The Making of an Entry

shatchshatch Registered Users Posts: 798 Major grins
edited August 12, 2007 in The Dgrin Challenges
I've had a couple of Private Messages asking how I made this photo. So...here it is.

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Saturday before the end of the competition, I was on my way to my wife's extended family reunion. I had been hoping I would have time to grab a shot to enter but figured I ran out of time. Just as she was leaving, I reminded her that I needed to leave around 8pm to take some photos of some real estate I am working on. She thought it would be better if I drove seperately. My youngest boy said he would go with me. When my wife mentioned that she needed to stop at the store before she went, I thought I would have a couple of minutes to throw a photoshoot together.

Here is the setup. Four lights (sun camera left, flash left of hole about 3.5 feet high, flash next to hole at ground level, fill flash camera right.)
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I dug a hole in the yard to reveal the roots and create a place to shoot from. That came with some questions and comments a little later on. We put an inflatable tube out for my son to land on as he was acting out a stretched out catch.


Took about 12 photos of my son falling, each time tossing out the football so it would be airborne in the photo.

We came up with this base image. Shot with a Canon 20D with a 10-22mm lense.

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The football disappeared in the tree and we were running out of time so we took a photo of just the football.
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Ran to the reunion and to my real estate appointment. Back around 9:30 pm. Helped put the kids down then raced to the computer (had to be done by midnight). Removed the old football and placed the new one in. His left leg looked awkward to me coming directly off the left of the photo so I found another where his leg was coming out of the corner. Liked that so I replaced it in the photo. Wanted to be done but the grass was out of focus so I found a shot that was crisp and put it in. Kept wanting to be done but the TREE!!!! Finally decided if I wanted a chance against the amazing entries that kept coming in that the tree would have to go. Found a shot with sky that I replaced the tree with. Spent some time with PP and decided that I was done around 11:15pm. Crossed my fingers and posted it.

Final image...
180491068-L.jpg

Things I would have changed with more time...
-Correct color of left pantleg.
-Fix grassline so it didn't look as blurry of a transition.
-Added more roots
-Sprayed the grass and the soil lightly before shooting.

Comments

  • Tessa HDTessa HD Registered Users Posts: 852 Major grins
    edited August 10, 2007
    thanks for posting that! I admittedly was one of your PM's as I am quite envious of your excellent work! congrats again on making it to the top 10 - well deserved!clap.gif I can't wait to see your semi-final entry! (no pressure -hehe)
    Love to dream, and dream in color.

    www.tessa-hd.smugmug.com
    www.printandportfolio.com
    This summer's wilderness photography project: www.tessa-hd.smugmug.com/gallery/3172341
  • TravisTravis Registered Users Posts: 1,472 Major grins
    edited August 10, 2007
    Thanks for the breakdown. That is amazing that you pulled all of that together in such a short amount of time!
  • PaulThomasMcKeePaulThomasMcKee Registered Users Posts: 429 Major grins
    edited August 10, 2007
    bowdown.gifDude! You da man!
  • TentacionTentacion Registered Users Posts: 940 Major grins
    edited August 10, 2007
    I loved the composite work you did here. Kudos
    You're only as good as your next photo....
    One day, I started writing, not knowing that I had chained myself for life to a noble but merciless master. When God hands you a gift, he also hands you a whip; and the whip is intended solely for self-flagellation...I'm here alone in my dark madness, all by myself with my deck of cards --- and, of course, the whip God gave me." Truman Capote
  • dlscott56dlscott56 Registered Users Posts: 1,324 Major grins
    edited August 12, 2007
    Wow, awesome even if you'd spent weeks putting it together! Let alone during the time you had to work with. Very impressive.
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