A simple setup really... I printed out a photo that I took last year from an airplane as two huge plotter prints and taped them together. Resolution wasn't a problem because fuzzier details just look like a result of depth of field. The rug and my daughter were sitting on top of the print, and I put a fan in her face to get her hair blowing. A roll of bubble wrap under the rug gave it a wave (I should have used more). I placed a monolight with an umbrella on either side of her to minimize the shadows and took the shot from a ladder overhead.
Processing: Boosted the exposure and saturation in RAW. Rotated the image 90 degrees and corrected the perspective to get the edges square. Crop, levels, spot saturation adjustments, cloned out the seam in the paper and a few faint shadows around the rug, Noise Ninja on the background, and assorted dodging and burning to even things out. I blurred the background a little to reduce noise in the print and give a better sense of depth.
It sounds like a lot of editing, but HERE'S what the original shot looked like.
A bit of cosmic poetry... Arabian Flights is my 1001st photo to be chosen as a favorite. ;-)
Statistics
Place: 2 out of 109 Avg (all users): 7.8090 Avg (commenters): 8.7885 Avg (participants): 7.6901 Avg (non-participants): 7.8479 Views since voting: 31717 Views during voting: 662 Votes: 288 Comments: 140 Favorites: 97 (view)
if you did this again, id say try to make the carpet more uneven or even put stuff underneath to not give it that flat look. it might look more like she was flying on it rather than flat and on a hard floor.
I though you might do well in this challenge, and you did yourself proud, another brilliant setup. The wrinkle in the carpet is a nice touch, and I particularly like the pink plastic dress up shoes, it adds that extra touch of "let's pretend".
For the common good we need to get anyone who would vote this shot a 1 out of the gene pool.
...try and take it flipped around, like she is coming towards you instead.
I took several shots with her head tilted to show some face, but didn't think of turning the whole setup around (duh). I might just have to try that. ;-)
simply amazing. such an awesome idea. and well executed too. the only thing that bothers me on this one is i think it could have been even better if the little girls face was showing. maybe just a little side shot from this angle would have done it, or try and take it flipped around, like she is coming towards you instead.
Master Scalvert at it again and this time with a clean execution of that universal yearning in us for a flying carpet. You certainly appear to ride one to success. Congratulations on your RED.
Where do you come up with this stuff? its bloddy fantastic. You should be the head of a huge marketing/advertising thinktank! Great idea, and as always, well executed.
You need to blow this up (poster-size) for her room (of course, first she needs to take it to school for show-n-tell!) How proud she must be!
To be honest - I think you could make tons of $$ promoting it to grade schools for bulletin boards ("Reading Really Carries Me Away!" or something to that effect. This is coming from the perspective of a family of educators. I showed it to my daughter who teaches 2nd Grade and she really liked it!)
Should have known this was a Scalvert. You are so darn creative in coming up with ideas and executing them. Great job and congrats. on another ribbon. My top pick and only 10.
If I only had half the imagination you do ....... plus you have a willing model whenever you need one ! My eight year old daughter doesn't like herself on camera at all, a shame, she is so photogenic !
A big congrats on your RED !
-Lisa
You created a magic and the tale of the flying carpet is alive.
The picture is airy, however it was a hard work ! This is the feature of the bests! - CONGRATULATION
Congratulations Shannon! I thought I had written a comment on this one because it was amazing and I couldn't figure out how it was done! But I don't see it below :(
Ahh....I sat looking at this one for ages during the voting trying to work it out. And now it is so simple. Fantastic job and very creative. Congratulations.
Wow! How on earth did you achieve this? A mural floor? Very realistic and excellent perspective. In my opinion, probably would have been better if the model had a longer hair moving in the wind. Additionally, if the model were to somehow show her face (even in profile), it would make a memorable portrait. A wonderful, surprising photo!
For me, your photo is the only one worthy of a ten in this challenge. I really hope you get a ribbon. It's a terrific shot and exemplifies the challenge. Way to go!
This is a very nice illusion, however, the rug looks a bit too flat, and the hands look unnaturally clenched. But cool how you got the scenery below! EDITED TO ADD: While going through the challenge entries one more time, and looking more closely at my ribbon choices (in which this is one), I wanted to also add that although this is a nice illusion, I now know what I feel is missing that would have really completed this shot. Had you had a fan to blow her hair back and the dress skirt a bit, and maybe propped up a couple of those long rounded pillows (although a bit harder in texture) under the rug, it would have given more of the illusion the rug was in flight as well as herself. Also that one tassle in front right that looks like it is hanging down, to me seems out of sorts. I think it really should have been blowing up or back as if the rug was really moving forward. I'm no master at illusions..LOL..but just thought you may like to know the little details I noticed that were out of sorts. Good luck! And if you don't ribbon, I would really be quite amazed. :)
I dearsay, that looks like a Mackenzie. I keep coming back and the only way I can figure you did this is with a huge plotter printer.... Can't wait to see how this was done. GREAT shot.
OK, what can I say? I could say who took this shot but I won't however I can easily say that 10's will not need to be a fantasy on this photo. 10! it is, unbelievable creativity on this one. Enjoy your ribbon.
OK...I've looked at this about 15 times and I think it the best of the lot. While I really wish that there had been some hint of the girl's face in the image, I can see where it might not make any sense due to the angle. It is well set up, the DOF is just perfect against the picture backdrop in which the clouds really make it work. I'd make a guess that it is SCOWL VERT but the color scheme has me thinking not, for some reason. So whomever it is, I hope you will be enjoying your blue....Hmmmm...color scheme, Pink blouse...Bored of Education...hmmm...
I really like the idea, but the lighting is too far off to make this illusion work. I think that even placing the magic carpet on a table to raise it up from the background would help you to pull off the illusion.
No shot like it in DPC. This is not just technique but done with superb good taste to awaken the magic of the carpet ride that resides in us all. If there did not exist a current voting irregularity I would venture to say that this image may score a very high place and one that will find its way into the favorites of many viewers. A strong milestone of achievement.
A wonderful fantasy but I wonder if it couldn't have been more dramatic if the view of the ground was less busy (allowing the patterns in the rug to stand out more)
I assume this one is legal - it better be!: it's my only 10 for this contest and I adore it. The concept is great, the composition is fantastic, and the pink is just perfect. Her hair actually looks like it's being blown about. Your choice of everything from point of view to colors to pose is perfectly perfect. Good luck!
Great idea ... the image even gives a feeling of vertigo!!! why'd you have to beat me like that? At first i thought the smoke was intedend to be like engine smoke from the contraption but then I realized -- a cloud obviously. Anyway, I'm guessing you used a table and a huge topo map and a fog machine ?? Who has a map like that?? I like the attention to detail also -- the bump in the rug, the perfect direction of the tassels at either end. I'm looking for something to keep this from being a 10. .... hmmm, you even pretty much used rule of thirds .. I can't even say the shadows are off ... Alright 10 ... Congrats.
a photo like this invites guesses about the technique-
my guess is that you must have a huge printout of an aerial shot of a suburban area-
if it's not that, then I have no idea how you did this.
I've ruled out projection, glass-bottomed airplanes, and huge LCD screens
I haven't been impressed with a technical tour-de-force so much since labuda's "Bodhisattva" -
Amazing work! It would be remiss of me to continue without adding this to my favorites! I look forward to seeing this on the front page.
Your pictures always look so professional - this is no exception. Good concept, well executed - the big cloud to the bottom right really "makes" it IMO, it gives it that quality of floating that's so essential here.
Arabian Flights
Add photograph to your favorites
Add photographer to your favorites
Photographer found comment helpful.
