Ok... I hesitate to tell you all this because it will tell you how dedicated I am to DPC and photography.
It's Winter here, but I found a drowned mouse at the bottom of our pool while I was scooping leaves. The cold water preserved her perfectly and she had this adorable expression on her face as if she were alive.
I brought her inside (with a rubber glove on... Even I thought it was a BIT gross) and showed her to my family who basically said, "Creepy."
*grin*
I blowed her hair dry with a hair dryer... ok. Yeah... I do know this is a bit on the wild side.
Then, I posed her with the cheese.
Yeah. I know.
So have me committed. My family has wanted to on several occasions, I'm sure. *smile*
Thanks for your votes and comments.
They're ALWAYS appreciated... Even when they're 'negative'.
Post Challenge: YEEE... HAW!!
Thanks folks! May she rest in peace. *smile*
Post Mess:
I have no idea... cannot even FATHOM why I can't seem to remember to not write stuff here... After several times of telling myself not to...
Yet still... I write stuff here.
I will strive to remember in the future.
But, let us all remember that what we think we "know" we may not know.
And what we do know just might... just might... be something that we might want to reconsider.
Yes. I talk to myself.
And still... I have no regrets.
Live and let live, folks.
Life is good, even when it's not.
Statistics
Place: 2 out of 72 Avg (all users): 7.0323 Avg (commenters): 8.2143 Avg (participants): 6.6176 Avg (non-participants): 7.1093 Views since voting: 13494 Views during voting: 414 Votes: 217 Comments: 109 Favorites: 27 (view)
Wow Lydia I found this image randomly and I have to say............
I wish I had your imagination and dedication. I have said it before and I really do not want this to come off as "brown nosing" but you are my favorite photographer on this site. Your stuff is just so imaginative and technically brilliant.
I can't believe this shot was criticized by some so harshly, it is not as if you killed the little thing yourself. Oh well, I guess I should keep the fact that I am a bow hunter to myself, huh?
Again excellent shot Lydia, and a nice tribute to the little creature.
This mouse will live forever. No doubt the image will pop up all over the net (I do not agree with theft, but I am sure many will take it and blog it).
Lydia, first off let me say congratulations on two fronts, first for the ribbon and second for being honest in your use of the dead mouse.
Your efforts to get the shot are well within the boundaries of what I consider to be humane, you did not kill the poor thing you found it dead already and I for one have seen plenty of dead animal shots on this site and they looked dead not like this one. You could have said nothing at all and just let everyone think you had a well trained mouse on your hands.
I for one would be shocked to find out that after you were finished with your little mouse that you didn't give it a proper burial, you did give her a proper burial right?
Great job with your photograph, no matter what we do with our images we will never please everyone but as long as we please ourselves, that's what it's about.
Funny how a dead, pesky, disease ridden rodent can stir up such an argument. Nothing surprises me here anymore, though. For the record, I am much worse than Lydia. I kill these little bastards every chance I get. Anyway, awesome shot there Lydia. Wonderfully creative and the story still has me chuckling. Congrats on the ribbon!!
How can one use a selective quote from Gandhi to mock how this image was created? If you take the time to read Gandhi's well documented writings and speeches, you will see his hatred for black South Africans, calling them K*ffirs, a derogatory term here in South Africa as is N*gger in the USA and is justifiably banned. His support for the (Asian) Indian Caste system, which is still in force in India today, has been compared to Apartheid. How anyone in their right mind can take one selective quote from a so called untouchable "great" as Gandhi without delving deeper into the man and his real beliefs is wearing rose tinted glasses.
Lydia could have unceremoniously dumped the little mouse in the trash can, yet she chose to immortalise "her" and share the image with us. No worse than walking past your Aunt Gertrude's open casket at the funeral parlor and taking one last snap, mental or celluloid erm CMOS.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” - Mahatma Gandhi, 1869 - 1948
Hmm...I guess you consider zoos moral progress?
(By the way it's not a monkey!)
Any animals displaced for the runway? Habit ruined?
Did these fellows volunteer to be your beast of burden?
Any leather at home, in your car, on your feet, in your closet? Any gelatin in your medicine or vitamin capsules? Do you always it cage free eggs? When was the last time you didn't swat a fly or wipe up the ants in your kitchen? (I let them roam until they leave on their own, do you?)
I know my examples are over the top, but so is your attack.
It's so not right to attack the moral character of a person without looking in a mirror first. Walk your own journey.
Ummmm... Did I say that no animals were harmed? I really thought I had...
Did it seem as if I were patting myself on the back? 'Cause I missed that part...
And who made Gandhi be God? I missed that part, too. But even assuming he is... I still didn't mistreat an animal.
It was a carcass that I photographed.
Can we just say that folks here don't agree on a lot of stuff and drop it?
I'm sure if I looked, I could find something in your likes that I don't like. And I'm sure you could find more in mine that you don't like.
But, you know? ALL of us aren't perfect. Yes. All.
If you look around and see the choices... starvation of humans... sexual abuse of children... yes right there in your own neighborhood... you might see that photographing a dead mouse isn't really all that big a deal to get worked up about.
And I've decided that life is good with all of us here, anyway. I overlook the stuff that doesn't matter and try to focus on the good in everyone. I actually DO believe that life is good, even when it's not.
Have you seen the alternative? I've read about it in depth. And it sounds AWESOME (since I'm a Christian) and still... even with all of the misery and strife in the world and even in my own life, I don't kill myself.
Why?
Life is good. Even when it's not.
If you want to make a difference, go outside and do it, Morgan. I dare you.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” - Mahatma Gandhi, 1869 - 1948
Originally posted by LydiaToo:
While I don't find photographing a dead mouse in good condition nearly as disgusting as one decomposing on the bottom of a pool *grin* , I do appreciate Morgan's truthfulness and the fact that MINE is the first image he's commented on in over 4.5 years. :) Photography that brings out a strong reaction is good, I think.
Everyone has his ideas about what's proper. Some disagree with nudity, some with shooting animals kept in zoos... and so on. Some even oppose black and white images. To each his/her own, I say.
No animal was harmed in the making of my image... and so I say...
Let's not beat Lydia up too much, value judgements should be left at the door. I think the ethical boundary mentioned is fuzzy, but appropriate, and open for interpretation for many photographic subjects.
Have these crossed a line?
Should be in water, correct?
Randomly picked this image, but in general, are we exploiting the homeless?
Discussed in the past, but a good example of how insect photography may be acheived.
and, finally, my own exploitation of a dead critter.
Lydia Dear, I was hesitant to comment on this shot when I first saw it even though I found it rather repulsive. Now seeing the positive way some have reacted to this image as someone who feels compassion for all creatures great and small feel I should say something. I really don't think you and some others here have taken the time to consider the ethics of what you have done here? This was once a living creature with a soul that probably died a pretty horrible death by drowning in your pond. It would be one thing to use the body to sustain that of another or even arguably for science. But to use it in this way for something as trivial as a ribbon at DPC I feel is really quite awful. And I cringe at the thought that some ribbon hounds here at DPC will see this entry and be inspired to dig up more dead stuff or capture other critters in a manner that causes them discomfort or even eventual death.
So kudos for a shot very well captured Lydia, but I hope you and all other members here at DPC never cross this ethical boundary again. One that as a good person you just didn't think about enough at the time you crossed it :-)
While I don't find photographing a dead mouse in good condition nearly as disgusting as one decomposing on the bottom of a pool *grin* , I do appreciate Morgan's truthfulness and the fact that MINE is the first image he's commented on in over 4.5 years. :) Photography that brings out a strong reaction is good, I think.
Everyone has his ideas about what's proper. Some disagree with nudity, some with shooting animals kept in zoos... and so on. Some even oppose black and white images. To each his/her own, I say.
No animal was harmed in the making of my image... and so I say...
How disgusting and perverted. When do we start propping up dead human remains and handing out awards for that? This is beyond comprehension. Shame on those who praised these actions as acceptable.
I love it! And I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who sees a dead critter and immediately thinks "Ooh, photo model!" Haven't ever tried blow-drying an ex-critter, though. That was a touch of genius.
Oh Yayyy! I've been so busy hadn't checked in in a few days. How nice to see you here, sweet friend! And a HAPPY NEW YEAR starting off with a ribbon :) This is of course adorable beyond words :)
Congrats on the ribbon! Well I was just going to commend you for the vast amount of patience you must have had with waiting for this little guy to pose just right for you! Chuckle, you took the easy way...and a little to gutsy for me would not have touched it:-) But I do agree with you how we go nuts over our photography, the way he holds the cheese with his paws and that smile on his mouth is priceless:-) The kids think this is an adorable shot...no they did not read the description for it would just make them sad to know that the little mouse was not alive.
I could tell the second I saw this that the mouse was dead (my beautiful hamster Mischa was recently put to sleep and her eyes did that exact same bug-out thing as she passed.) It's a cute idea though! Well done on second place.
awesome set up, i actually wondered if the mouse was alive when i voted. to quote my favorite james bond movie, "just because one is dead, doesn't mean one can't be useful!"
Yes, I think this is, umm, well, a sign of your, umm, shall we say - addiction? A dead mouse? Ewwwww! And you blow dried it? Ewwww!!! You are one sick puppy! (LOL!!!)
OMG! Reading some of the comments from the challenge after reading your notes is hilarious! Congrats on the ribbon and on being crazy enough to try it!
LOL, i have done the same thing with a lizard, a hummingbird, a red tail hawk, a mouse. Oh phhheewww glad I got that off my chest!!! Congrats on joining the dead still usefull club!!!! It is an excellent picture, well deserved!!!
I thought this was a really great shot...then I read your notes. LOL indeed. I bow to your brilliance and determination. Congrats on a well deserved ribbon.
Congrats Lydia! I just loved the title from the beginning.
And yes, you are totally dedicated to photography :-P
Superb job, and a very gutsy thing to do to your family on Christmas :-D
As long as you don't sew any little mouse suits, shirts and ties I guess it is not going off the deep end...even if you found this one floating in the deep end.
Of course, this is why they say that it isn't the camera that makes the picture....
wow. What a great photo. Thanks for explaining how you did that -Id probably try it in the future and get so upset that I couldnt get the animal to hold still, or hold the perfect expression. You truly deserve this ribbon after all that work ;)
Thankfully this is so unlike the standard road kill shots, you deserve a huge pat on the back (oh hang on..... you got one already.... a big red one ;-)
I'd have done exactly the same (I think ;-) You are the greatest!! and a dedicated photographer (we'll all come and visit you in the loony bin ;-))
Seriously, it's a wonderful image and a well deserved ribbon.
eerrr... you did throw away the cheese afterwards? Lydia....???
Congratulations. You really deserved this. Good for you that you are so inventive, and that you don't let any worries about 'commitment' get in your way!
I think the ungroomed-ness of the mouse's fur gives off a slightly "diseased" feeling (usually only sick animals don't groom). I think that takes away from what could be an absolutely adorable image. The idea is great and the moment is perfect--the mouse's expression is cute and he seems very possessive of his cheese : )
"Oh, thanks! ... I LOVE cheese..."
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