I haven't submitted many entries this year, but when I saw there were less than 30 entries on deadline day, I figured I'd think up a quickie (I didn't know about the server problem yet). I started setting up the lights about 90 minutes before the deadline. Nothing like a little pressure. ;-)
It's a simple shot: the stones are actually Herkimer diamonds (natural quartz crystals), and those are my hands covered in dirt and face paint. I would have used larger "diamonds," but quartz crystals are six-sided and real diamonds are octahedral. This was the biggest one I had that I could pass off as diamond shaped from a certain angle.
A twist of irony... here I am shooting an image that evokes a miner supposedly scratching in the dirt to eke out a living, and the paint is stinging my hand because I cut my fingers on lobster shells at lunch. whistles...
Setup: I had softbox strip lights on either side and held my arms around the tripod while looking down through the viewfinder for composition. My wife tripped the shutter with a wired remote. Processing– convert from RAW, Levels, USM, Channel Mixer and slight tinting for B&W, Curves for contrast, Noise Ninja, added vignette and assorted dodge & burn.
Statistics
Place: 3 out of 102 Avg (all users): 6.8679 Avg (commenters): 8.5294 Avg (participants): 6.4889 Avg (non-participants): 7.0175 Views since voting: 6893 Views during voting: 356 Votes: 159 Comments: 34 Favorites: 9 (view)
I think what I like most about this is the almost metallic feel to the entire tonal range. Intense texture and detail. Wonderful. The message is loud and clear as well. This would work well in a nat'l campaign by a non-profit organization for peace. I can see it as a full page ad in a magazine. Well done and congrats.
Hey Shannon, congrats on another ribbon...
I wondered when I'd see a Herkimer Diamond in one of your shots! Although your hands didn't get THAT dirty! heheheheh
This is my favorite in the challenge. I love the detail in the fingers and the blurry background. This image just stood out for me and had emotional impact!
So very true! Great texture on the hands and a nice composition. The shallow DOF looks good to me.
But I really wish that the finger sticking out under the thumb, towards the bottom of the picture wasn't there. It kind of sticks out like sore thumb - although it's not a thumb :)
Currency of Love and War
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