Not for the faint of heart. [I'm serious.]

ScottMcLeod

http://framebyframe.ca/storage/amomentbefore.html

Deals with suicide. Click at your own risk.

No photographers were hurt in the production of this piece.

EDIT: I didn't want this to be too serious, but I wanted it to at least be plausible. It's more the question than the photographs. (Hence why the look in the 2nd frame is kind of ridiculous... (oh, that, and i'm a bad actor...) )

What I'm trying to get at, is if you knew when and where death was coming, what would you be thinking about, the moment before it arrived?

ScottMcLeod

No one's going to touch it with a 10 foot pole eh?

*brings in an 11 foot pole and sets it down*

wxwax

If he could have put some motion blur on the slide in the second shot, it would have been interesting. Other than that, a pretty crude attempt to shock, not much more to it.

ScottMcLeod

wxwax wrote:

If he could have put some motion blur on the slide in the second shot, it would have been interesting. Other than that, a pretty crude attempt to shock, not much more to it.

Good idea. I'll go back and add that... I was kind of going on the idea that the slide had locked back (single bullet), but I guess it's more effective if in motion like the bullet

David_S85

"Folks, you can all go back home. Nothing to see here."

ScottMcLeod

David_S85 wrote:

"Folks, you can all go back home. Nothing to see here."

Your reply to the question, or...?

Art Scott

1 tiny detail missing.....muzzle blast......with barrel that close and that size of hand gun.....should have burned the eyebrows and face pretty good.....

other than that and what has already been mentioned...good pics.

Mongrel

hmmm....
Not sure if it's meant to be funny (looking at the expression...) or not, but it sure has an 'oh-oh' or 'oops' look to it.

Doesn't draw me in emotionally, but I guess I've become jaded.

Technically as a photograph, it's ok...

Technically as a portrayal of a gunshot wound to the head, I think it missed (no real pun intended...)-as pointed out there is no muzzle blast. A 9mm at that range would certainly, as has been mentioned, burn the heck out of the victims face.

I also have a problem with the trajectory as portrayed. Why is the back of the head appear blown out when the bullet was fired into the temple area?

A tip: This is a very poor way to kill yourself with a pistol. Too many chances of winding up brain dead and not 'real dead'. It's much more effective to place the muzzle in the mouth and aim upwards slightly. This pretty much guarantees success and makes the mortician's job a heck of a lot easier-no exposed entrance wound or muzzle flash to deal with.

ScottMcLeod

Mongrel wrote:

Not sure if it's meant to be funny (looking at the expression...) or not, but it sure has an 'oh-oh' or 'oops' look to it.

Doesn't draw me in emotionally, but I guess I've become jaded.

Technically as a photograph, it's ok...

Technically as a portrayal of a gunshot wound to the head, I think it missed (no real pun intended...)-as pointed out there is no muzzle blast. A 9mm at that range would certainly, as has been mentioned, burn the heck out of the victims face.

I also have a problem with the trajectory as portrayed. Why is the back of the head appear blown out when the bullet was fired into the temple area?

A tip: This is a very poor way to kill yourself with a pistol. Too many chances of winding up brain dead and not 'real dead'. It's much more effective to place the muzzle in the mouth and aim upwards slightly. This pretty much guarantees success and makes the mortician's job a heck of a lot easier-no exposed entrance wound or muzzle flash to deal with.

Hehehe. I was waiting for someone to notice all of those little gun technicalities that I overlooked ^_^

I wonder how hard it would be to fake in burning on the face? (muzzle flash is easy, actually, maybe it's not, because i'll have to change the lighting in the 2nd frame...)

Oh, and sorry, the intention was that the bullet exited the rear left side of my head, not out the back. the blood was kinda supposed to show that. It's hard to see, but the wall is angled.

lynnma

and what was the point of it again? art? message? sorry.. I'm not quite getting it..

GraphyFotoz

lynnma wrote:

and what was the point of it again? art? message? sorry.. I'm not quite getting it..

Never mind! I think it's VERY distasteful!! :nah

Mocking/imitating suicide ranks right up there with taking pics at a wake/funeral!

I wasn't impressed at all. :bluduh
(esp since I know PPL that have had friends or a family member who have committed suicide)


This is America and there is free speech......but I think efforts woulda been better put into something more creative!

Andy

GraphyFotoz wrote:

Never mind! I think it's VERY distasteful!! :nah

Mocking/imitating suicide ranks right up there with taking pics at a wake/funeral!

I wasn't impressed at all. :bluduh
(esp since I know PPL that have had friends or a family member who have committed suicide)


This is America

And the poster is from Canada. And this is Dgrin, where folks from all over the world, are welcome to share there photographic art and express themselves. This poster went out of his way to warn, and put the photo not as direct embed but rather a clickable link.

ScottMcLeod

GraphyFotoz wrote:

Never mind! I think it's VERY distasteful!! :nah

Mocking/imitating suicide ranks right up there with taking pics at a wake/funeral!

I wasn't impressed at all. :bluduh
(esp since I know PPL that have had friends or a family member who have committed suicide)


This is America and there is free speech......but I think efforts woulda been better put into something more creative!

As someone who has 2 close friends who killed themselves, tried to kill himself, failed twice then finally backed out the third time, I respect your opinion, but stand fast in my expression.

Not everyone will like (or be affected by) everything that's created, i'm glad someone finally took the opposite stance, and took offense to it.

Thanks for the look.

System

as one who was more curious as to intent than anything else, I'm glad to find out a little more about what was behind the thread-

I appreciate the fact that you linked it versus posting it here and that you gave a warning-

I'm glad dg is willing to go with this-

may God be with those who have done this, who have tried it, who are contemplating it, and the families that deal with it-

george

Sam

ScottMcLeod wrote:

http://framebyframe.ca/storage/amomentbefore.html

Deals with suicide. Click at your own risk.

No photographers were hurt in the production of this piece.

Scott,

I am not sure what the message is? The photo has no context. Perhaps if you had captioned it "A lawyer does the honorable thing" there would have been greater acceptance.

Sam

Awais Yaqub

Sad to see him do that well photographed
But it looks not real becouse i beleive his expression of 1st image should better fit in 2nd
but its just me

pathfinder

I agree - it looks staged and that is a very good thing.

Imagine if it wasn't staged, how folks would feel.

Including the local LEOs.

Mike Lane

ScottMcLeod wrote:

http://framebyframe.ca/storage/amomentbefore.html

Deals with suicide. Click at your own risk.

No photographers were hurt in the production of this piece.

Sorry...

But to me it looks like a fairly poorly done Fark.com photoshop. It doesn't look real, it looks silly.

my $0.02

Andyman

I think it would benefit from more moody lighting (rather than it being so even) ; and from a different angle - rather than being straight on. Maybe even from an angle where you can't see his face.

ScottMcLeod

Andyman wrote:

I think it would benefit from more moody lighting (rather than it being so even) ; and from a different angle - rather than being straight on. Maybe even from an angle where you can't see his face.

Good call.

Mike Lane wrote:

Sorry...

But to me it looks like a fairly poorly done Fark.com photoshop. It doesn't look real, it looks silly.

my $0.02

To each their own. Thanks for looking!

pathfinder wrote:

I agree - it looks staged and that is a very good thing.

Imagine if it wasn't staged, how folks would feel.

Including the local LEOs.

I didn't want it to be too serious, but I wanted it to at least be plausible. It's more the question than the photographs.

What I was trying to get at, is if you knew when and where death was coming, what would you be thinking about, the moment before it arrived?

ScottMcLeod

Sam wrote:

Scott,

I am not sure what the message is? The photo has no context. Perhaps if you had captioned it "A lawyer does the honorable thing" there would have been greater acceptance.

Sam

See above.

PossumCorner

lynnma wrote:

and what was the point of it again? art? message? sorry.. I'm not quite getting it..

I join you in not getting it, possibly because I read the thread and so did not even look at the image. But if I'd looked at it I don't think all would have become clear, maybe the opposite. I thought there was a line of values here maybe not spelled out in detail that discouraged links to as well as postings of less than family-acceptable images.

GraphyFotoz

Andy wrote:

And the poster is from Canada. And this is Dgrin, where folks from all over the world, are welcome to share there photographic art and express themselves. This poster went out of his way to warn, and put the photo not as direct embed but rather a clickable link.

I thought more of you than that Andy!!!

Next thing that'll be allowed here is pics of actual death scenes and Porn!!
So if someone posts a link to some porn shots it's ok because we were warned...if the mods here are as crucial as I think they are I doubt any of this would be acceptable!
You know anyone who has commited suicide or know anyone who has had to deal with it? It's certainly not something you stage and basically make fun of!!
Very disappointed.

BTW: Suicide amoung teens thes days is VERY high.....why mock it?
JUST went threw this at my son's school....there is great concern about this.

gus

GraphyFotoz wrote:

I thought more of you than that Andy!!!

Next thing that'll be allowed here is pics of actual death scenes and Porn!!
So if someone posts a link to some porn shots it's ok because we were warned...if the mods here are as crucial as I think they are I doubt any of this would be acceptable!
You know anyone who has commited suicide or know anyone who has had to deal with it? It's certainly not something you stage and basically make fun of!!
Very disappointed.

I actually agree with you Graphy. Best way to deal with it is to ignor it. To me (just my opinion) it is a scream for attention & in the worst taste. Thats an opinion that i dont expect the poster or other people in here to agree with.

Andy

GraphyFotoz wrote:

I thought more of you than that Andy!!!

Next thing that'll be allowed here is pics of actual death scenes and Porn!!
So if someone posts a link to some porn shots it's ok because we were warned...if the mods here are as crucial as I think they are I doubt any of this would be acceptable!

I don't like Mapplethorpe, but it's art.

I applaud Scott for his thinking out of the box, and desire to create something. I think technically he's got a long way to go with this, but you've got to stop and think for a minute: should we start burning books, too? Hmm - yes we are a porn free site here, and any links to porn posted for shock value would be deleted immediately.

GraphyFotoz wrote:

You know anyone who has commited suicide or know anyone who has had to deal with it? It's certainly not something you stage and basically make fun of!!
Very disappointed.

Yes, in fact, I do. Me. And it was very close to my heart. But then again, so is the artist's freedom to pursue his art.

I'm disappointed in you, that you didn't get it the first time I responded.

ScottMcLeod

Andy wrote:

I don't like Mapplethorpe, but it's art.

I applaud Scott for his thinking out of the box, and desire to create something. I think technically he's got a long way to go with this....

Thank you Andy. I agree with you that it's technically weak. I'll file it as a raw concept, and keep it in the back of my mind to find a more effective way to execute it.

ScottMcLeod

GraphyFotoz wrote:

I thought more of you than that Andy!!!

Next thing that'll be allowed here is pics of actual death scenes and Porn!!
So if someone posts a link to some porn shots it's ok because we were warned...if the mods here are as crucial as I think they are I doubt any of this would be acceptable!
You know anyone who has commited suicide or know anyone who has had to deal with it? It's certainly not something you stage and basically make fun of!!
Very disappointed.

Didn't you read my post? Who said I was mocking it? I've dealt first hand with suicide, as well as having to deal with the resulting chaos of (a few) friends taking their own lives.

One of my friends offed themselves with a gun, the other two with combinations of drugs and pills.

While I was studying the other day, I remembered that it's close to one of those dates that I have to deal with every year.

And It made me wonder; If you knew exactly where and when death was coming (whether caused by yourself, or otherwise), what would be that final thought?

Peace? Anger? Numb acceptance? Futile Kicking-and-Screaming Resistance?

Morbid? Yes. Art? Maybe not yet. Do I have the Freedom of speech to post it? Definitely. I'm not infringing on anyone's rights that I know of... it was your choice to click the link, and I warned you ahead of time that it dealt with suicide.

I guess you could say i'm definitely not a Conservative!

(P.S. the only mocking comment I made, was that of how ridiculous my face looks in the 2nd frame, because i'm a crappy actor.)

DavidTO

ScottMcLeod wrote:

I'll file it as a raw concept, and keep it in the back of my mind to find a more effective way to execute it.

Please don't. Stick to pretty girls and cute puppies.

ScottMcLeod

DavidTO wrote:

Please don't. Stick to pretty girls and cute puppies.

And when it's done, i'll post it in a less conservative forum. k?

I got what I needed here, and Andy's words hit the nail right on the head.

HeldDown

I hate to dig up second-page threads, but I've been out of town for a few days and feel pretty strongly about this one.

Kids don't kill other kids because of Marilyn Manson's music.
Kids don't kill other kids because of Doom.
Kids don't kill themselves because they saw someone photoshop an image about it.
One of the biggest misconceptions about suicide is that if we don't talk about it, nobody will do it. But it's pretty much the opposite -- the more people -- kids -- are aware of the realities, the less likely they will be to do it. We're all adults here, nobody's three year old is clicking through the 3 links to see the pic (and if they are, a parent's not doing their job) -- pretending stuff like this doesn't exist doesn't make it go away.

And before anyone attacks me about "knowing someone who killed themselves," I'll head them off at the pass: I've dealt with this more in my 22 years than 99% of people will ever come close to.

Kudos to Scott for trying something new, instead of posting the 'same old shots' that we see a lot of all over the internet.

TheCowGod

Well, it's a shame so many people seemed to get so upset with this piece. It seems to me like everyone seemed to get caught up with the technical execution, which IMO is nearly irrelevant. I agree, it looks kind of silly, but it managed to convey what was on his mind, and I think that's the whole point of this kind of art. Some types of photography are meant to be beautiful to look at, like, say, macro shots. There usually isn't much message there, just visual appeal, and there's nothing wrong with that. But I feel that photos like this are less about being nice to look at and more about what you're trying to say.

I listen to some bands that feature incredible musicianship, like Dream Theater for example (a progressive rock band). But their lyrics rarely move me in any way -- with them, what appeals to me is the technical excellence. Other bands (like, say, lots of punk or indie rock bands) may write very simplistic music, but the lyrics (of the bands I enjoy, at least) tend to be very heartfelt, and often incredibly creative and insightful. Hearing people criticize those types of bands because they only use three different chords in a song just seems to me like people are missing the point.

Anyway, I really like the thought-provoking concept behind your piece, Scott. It really made me stop and think about what it must feel like. I think it's hard for someone sitting happily at a computer to imagine what's going through that kind of person's head at that moment, because someone has to be in such a completely different type of mood, environment, etc. to consider suicide. And of course, it entirely depends on what led them to that point.

It's poignant to imagine that the person feels relief, but I think the inherent fear of death is impossible to escape, no matter how bad you feel your situation is. That's why I always thought it must be terrible to choose a method that is irreversible but not immediate, like drinking poison or jumping from a building. You have time to become terrified and, sadly, probably regret your decision.

I apologize if my frank discussion of the subject stirs up painful memories for someone. I hope, if this kind of subject troubles you, you haven't bothered reading through the thread. For what it's worth, I too have dealt firsthand with the suicide of someone very close to me, but I don't think you need to suffer such a loss firsthand to be admitted to "the club" of people who are allowed to discuss it. My condolences go out to any of you who have had to deal with it. I know how difficult it is.