The Photo Challenge = STRAIGHT UP

[Brett Bradford]

This weeks topic is "Straight Up". Interpret this however you wish. I remember this being a topic in a photo class I had years ago... the results/interpretations people came up with were pretty impressive.

READ THE RULES

1. Only one picture per contestant.

2. No previously used material. All photos must be fresh, shot for this challenge, and never displayed on any gallery / thread.

3. The winner of the last poll will set the next topic; if the same person stands as the winner two times in a row, he or she must choose another user to present the next topic.

4. Enhancements of the picture are allowed in terms of color management, curves, levels, crop, sharpening, etc... you know what this means. Adding or removing elements in the photo, brushed enhancements, or anything that diverts into photo manipulation territory will not be accepted.

5. No voting for your own picture. Duh.

6. The challenge starts this Tuesday (August 7), the vote poll opens Sunday (August 12) and closes Tuesday (August 14). The winner starts a new post on the photo forum that is named "The Photo challenge - [chosen topic]".

7. The poll shall be opened Tuesday evening.

8. In the event of a tie in the polls, the person who created the challenge casts the tie breaking vote.

9. The winner has until 18:00/6:00 pm (GMT +2) Thursday, after he or she has won to present the next topic, if the winner fails to do so. The topic will be presented by the 2nd place person on the poll.

10. Please add a title to your picture.

[purplerose]

Sounds interesting.

[andres_pad]

looks like i might have to throw one in this time...


"hot air rises"

http://www.redbubble.com/rbimages/works_wall_art_zoom/Dream3.jpg
1/125s @ f/16

[Leukeh]

What on earth was that? It looks great but... what is it?!

[Mr. Mu]

What on earth was that? It looks great but... what is it?!

I am having a wild guess here,

the negative (inverted, i.e.) image of cigarette smoke, lighted with coloured gels over two flashes?

This reminds me of an idea I had for an ongoing thread... something like a "reverse engineering challenge" where people post photos and others have to analyze how they were done and post their own shot...

*wanders off mumbling to himself*

P.S.: Brett, man, you have become some kind of forum mascot within a few weeks! Great contributions!

[andres_pad]

haha close. it was some incense very very close to a studio flash, far far away from the background. That way the smoke was really really bright and the background really really dark.
Then i made it into a negative, and then tweaked the colors using some curves.

[Morbid]

Nice work Andre! I bought some incense myself to try to photograph some smoke, but I havent tried it yet. Any hints?

[andres_pad]

make sure that the smoke is really close to the flash, but the flash is pointed so that you wont get killer lens flare. Also, the further you are from any walls or anything, the easier it will be to see the smoke.
Using a small aperture helps too to keep all of those delicate little swirls in focus.
Other than that, its just experimentation!


(for anyone new to this, there is a relationship between how bright a light is and how close you are to it. For every time you double your distance from the light, the light's intensity will halve. this is also called the inverse-square law)

i did a few that day, so here is another one.
this is NOT my entry
http://www.redbubble.com/rbimages/works_wall_art_zoom/dream_2.jpg

[Asadex]

BW on

[purplerose]

"We All Scream for Ice Cream"

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/dazzgeist/pcstraightup.jpg

This is what happens when people steal my ice cream... :D

[claudeEGYPT]

Eesh man.. didnt see that coming purple rose!
Thankfully i know my martial arts, so when you come and reclaim your icecream with an axe, i'll know what to do ;)

[purplerose]

:D lol, strangely, it was the first thing that came to my head.

[Swift (BM)]

I've never tried a photo challenge before, I think I'll have a go.

[Mr. Mu]

question:

I really like purpleroses photo as such, but don't get the connection to "straight up" (lack of vocab, I guess). Is that a reference to an idiom I don't know or a colloquial phrase or something?

I was just wondering, because I wanted to take part in the challenge, too and thought that I maybe did not get the range of meanings the topic can take?

[andres_pad]

the topic can seriously mean what ever you want it to mean! thats the beauty of it. i usually try my best to twist it around as much as possible.

This said tho, it does still need to have a connection to the topic; one that you could actually explain if asked :P

but go for it Mr. Mu! its fun for the whole family.

[ProceedWithCaution]

Bah. I missed this challange. I'll have to see if I can join in on another soon!

[purplerose]

Basically the ice cream thief looked straight up to the axe over their head. :)

[Mr. Mu]

andres - kay, kay... leavin the house with my camera right now!

ProceedWithCaution - but this one's on til tuesday I think?! Enough time, still!

Jerrica - argh! I ask the jury not to mind my previous question... it was erm... someone hijacked my account to make me look stupid?

*sigh

[purplerose]

Heh, it's okay. I took the subtle approach. :)

[Demonic Rabbit]

http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/9197/dscf0827ve5.jpg

[Leukeh]

Here's my submission...

Cranked

[Mr. Mu]

Leukeh - that is sure to get my vote, it's reminding me of good and unbearably loud times in countless smokey basements, LOL

Shouldn't these go to eleven?! LOL

[Swift (BM)]

Well here is my feeble attempt. In terms of it having a title, I'll call it 'What I See When I Look Up'
183840
I hope I get at least one vote.

[Leukeh]

Leukeh - that is sure to get my vote, it's reminding me of good and unbearably loud times in countless smokey basements, LOL

Shouldn't these go to eleven?! LOL

Wooh! Haha, only problem is, it's a 10 watt amp XD So not that loud... and yeah I thought of doing a quick manip to make it go to 11 but the rules say no so I couldn't =P That said, I still might do it an put it on DeviantArt or something...

[Atlantis_Drift]

my first photo challenge submission since september 2006


i'll simply call it, well... "Straight Up"
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b250/Cazmir/7Straight_Up.jpg

[alucard]

well ...here is my humble entry :

''God was there''
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d180/chiril/godwasthere.jpg

[Mr. Mu]

alucard! poetic entry...

here is mine, I spent a whole roll of film on the topic... that's why I like the challenges: they make me take photos for whole day under a new premise.

Rollei IR 400@200 + Cokin IR Filter, Stand and selftimer
AM74, scanned, cloned out endless dust spots, selectively darkened and sharpened. (I mention this stuff coz I am still not sure where that freakin line is... so I am lettin you decide, LOL)

http://muratkayi.de/cpg/albums/userpics/10001/IR_5_editedLOFI.jpg


There's a few others I like of that shoot, but that is the one I liked best.

[ShadeOfDawn]

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a264/Shade17/StraightUp.jpg


Theres mine




Edit:

purplerose: I really like the campy feel of yours. Its a lot of fun and i think fits well with the theme. It has strong voting potential from me.

Alucard: I really like this picture! I find my focus split a bit between the two white things, but they serve to balance the photo. I like your darkening of the edges - it adds a great feel to it. I think the image would also work very well if it were just the bird against the patterned background. The birds wings look beautiful.

[purplerose]

:D That's classic. :)

[Atlantis_Drift]

i find it hilarious. the mother's expression is funny

[aries67]

Mr Mu I love your entry! Superb!

[Morbid]

Here is my entry, I call it "Straight up! (or is it?)"

I have never put this much work into an entry before, but Im happy with the result so I guess it was worth it. :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/morbid30/IMG_7336raket-ssh.jpg

[Atlantis_Drift]

Morbid, it took me well over a second to figure out what you did there. But it is genious! Pure genious in my opinion!

[aries67]

Great creativity and imagination Morbid!!!

[Mr. Mu]

fantastic entry, Morbid. The background light choices are really spot on, too!

[Morbid]

Thanks guys. :)

[Asadex]

morbid you got my vote!

[claudeEGYPT]

Nice One Morbid..!
I woulda hung some cotton pieces in the background for some extra clouds ;)

[Morbid]

morbid you got my vote!
Thank you Asadex!

Nice One Morbid..!
I woulda hung some cotton pieces in the background for some extra clouds ;)
Good idea, wish I had thought of that!

[Playmobil Pimp]

Arms Race: Man Vs Nature

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y147/Procto/straightup.jpg

[aries67]

Might be too late but here's mine:

Wanna Change the Globe?
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s263/aries67/IMG_2858_resize.jpg
sooc - straight out of camera

[ShadeOfDawn]

Thats a good idea taking a picture of the CN Tower. Hm why didnt i think of that? (probably because im far too lazy to go down to the CN tower just for a picture)

[Demonic Rabbit]

Great work Morbid, I love it!

[Ridz]

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb200/rachidz/umbrellas2.jpg

[Morbid]

Great work Morbid, I love it!
Ditto, love the color and light of your entry!

Is anyone starting the poll or should I do it? Its wednesday here already!