Yes, that's a real live ant. The crackers are glued together and supported from behind by a wire coat hanger (the fuzzy white shape above the crackers is the back edge of the wire).
This image was more difficult than I imagined, but I finally got it after nearly 300 shots and several ants. My first versions were taken outside on a slab of marble. The ant's reflection on the marble was nice, but natural light just wasn't working, so I moved indoors with a softbox and 25mm Kenko extension tube. I was going to use raspberries, but they wouldn't withstand the hot glue. I cooled the ant for a minute in the refrigerator and placed it under the crackers (not that it slowed him down much).
Much as I like the idea, the background basket should have been closer for better focus, the ant should have been on a white area for better lighting, and the table cloth is too flat and should have been angled to avoid the "flag" look. No time for another shoot, though, so this will have to do. Hope I don't regret it.
Minor adjustments made with levels, USM, shadow/highlight, curves and hue/saturation.
Hmmm... 2nd place and one of my most-favorited photos, yet three people gave it a 1. They were trying to squish my bug! :-(
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Place: 2 out of 354 Avg (all users): 7.2563 Avg (commenters): 8.2439 Avg (participants): 6.8364 Avg (non-participants): 7.6172 Views since voting: 58761 Views during voting: 459 Votes: 238 Comments: 97 Favorites: 110 (view)
When i saw it I immedelalsdalks ... well, right away, I knew it was from a DPC Challenge ... how to spell immediately - immideately - imm - ah, I give up!
Hi Shannon. I just thought I'd let you know what kind of effect this had on other people. I showed a few people the DPC website because I wanted their opinions on my Beverages Challenge photo (stupid me, I gathered opinions for the challenge AFTER choosing one to submit).
A couple of times, I showed the picture when several of my students were around. There all got very excited to see the homepage and of all the pictures on the page at the time (that was when we had Joey's two blues up with the 48 hr member challenge), guess which one had all the kids pointing and laughing.
It was the only picture that got repeated requests to view and review. Every time I showed the pictures of DPC that week, everyone requested seeing this picture first.
Great job. Maybe if you had used a blue checkered tablecloth you would have gotten a blue ribbon.
So cute! Speaking of overachievers, where can I see some photos of your three overachievers? Have you posted any lately? So Justin squashed one of the ants - that would have made his great-grandfather laugh!!
Aunt Sue
why a 1 from anyone? I think you get a 2 just for posting, a 3 for visible objects, 4 for interesting subject, 5 for satisfactory execution, and on up for beauty,style, composition, lighting, etc...
I would've given it a 9, definately a sucessful stock
I love the creativity and patience that this took! My jaw just drops seeing that this is a live ant! Goodness I have found someone else who is as crazed as I am to use live insects as models in conceptual shots:-) ! I am glad that you changed the elements from the first shot to this one. The red checked cloth works perfectly to compliment this "model" for it helps to invoke the idea of ants invading the picnic table and carrying off food:-) You are spot on that the picnic basket could have been in better focus for the shot for that would have strengthened the imagery as well -
Patience and persistance - it really paid off for I know that insects just don't cooperate well;-) Kudos to you for acomplishing such a creative shot .
i really love this shot!! unfortunatly i was away for the voteing of this challenge, or you would have got a ten! i really love the concept of this photo, the focus and tone! great job!
I absolutely love your concept, your shot, and your self-criticisms. I honestly thought this was a "flag tablecloth," until I read what you had to say. Your noticing the ant's being on red rather than white — and that phenomenon's taking away from the ant — too, is quite shrewd. That said, no matter the "flaws," this is, indeed, a marvelous picture. Great work!
You have so much creativity and forethought/ Lets quit our jobs and start a multi-million dollar corporate thinktank. We could come up with Ideas like "New Coke" and "Crystal Pepsi" and that internet delivery service- or the Chrysler PT cruiser/
You could have the ideas, and I could bring the beer.
Wow Shannon! Once again, you will go to any length to set up a great shot! And once again, you pulled it off beautifully! Fantastic job & congratulations!
I agree with David...when he's done, can I be next? Great set up and shooting of this marvelous image, Shannon! Thanks for the great details you provided as well! Big congrats on your ribbon!
fantastic. can I borrow your brain and imagination for the next few challenges? I agree that the image suffers from the "flag" look, but that really is the only minor nit here. focus, colors, comp and creativity are all right on the money! well done.
~ohhhh if only I could lift 50 times my weight in ice cream~ very nicely done. crisp focus and spot on colors. Great capture - should do very very well :)
Great shot, I'm really dying to see how you made it!! Congratulations!!
PS: I keep coming and coming to see this wonderful image, and still don't get the slightest idea of how you managed it.... Too bad I can't give you more than a 10...
8 - Very good and funny. Criticism; tablecloth/colors dominate, or rather, compete with the ant and his load. Technically, whilst no 'expert', looks like you have achieved good focus on 'a third(s)'. 'Line(s)' are nice and straight, as I said, just the colors detract from this in my opinion. (2nd review); colors are growing on me, but I still think they compete too much, but I realize now 'picnic tablecloth', so apologies there. Can't quite take it to 8 though, re the 'strict application' for the Challenge, I would just like to have seen it 'stricter' somehow, though the originality is great. But yes on further 'review' I can see you have used more than one rule here. No clue why this needed validation either, who knows. Great shot. Ok, ok, 8, especially because of your efforts, and that of the ant.
This is the most amaizing photo, ive ever seen in my life! you see all like scenery photo's and all that kind of stuff, but nothing like this, this is worth 10 credits+
(is it real?!)
haha thats a very interesting shot.. would like to know story behind it. i know ants can carry more than their own weight, but this makes me think you snapped this just before the pile crushed this poor guy.. lol 7
VERY CLEVER!!! I like the picnic table idea but it's almost a distraction with the checked tablecloth, the bright blue and the beige to the upper left (basket maybe?). The title is awesome.
This is awsome! Creativity well executed, I think it'd work well as stock. I do kindof get the faint impression that hes going uphill so the table cloth might not be completly horizontal. I think it actually works here, but I don't know if thats intentional for one, and two even if thats the case. My eyes just might be tired :)
Overachiever
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