*ENTRY* Thread DSS #36: Creepy or Crawly

Llywellyn

Dgrin Sharp Shooters Challenge #36

Welcome to Round #36 of the Dgrin Sharp Shooters Challenges. This challenge is open to any Dgrin member. It will run from Monday, October 19, 08:00am, EDT time (GMT -4) to Monday, November 2, 08:00am, EDT time (GMT -4).

The topic ready for your interpretation: Creepy or Crawly

'Tis the season to be spooky, rawr-rawr-rawr-rawr-rawr-eek-boo-growl-shriek! Make this one a real hair-raiser of an entry. :yikes

Your Judges:
BeachBill (Winner of Round 33)
HoofClix (Guest Judge)



IMPORTANT NOTE: Your entry is to be submitted directly into a Smugmug gallery. It's pretty simple, just go to the gallery link below, and follow the upload instructions at the top of the page:

DSS#36 Entry Gallery

Remember, the basics stay the same: 1 entry per person, and the photo must be fresh, taken during this contest period. Do not use a minimal save method (such as "save for web"), and your exif will be embedded in your image, no worries!

To avoid disqualification, read, in full, the Dgrin Sharp Shooters Challenge Rules, there have been some slight modifications.

silversx80

Perfect timing! It's getting cold and they're all trying to get inside

divamum

Public Service Announcment Request
since lots of folks are squeamish about creepies and crawlies, can I just put in a plug here for clear headers on the feedback threads? While my personal phobia is snakes, I know plenty of people are weirded out by spiders, mice and other critters so on behalf of my fellow wimps, can I respectfully request that anything truly creepy and crawly be identified as such so we can avoid it?

Ta ever so

Kerry- GREAT Halloween theme - yay!

Llywellyn

I'll need a nonsqueamish guest judge, too, because I myself get squicked out by photos of bugs. Any takers?

sherstone

Llywellyn wrote:

I'll need a nonsqueamish guest judge, too, because I myself get squicked out by photos of bugs. Any takers?

Don't everybody raise their hands at the same time:

I love looking at bugs and creepy things! (surprise surprise)

Llywellyn

sherstone wrote:

I love looking at bugs and creepy things! (surprise surprise)

I love creepy things in the macabre sense of the word, but bug macros make my skin crawl. I spend very little time in the macro forum unless something is clearly titled with a flower name or water droplets. :giggle

Llywellyn

MakeMeShutter wrote:

How graphic are we allowed to get in this challenge?

That's a very vague question, so you'll get a very vague answer. :patch No nudity, but tastefully implied is okay. Fake blood is allowed. Scars, wounds, pointy things all game. I'll just ask that things not get too, too gory. There are some samples from past challenges that could be good guidance here on what works well.

For the surgeons in the group, if it begins to look like anything Grey's Anatomy has taken to showing on their surgical monitors, please warn me. I close my eyes during those parts.

(Yes, for a girl who's mastered her fake blood formula, I'm surprisingly queasy. )

adbsgicom

MakeMeShutter wrote:

, I was thinking about gory. Roadkill came to mind, but I will have to be a bit more tame if I expect people to view my image.

Me without clothes would be way too scarey to post.

I am still trying to find a creative bone in my body.

You do have one of the most apropos usernames for this challenge.....

lizzard_nyc

if you want a noob to guest judge I'm all in---love gore, fright, and creepy things--Not squeamish:) although I'm looking forward to participating too.

Llywellyn

lizzard_nyc wrote:

if you want a noob to guest judge I'm all in---love gore, fright, and creepy things--Not squeamish:) although I'm looking forward to participating too.

Thanks, Liz, but if you love it, I'd hate for you no to shoot it. I've got some folks on the sidelines I can ping; just thought I'd throw the suggestion out here in case any feels like sitting the creepy-crawly challenge out.

HoofClix

Llywellyn wrote:

I'll need a nonsqueamish guest judge, too, because I myself get squicked out by photos of bugs. Any takers?

I just watched a great comedy yestday by the name of "Saw." And what I wouldn't have given to have a taste of one of those smoothies they just drank on Survivor...

For real, though, I do intend to keep taking a competitive break here.. Just enjoying what's being put up...

NikonsandVstroms

Creepy will be fun. wish I could use the toe squared image again

Netter

Total noob as well, but I would be willing to judge if you still need one. It will give me a good chance to get caught up with other things in life right now. Plus, in my day job I am a nurse, so really, not a lot can gross me out.

Llywellyn

Never expected to have so many volunteers to look at creepy stuff. We're set with a guest judge.

Mad Cat

I'm confused - is this about bugs or does anything go as long as it makes someone's skin crawl?

Llywellyn

Mad Cat wrote:

I'm confused - is this about bugs or does anything go as long as it makes someone's skin crawl?

As always, open to interpretation! I wouldn't mind less bugs in any interpretation.

sherstone

Llywellyn wrote:

We're set with a guest judge.

Yay! for our guest Guest Judge HoofClix

BeachBill

Llywellyn wrote:

As always, open to interpretation! I wouldn't mind less bugs in any interpretation.

I'm hoping to see more than just blood, guts and bugs... use your imagination everyone! I'll be back on the 2nd. I can't wait to see what awesome images you guys come up with!

MarkR

Remember, creepy can be about mood -- doesn't have to be about blood and guts and bugs.

Here's one I took last year: "Welcome to Gate Hovse! OoooOoooOoo..."

HoofClix

sherstone wrote:

Yay! for our guest Guest Judge HoofClix

Just go easy on me!!!

Kinkajou

I claim red wigglers!!! I was planning on getting some worms for my compost bin this week anyway, so this works out well

My post will be titled appropriately, something like: #36 - wormies

I looked out my window this morning to see if the giant banana spider was still there, but it seems that she didn't fare too well with the cold snap we just had... too bad because she's been there for months. Ah, Florida wildlife!

I think I'm pretty good looking at most of this stuff, it's really just the cockroaches I can't handle - especially the giant FLYING ones - which could be an artifact of residing in central Florida...

divamum

Kinkajou wrote:

I think I'm pretty good looking at most of this stuff, it's really just the cockroaches I can't handle - especially the giant FLYING ones - which could be an artifact of residing in central Florida...

Isn't it funny how we all have our different Achilles heels? I'm totally ok with surgical procedures, needles, blood, bugs, and anything with fur on it, no matter how rodent-y - it's only snakes that push me over the edge. But over the edge in a BIG way: completely phobic and absolutely irrational. My rational mind knows all the usual they're-more-scared-of-me-than-I-of-them, most aren't poisonous, blah blah blah but even the sight (real or photograph) of a 4" grass snake sends me into fight-or-flight, hyperventilating, nauseated panic, DESPITE my intellect fully understanding the reality. Sigh. If I ever had to deal with them I'd have to go through desensitization I suppose, but since for the most part I can just invoke denial and pretend they're not there if I don't see them, I simply practice Avoidance Technique....

Anyway, yes. Clear headers are obviously necessary for many of us on this round!!!

lizzard_nyc

divamum wrote:

Isn't it funny how we all have our different Achilles heels? I'm totally ok with surgical procedures, needles, blood, bugs, and anything with fur on it, no matter how rodent-y - it's only snakes that push me over the edge. But over the edge in a BIG way: completely phobic and absolutely irrational. My rational mind knows all the usual they're-more-scared-of-me-than-I-of-them, most aren't poisonous, blah blah blah but even the sight (real or photograph) of a 4" grass snake sends me into fight-or-flight, hyperventilating, nauseated panic, DESPITE my intellect fully understanding the reality. Sigh. If I ever had to deal with them I'd have to go through desensitization I suppose, but since for the most part I can just invoke denial and pretend they're not there if I don't see them, I simply practice Avoidance Technique....

Anyway, yes. Clear headers are obviously necessary for many of us on this round!!!

My Achilles heel is "suspense" can't handle it--I will wiggle way down deep in to the couch and practically writhe as I watch a suspense horror flick--just kill the girl already and get it over with! then I'm ok, lol.
Also religion/horror do a number on me--I blame my mother for taking me to see The Exorcist when I was 4, followed by Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Carrie, The Omen, my Dad didn't like scary movies so I was her date.

Llywellyn

"Suspense"--that's a good way of putting it, Liz. I cannot watch scary movies or anything paranormal related. My overactive imagination latches onto those things and runs wild, often preventing sleep. I once gave in and watched The Ring with an old beau, and I couldn't sleep through the night for two weeks running. :twitch I also swear my first hotel room in San Francisco two weeks ago was haunted. The creepiness finally stopped when I propped the door to the room open and waited for the bellboy to help with my luggage as I moved to a new room.

...I can't for the life of me figure out why I love to photograph all things macabre. :grim :giggle

lizzard_nyc

Llywellyn wrote:

"Suspense"--that's a good way of putting it, Liz. I cannot watch scary movies or anything paranormal related. My overactive imagination latches onto those things and runs wild, often preventing sleep. I once gave in and watched The Ring with an old beau, and I couldn't sleep through the night for two weeks running. :twitch I also swear my first hotel room in San Francisco two weeks ago was haunted. The creepiness finally stopped when I propped the door to the room open and waited for the bellboy to help with my luggage as I moved to a new room.
...I can't for the life of me figure out why I love to photograph all things macabre. :grim :giggle

--glad I'm not alone.
Ok worst feeling on earth---Being a child and having to turn off the bathroom light and then SPRINT to your room in the dark--Seemed like the halway was a mile long. I once had a nightmare and tried to run to my parents room and missed the doorway nearly knocking myself unconcious on the door frame.
That should be my entry--a pitch dark room!

Llywellyn

The dark doesn't bother me anymore, unless it's a sudden blackout/power outage that catches me by surprise, which results in similar, literal run-ins. However, as a once traditional artist, I could never draw hands well because the wooden hand models freaked me the heck out. I blame Thing from the Addams Family for that one.

Snowgirl

Llywellyn wrote:

"Suspense"--that's a good way of putting it, Liz. I cannot watch scary movies or anything paranormal related. My overactive imagination latches onto those things and runs wild, often preventing sleep. I once gave in and watched The Ring with an old beau, and I couldn't sleep through the night for two weeks running. :twitch I also swear my first hotel room in San Francisco two weeks ago was haunted. The creepiness finally stopped when I propped the door to the room open and waited for the bellboy to help with my luggage as I moved to a new room.

...I can't for the life of me figure out why I love to photograph all things macabre. :grim :giggle

I relate! I detest scary movies - but thrive on CSI shows. Go figure. When I was first dating my now-husband, one long (VERY long) week-end we went to see the movie "Perfect Storm" I was nearly seasick in the theatre. I don't "do" boats. Anyway, the next night we stayed in and watched a DVD of Titanic. Third night, DVD of the old Poseidon Adventure movie. Do you sense a theme?

The final morning I was packing to go home (didn't live in the same city at the time) and he says in all seriousness "we should take a cruise sometime". Yeah - like that would EVER happen - NOT! He's ex-navy. Nice for him. Me, I get sick in a deep bathtub plus, at that time, I'd just watched three marine disaster movies. Duh.

divamum

Snowgirl wrote:

The final morning I was packing to go home (didn't live in the same city at the time) and he says in all seriousness "we should take a cruise sometime". Yeah - like that would EVER happen - NOT! He's ex-navy. Nice for him. Me, I get sick in a deep bathtub plus, at that time, I'd just watched three marine disaster movies. Duh.

Talk about "conversations which should not be juxtaposed with recent movie activity"

HoofClix

OK, so the dark doesn't bother me at all.. In fact I have to have total dark in order to even get to sleep. To boot, I can't use those eye covers either..

What used to get me when I was a kid was a somewhat recurring nightmare where somehow the world ended and I was floating in an empty universe... Ever wake up from a nightmare and need an hour to sort of "come to," to realize that it was just a nightmare and that you could go on back to sleep??

lizzard_nyc

HoofClix wrote:

OK, so the dark doesn't bother me at all.. In fact I have to have total dark in order to even get to sleep. To boot, I can't use those eye covers either..

What used to get me when I was a kid was a somewhat recurring nightmare where somehow the world ended and I was floating in an empty universe... Ever wake up from a nightmare and need an hour to sort of "come to," to realize that it was just a nightmare and that you could go on back to sleep??

hmmm perhaps I have issues, I too had end of world nightmares, particularly via nuclear war or floods--the nuclear war ones were the worst--I'd always know ahead of time it was coming and it was the last 30 minutes to live and everyone around me was crying, screaming, praying and I'd be in search of a long deep tunnel. Right as the bomb hit I'd be running down the stairs to the tunnel hoping to be out of range--hmmmmm--I blame my mother, lol.

PS I'm loving this theme and the spooky feeling it's giving me--come on let's hear everyone's deepest fears.

Also in dreams where you fall from the sky--I ALWAYS hit the floor--still around to talk about it.

sherstone

OT - NOT creepy

HoofClix wrote:

Ever wake up from a nightmare and need an hour to sort of "come to," to realize that it was just a nightmare and that you could go on back to sleep??

Yes!, Darn Lotto Tickets! - Okay it wasn't a nightmare but it took me a whole 6 minutes to realise that I only dreamed of winning the lotto. Good thing I wasn't surfing on B&H at the time