Not that lucky, no! This marvelous piece is an outdoors life-sized statue in Jackson, WY. I was amazed by how natural-looking they have made this thing.
When i saw the theme "Silhouette At Night", I immediately thought "Shapes". Since you don't see much detail in your main subject in a silhouette shot, what stands out is the shape of the subject and not much more, so I started looking for something with an interesting shape. It never crossed my mind it must be dead or alive, I didn't care about that, all I cared about was what I can find that has a unique shape.
Regarding the title "The Wild", I gave it that title because that is what the statue represents ... wild life. The shape of the subject represents that ... again I was thinking shape the whole time.
Had this been a "Wild Life" challenge, it would not have even crossed my mind to photograph a staue, but this was a silhouette challenge and all I cared about was the shape of my main subject and nothing more.
Just wanted to explain what my thinking was.
Statistics
Place: 1 out of 54 Avg (all users): 7.7124 Avg (commenters): 8.8333 Avg (participants): 7.1786 Avg (non-participants): 7.8320 Views since voting: 7630 Views during voting: 432 Votes: 153 Comments: 73 Favorites: 12 (view)
It's the Milli Vanilli effect. Was their music any different when it was revealed that they weren't really singing? No, the songs didn't change - but people still went ballistic. Is this photo any different now that you know it's not really "the wild?" Nope, same photo. People don't like being duped, though.
It never crossed my mind when I voted that this was "real"; didn't think it could be anything OTHER than a statue or monument. LOVE IT!! Congrats on the Blue!
I think this image deserves the blue. It is a fantastic image, captured well, and processed perfectly. Who cares if it is a statue...it is fantastic and meets all the challenge well.
All I can do is laugh at people that feel disappointed or tricked by something like this. A little too much time on their hands. It's amusing.
It doesn't take time to feel tricked or disappointed, it happens in an instance, a gut reaction :-)
And neither is such a feeling a bad thing. My reaction to reading the description was "Aww man, its not real, that would have been SO cool if it was real". Its not going into a rage, and it isn't devalueing the photograph either.
This is still hands down the best photo in the challenge and it deserves the ribbon. If it had been real, it would have been a miracle shot and just that tiny bit cooler as a result.
Ha! Interesting comments. For me, the plaque on the lower right portion of the rock served as more than adequate notice that I was viewing a very nice picture of statuary. Of the many elk that loiter in my neighborhood I have never seen any of them standing on a rock with a plaque! I guess not seeing detail in the scene one is viewing is how an illusion is created. If it fooled you and you feel duped, it should be a good reminder to look more closely at the scene you are critiquing, lest you play the fool (the role that is probably upsetting some.) Still the best photo in the challenge!
Good point on the plaque in the lower right. I could have removed it but chose not to so that people who look closely would see that this is in fact a statue.
Ha! Interesting comments. For me, the plaque on the lower right portion of the rock served as more than adequate notice that I was viewing a very nice picture of statuary. Of the many elk that loiter in my neighborhood I have never seen any of them standing on a rock with a plaque! I guess not seeing detail in the scene one is viewing is how an illusion is created. If it fooled you and you feel duped, it should be a good reminder to look more closely at the scene you are critiquing, lest you play the fool (the role that is probably upsetting some.) Still the best photo in the challenge!
I was hoping this was a shot of some real elk, and was a little disappointed that it's not. But it's okay with me that it's a statue. It's an awesome shot either way. I gave you one of those 10s. Congrats!
I don't mind at all the difficulty or easiness of obtaining an image. What matters is the image (to me). An image is only what it appears to be ... and nothing else.
It only can stand upon what it shows the viewer.
And... you've shown us a magnificent silhouette shot.
Congrats on the ribbon!
I'll admit I was a bit dissapointed that this isn't real. Not because it decreases the quality of the photograph (because this is still absolutely fantastic) but because it greatly decreases the difficulty level of obtaining the shot, and to me that matters when considering how impressed I am by a photo.
Cheers on the nevertheless fantastic photograph
nice! I didn't vote but just checked it out. I knew something was wrong because you don't see bulls with cows this time of year- thought at first it was a date violation but since it was a legal date - more power too you. I've seen a lot more leeway with the rules on challenges than this photo - OK in my book
I'm glad I didn't vote in this challenge because I would have been very disappointed to learn that this was just a statue. You're a good photographer, but it looks like you're letting the ribbon chase get in the way of the making honest to good photographs. Even as someone who use to compete in the ribbon chase this feels cheap. You're much better thant that.
Anyway, dismiss this if you like. Just one man's opinion.
Not sure what you mean. It was a Silhouette challenge and nowhere it said I cannot photograph a statue. Then I guess you can make the same argument about people who use fishing lines to come up with photographs that look "deceiving" which is something I never do.
You're not getting it. In most cases the viewer knows that fishing lines or something else is being used in the trick. The viewer knows that a trick is being done. In your case you're attempting to pass off something as real when it wasn't. If it was judged as the trick it was it would have scored 5.7 not 7.7. You know this. That's why you called it "The Wild" and not the name of the statue.
Actually it is YOU who is NOT getting it. Where in the challenge did it say we are not allowed to photograph Silhouette of a statue??? show me! It is none of your business if I choose to photograph a statue and also not of your business what I call it. Get that through your thick skull, moron!
I think many people knew this was a statue and still gave it a good vote. I could tell right away that the elk weren't real, once I made the photo bigger. The lines are too smooth & the elk are too dark in comparison with the rock for it to be real. Also... I mean, come on, look at them. They are all looking in different directions, some are moving and some are standing still. The bull is calling out but the does aren't even paying attention, and those critters are loud. There was no trick here. It's just a wonderful photo of a statue. What's the big deal? I didn't vote in this challenge, but if I had, I would have voted this up because of the quality of the photo itself, not the validity or realness of the elk.
Well done, nightpixels. :) You earned a well-deserved ribbon.
I'm glad I didn't vote in this challenge because I would have been very disappointed to learn that this was just a statue. You're a good photographer, but it looks like you're letting the ribbon chase get in the way of the making honest to good photographs. Even as someone who use to compete in the ribbon chase this feels cheap. You're much better thant that.
Anyway, dismiss this if you like. Just one man's opinion.
Not sure what you mean. It was a Silhouette challenge and nowhere it said I cannot photograph a statue. Then I guess you can make the same argument about people who use fishing lines to come up with photographs that look "deceiving" which is something I never do.
You're not getting it. In most cases the viewer knows that fishing lines or something else is being used in the trick. The viewer knows that a trick is being done. In your case you're attempting to pass off something as real when it wasn't. If it was judged as the trick it was it would have scored 5.7 not 7.7. You know this. That's why you called it "The Wild" and not the name of the statue.
Actually it is YOU who is NOT getting it. Where in the challenge did it say we are not allowed to photograph Silhouette of a statue??? show me! It is none of your business if I choose to photograph a statue and also not of your business what I call it. Get that through your thick skull, moron!
I'm glad I didn't vote in this challenge because I would have been very disappointed to learn that this was just a statue. You're a good photographer, but it looks like you're letting the ribbon chase get in the way of the making honest to good photographs. Even as someone who use to compete in the ribbon chase this feels cheap. You're much better thant that.
Anyway, dismiss this if you like. Just one man's opinion.
Not sure what you mean. It was a Silhouette challenge and nowhere it said I cannot photograph a statue. Then I guess you can make the same argument about people who use fishing lines to come up with photographs that look "deceiving" which is something I never do.
You're not getting it. In most cases the viewer knows that fishing lines or something else is being used in the trick. The viewer knows that a trick is being done. In your case you're attempting to pass off something as real when it wasn't. If it was judged as the trick it was it would have scored 5.7 not 7.7. You know this. That's why you called it "The Wild" and not the name of the statue.
I'm glad I didn't vote in this challenge because I would have been very disappointed to learn that this was just a statue. You're a good photographer, but it looks like you're letting the ribbon chase get in the way of the making honest to good photographs. Even as someone who use to compete in the ribbon chase this feels cheap. You're much better thant that.
Anyway, dismiss this if you like. Just one man's opinion.
Not sure what you mean. It was a Silhouette challenge and nowhere it said I cannot photograph a statue. Then I guess you can make the same argument about people who use fishing lines to come up with photographs that look "deceiving" which is something I never do.
I'm glad I didn't vote in this challenge because I would have been very disappointed to learn that this was just a statue. You're a good photographer, but it looks like you're letting the ribbon chase get in the way of the making honest to good photographs. Even as someone who use to compete in the ribbon chase this feels cheap. You're much better thant that.
Anyway, dismiss this if you like. Just one man's opinion.
I gave this a high score. (9) I can only hope and pray it is a true wildlife image. It's exceptionally perfect, as a sculptor would present. In North America, our deer are still in mid-velvet stage, so the fully developed antlers would not be found in a live animal here. Don't know about the other hemisphere. If this is a presentation of wild animals, then bravo. If it's a photo of a statue, then it's still a good photo, but there will be much disappointment on my part.
What a great catch! I wish you would have used the Advanced Editing rules to their fullest by pulling a bit more drama from the sky, but I'm not going to ding you for that.
interesting shot, well framed, and believable night scene despite the coloration. Wish the frontmost doe wasn't there, would have made this so surreal.
Wow! this will do very well. I had this same idea but thought the capture would be extremely unlikely, one in a million, even with all the elk around here ( Banff National Park). I was totally blown away when I saw this…then I wondered is it just too good to be a capture? so I Googled it and found the sculpture in Wyoming. What a great idea and fits the Challenge exactly! Well done. 10 from me.
The Wild
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