#29...stumped?

JAG

I think this is the first challenge I have been stumped on in the past year!:dunno Usually I get all kinds of ideas that flow from the minute I see a theme but this around, with having to pick a song title, then shoot for an idea has bested me.

The only idea I really have come up with and planned and purchased an item for is the last one I will show on this thread....the first two were incidental images of a reflection ball in my garden.

1. DREAM WEAVER... BY GARY WRIGHT



this one can have one of two titles....
2. FIRE IN THE SKY....by Ozzie Osborne OR MIDNIGHT HOUR...by Tina Turner


this on is the one I had to actually buy a plant for then hunt down an ant to feed it...
3. FEED ME (SEYMORE)...a song from 'LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS'



So which do you all like better??? Or should I keep thinking???

JAG

hmmm...24 hits and no comments. I must have really bombed!

Katmitchell

Hi Jag...

How is the weather in Alaska?

hmmm. I think your idea of the #3 is the best one.. The first 2 are ok, but they look a little too overworked art wise.. #3 is so creative and it hits the title of the song perfectly and looks more like the work we are accustomed to seeing from you, after all, you always bring awesome to the table..

One question... can it be a little bigger in the frame?

Is a reshoot possible at all? The DOF seems to be very shallow.. and there is not very good detail on the ant or plant.. The plant looks a little papery and I guess my eyes expect a crisp rubbery plant look.. if that makes any sense at all...

I love the idea and you pulled it off Jag style... I just wish I could see a little more detail.. Got any more ants?

Your getting there and I love this idea!!!! a placer for sure..

Kat

JAG

Katmitchell wrote:

Hi Jag...

How is the weather in Alaska?

hmmm. I think your idea of the #3 is the best one.. The first 2 are ok, but they look a little to overworked art wise.. #3 is so creative and it hits the title of the song perfectly and looks more like the work we are accustomed to seeing from you, after all, you always bring awesome to the table..

One question... can it be a little bigger in the frame?

Is a reshoot possible at all? The DOF seems to be very shallow.. and there is not very good detail on the ant or plant.. The plant looks a little papery and I guess my eyes expect a crisp rubbery plant look.. if that makes any sense at all...

I love the idea and you pulled it off Jag style... I just wish I could see a little more detail.. Got any more ants?

Your getting there and I love this idea!!!! a placer for sure..

Kat

Your right about the dof. I had taken several before the plant snapped shut but because I had to manual focus with my macro extensions, it made it impossible to capture the ant in the same position as it was still alive.

I have this one that is actually three images at different dof but its not as exciting nor is it pieced together well....


I will most likely have to reshoot, but I think it will take a few days before the plant is hungry again. Anyone know how long it takes a Venus flytrap to digest???

Katmitchell

Manual focus,, ugh.. no wonder.. that's tough when it comes to an action shot for sure..

well, looks like a day or two from what this says..

but after a few meals it closes for months..

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-does-the-venus-flytra

Good luck with it.. It sure is an awesome idea..

Kat

DsrtVW

Bombed no but I am not seeing the titles very strongly. Fire in the sky needs more red and orange in it.
I do not listen to music radio much any more, but I turned on the radio and started searching the stations, bunch of ideas hit me. Executing said ideas is the challenge. Starting with easy ones first.

How about North to Alaska http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSt0NEESrUA
You are in the right place for Sarah http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqRTtkEHrA4
:bash Stop doing this and get to work :whip

The Curious Camel

I really like number three and agree with Kat's suggestions.

travelways

The first 2 images are interesting, but in my opinion they need a focus point...

- the first one reminds me of the movie ET



The third one - again in my opinion - needs maybe an other angle, or a closer view,
so it shows the idea of horror.

whiterice

JAG - I'll be the odd ball - I really like #2, very artistic. I love how the composition wraps around the frame. This is my favorite - best title IMO is Midnight Hour.

Art Scott

i really dig #1......fantastic as it is ..........

richtersl

#1 & #2 are neat, the song titles are perfect, but what bugs me about them is that they look out of focus. #3 is really clever. But it's lacking something. Kat had some good suggestions for it.

My favorite of the bunch was #1. I don't know if there's any way you can reshoot that and get the reflection to look clearer. The colors are great and you captured a dreamlike essence very well.

JAG

Thanks for the comments...

#1. is actually very in focus....I was bothered by the look of out of focus on both 1 and 2 but its because they are a reflection ball reflection...and not many reflections (outside of a mirror maybe) are very sharp. However it does give it the dreamy look.

#2...the only reason I suggested a title of Fire in the Sky was because those are not rain clouds but the smoke from fires up north that we have been in the path of all week. *cough cough*.

I just got up this morning and am sitting here with my first cup o joe and notice that my plant (who I have named Seymore instead of the plants name in the horror picture as it excapes me at the moment), has two of its traps open. So I will try this again before I go off to paint the bathroom.

richtersl

Sounds like Seymour wants his breakfast! :eat

JAG

Ok so I did a reshoot....although I am liking these I might concider playing more with the garden reflector globe. But what do you think of these shots? The ant this time kept escaping because the plant was not hungry and wouldn't close...even if I brushed up against the hairs. So this ant is spared to see another day....the fate of yesterdays ant...its still within the first pod....
1.a


2a...


3a..


4a...


For those who do not know the song "Feed Me Seymour" you can here it at this link...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGRN39oifsE

travelways

He, he... I know the movie, I liked it a lot and especially liked the song

That's why I titled my entry to the previous contest the same way "Feed me!"

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/8565009_rLiZ3#577031780_URxCN



From your last shots I think I like best the first (1a), because the ant is very in focus
and it shows somehow the action of feeding the plant...

Did you try holding the ant with the tweezers and showing the plant open - ready to receive
the food?...

JAG

photo-bug wrote:

He, he... I know the movie, I liked it a lot and especially liked the song

That's why I titled my entry to the previous contest the same way "Feed me!"

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/8565009_rLiZ3#577031780_URxCN



From your last shots I think I like best the first (1a), because the ant is very in focus
and it shows somehow the action of feeding the plant...

Did you try holding the ant with the tweezers and showing the plant open - ready to receive
the food?...

lol...I didn't make the connection to your title on that one! My hubby was the one who suggested this song title and I came up with the plant idea.

I did try and shoot the before feeding with the ant in the tweezers but it was extremely difficult to capture as the dof is very shallow and the tweezers were either too blurred or completely out of the picture as I could not see where in the view they were to frame. I had to catch this ant at least a dozen times before finally injuring it to disable its rapid movements.

I know...seems cruel but hey its an ant and I got them all over my yard and have been spraying to keep them away...almost impossible task here in Alaska!

JAG

Ok...so I didn't paint the bathroom today. Just got too lazy as it was a beautiful day out. I took Lil One down to the dock instead and was thinking of the song "Sitting by the Dock of the Bay" by Ottis Redding but as I was shooting I was humming this very appropriate song...

SUNSHINE ON MY SHOULDERS by John Denver.....


I really love the way this came out. How about it?? You like or not??? Is the ant idea with the more graphic undertones of death to an ant more appealing than this sunshine sweetness????

richtersl

1a of the venus flytrap series is super! If you can mask out that green stuff behind the tweezers you'd have a keeper. What I like most about that one is the story it tells: that ant clearly is not happy to be there and the angle at which you took it clearly makes you wonder what his fate will be. Will Seymour close his mouth or not?

I like the one of your daughter as well. Love the action you caught of her splashing her feet. For a song title, I think your first choice works best: "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay".

JAG

Thanks Linda, I agree about the green behind the tweezers. I think that was another trap...there are three traps on this plant, but I think its only one plant. I will have to play with it to see what I can do about that.

As for the song for my lil one....although Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay just seems so lonely and negative of a song to put on such a sweet girl....here is what I mean...

Sitting in the morning sun
I'll be sitting when the evening comes
Watching the ships roll in
And I watch 'em roll away again

[Refrain]
Sitting on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
I'm just sitting on the dock of the bay
Wasting time

I left my home in Georgia
Headed for the 'Frisco bay
'Cause I had nothin to live for
And look like nothing's gonna come my way

So I'm just...
[Refrain]

Look like nothing's gonna change
Everything still remains the same
I can't do what ten people tell me to do
So I guess I'll remain the same

Sittin here resting my bones
And this loneliness won't leave me alone
It's two thousand miles I roamed
Just to make this dock my home

Now, I'm just...[refrain]

Yet if you look at the lyrics of Sunshine on my Shoulders....

(refrain)
sunshine, on my shoulders - makes me happy
sunshine, in my eyes - can make me cry
sunshine, on the water - looks so lovely
sunshine, almost always - makes me high

if i had a day that i could give you
i'd give to you a day just like today
if i had a song that i could sing for you
i'd sing a song to make you feel this way

(refrain)

if i had a tale that i could tell you
i'd tell a tale sure to make you smile
if i had a wish that i could wish for you
i'd make a wish for sunshine all the while

sunshine, on my shoulders - makes me happy
sunshine, in my eyes - can make me cry
sunshine, on the water - looks so lovely
sunshine, almost always - makes me high
sunshine almost al the times makes me high
sunshine, almost always

Because I am conflicted about song titles for my lil one...I might just stick with Seymour and the Ant.

JAG

Ok here is an edited version of 1a with Seymour and the Ant and no green glow behind the tweezers.



And here is a new one of the reflection globe in my garden with the song...

MY WORLD by the BEE GEES. (not to be confused by the awfull version that the metelica band did).....



So I am stumped as you see and could really use the CnC on these two and which you like better if you had to choose one....thanks so much for those who have been responding!

Katmitchell

Hi Jag,

Sorry for the delay in follow up,,,, I have had a terrible time today with my shoot. My freggin camera shutter got stuck, and now the auto focus is gonzo. I can't believe this, I have only had the camera for a year:bash. Now with only manual focus, it is going to be very difficult to shoot this project I have going, especially since I will be in the dark under a plate of glass.


Anyways,,,,


I like the new shoot on the plant. I agree with Linda, on the most recent one, and 1a looks most like the plant in the video you posted too. Would love to see a closer crop of 4a, I like that one too... also, you may think about bumping the levels and curves on it some to give it some green punch.

I like the shot of the little girl , very nice capture. I also like your re-shoot of the globe. I would say between these most recent shots you have a good entry. I keep thinking that the globe would look even better with a bokehed background, it may help the globe to really pop and stand out.. not sure though..

Looking Good..

Kat

travelways

Hi JAG,

I know you didn't think about my entry - don't worry

I really like your daughter's photo

What about this song for it:

Beautiful Sunday - Daniel Boone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaiGnZ_ubj0&feature=related

JAG

Ok thanks Kat and Tatianna. I have brightened it up some...what about this one? I don't know if I am happy with this image yet. Seems that its not the quality I would prefer.....I might rethink and go with something else here. Maybe the reflection orb with a new crop. I will have to think on it.

Katmitchell

Hi Jag,

I can see your concerns in the quality of the image, it looks as if it is shot at a high ISO. So, if I were you, I would trust your gut and have this one as a back up in case you are not happy with your other stuff. It is always good to have a back up.

So, I agree with you.. and there is still plenty of time to shoot..:D

Kat

jwear

Jag #3 there is a song by I think stevie wonder called flytrap and the bug

ic4u

Hi JAG

I have to say that I really like your daughters pic. It's such a great capture. I see your thoughts on the song titles, but I think if you are going with one of those titles, Sittin on the Dock of the Bay (as a title only) does work best. But then there's always "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" (Cyndi Lauper)...again based on title only!!!!
Your last reworked one of Feed Me is great too, love that song! My son got to play the Bass for the "Pit Orchestra" this past spring at his High Schools production of Little Shop of Horrors. This was his favorite song to play of all of them!
Good luck to you with whatever you choose, your images are always great!

JAG

Thank you for your feedback. All good points.

Now why oh why is this not getting any easier?? I have thought and rethought and here are the ones I am aginizing over. I if you can give me which from this set you like best that would be great. I don't want it to come down to drawing straws!!!

From the 'FEED ME' title....
1.


2.


From the "MY WORLD' title....
3.

4.


And from the "SITTIN AT THE DOCK OF THE BAY' title....
5.


So there is my quandry. Can you give me c and c on all or at least tell me your absolute favorite of these?

travelways

Wow...

I really like:

From the 'FEED ME' title.... 1.

From the "MY WORLD' title.... 3.

and the girl,

but I think I like most the first one

- can you get rid of those small lines on the leaf?... or sorry they are supposed to be there

richtersl

The strongest images of the bunch are 1 and 2. The others are all well done and appealing but the venus flytrap shots will grab and hold a viewer's attention because they're unique. At least I think they are.

I like the lighting on #1 very much. The image looks nice and crisp. The poor little ant has no clue what's about to happen to it.

#2 has more of a "painterly" look to it. And the contorted position of the ant makes me wonder if it will survive. The colors give Seymour a creepy appearance, which enhances the photo.

You'll need to just go with your gut.

KevXman

Definitely #1. I like the flow. Nice work Joyce.
— Kevin

Katmitchell

#1 is clean shot and well composed. It
immediately connects to your chosen song title for the theme.

#3 turned out awesome too.. and it does tell a story and pull the viewer into the
composition. It also connects with the theme and your chosen song title.

If you use #3 : I would definitely take the selective blur tool at 100% and carefully and liberally blur out just the rock background, and that white stone on each side of the frogs.
This will make the stone frogs and reflections pop and will also help to set the
frogs even further apart from the background too.. I would then use selective sharp
on the globe and frogs at about 40 to 50% to polish it up.

Both are awesome contenders..

My vote is for #1 and then #3

Nice work....


Kat