hope the photo of the moon was at least yours. ;-)
Good point. I got a DQ a while back because I had a bug on a photo of the earth. Since I didn't take the photo of the earth I was DQ'd. Wonder what the SC will do about this one.
As I thought......hmmmm.....is this where the mother ship is hidden sclavert! Is that your real name......ZORN...hmmm????? Another painfully brilliant submission well deserving of a blue. I have now changed my name to scalvert as well. I'm a mess!!
Congrats on the ribbon...and THANKYOU for telling us how you achieved it. It is so much nicer to read all about it rather than see....N/A.
great shot, well done
debbie
LOL, I know monitor backgrounds annoy tyt2000 as well. Personally, it's just another prop to me- no different than a painted backdrop or model. If I happened to find an appropriate background on a billboard or sign and put something in front of it to make the shot, I doubt you'd question it.
Wow, you managed to completely circumvent the rules about spot editing in this one, without really circumventing them at all. I mean, great idea and execution... but questionable ethics man. I hope the photo of the moon was at least yours. ;-)
Scalvert, this is another amazing piece! I keep trying to add you as a favorite photographer every time I see one of your images. You really are a talent and it's a pleasure to browse through your imaginarium of creative art. Kudos for the win!
Shannon, you magnificent bastard! :-) You've done another amazing job of making an extraordinarily creative vision come alive. I thought that scores were supposed to look like a bell curve, but yours just goes straight up!
Way to go Shannon!! Congrats on your very well deserved blue ....an incredible, magical shot!! I expect to see a witch on a broomstick come round the edge of the image.
Even after reading your explanation, I'm still scratching my head how you got it to turn out like this, but I love it!
Woohoo!! I just missed the highest scoring photo for the Digital Rebel only six challenges ago. I certainly didn't expect to have another shot at it so soon! Thanks for the kudos everyone... except the dude that scored this a 1. LOL
Congrats !!!
I was glad to see this as a winner, was my favorite. I read your comments on how you did it and it blew me away! So simple, yet pure genius. You sure executed it great, obviously. Brilliant. :-)
I was wondering who did this and am feeling very inspired now *laugh* Very clever indeed and big time congrats on what just HAD to be the blue ribbon here :)
What an awesome and classic image. This image alone was worth the challenge. Shannon you are indeed a wonder and a most exciting photographer. Kudos. One more thing, to earn a blue is nice but to earn it with such a high score bespeaks of greatness.
Damn it-- Just when I thought I had voted on the top 3, This shot comes up--
A 10 for sure, probably will ribbon, and holding my breath on how you did this!!
This looks like a Scalvert...and if it's not a Scalvert, my apologies for not recognizing your work. Either way, I think this has the stink of blue on it. This image is nice as it combines both a mysterious technique with an interesting composition to create the end result...so many miss one of the two which is no good. Congratulations on causing many dpc'ers to scratch their heads.
Very surreal, crisp clean, nice glow around the bulb. very cool. i guess if they have to be validated people are jealous thinking its too good. I'm not jealous but i gave it a 10, good job. I hope you tell how you did it after the voting.
you deserve a blue ribbon! this picture is perfect for the challenge, and I especially appreciate the originality and creativity of it! I gave it the only 10 of the challenge :)
very very nice job!
I'm absolutly astounded by this shot. This represent Surrealism and captivates me. Colours and lighting are good, composition is nice, although i would've wish for a little tighter. I'm glad you ddin't add a frame to this shot, as it really opens up the 'universe'. Imaginative and immersive! Excellent work! Please take the time to make a post on how you did such a nice trick! 10!!!
This picture is very neat and caught my eye in an instant! From far away it looks like a hand pulling down on the moon. I love the background because it looks like real stars and the lightbulb has the look and the texture of the moon. Very creative idea
Ha, I had to wait until this shot was validated until I would vote. The fact that it was shows your skill at creating a great shot like this. Well done!
Nice! I love the way you got the surface of the moon into the bulb, and the light on your thumb and index finger really looks as if it's coming from the bulb. Wow! How'd you do it? 10
Though this is an impressive and powerfull image, with great definition, light, composition, etc, it doesn't strike me as being surreal. It feels more like an add for an electric company or so. Neverthless, congratulations on your great picture (and basic editing skills!).
my favorite but not classic photography!!!
edited: I'm really sad... I supposed was "strange" in someway... ok it's basic editing.. but it's too easy to take shot of an image...
I'd love to know how this was done in basic editing. It is so skillfully done I have to presume the maker knows what he's doing, and I give it a 10. I'm sure someone else has asked for validation. I hope it validates. Feel free to PM me and elt me know how you made it if youw ish, the 10 is already on it and will stay there.
GREAT! Validated! I can't wait to see how you did this....
Amazing shot, congratulations on such an imaginative photo for the challenge. One small quibble which is the light in the foreground on the hand doesn't seem to match the light given off by the moonbulb. Excellent!
This is absolutely stunning. I can't possibly imagine how it has been done this way legally, but will take your word for it. I really hope there is an explanation to go with the photo.
Nightbulb
Add photograph to your favorites
Add photographer to your favorites
Photographer found comment helpful.
