What are you guys talking about?! Perhaps my title was misleading (chosen on an impulse, I wanted to make it rhyme), but this was just for fun, as in, the exercise of taking the picture in order to hone my skills. I'm not making anything resembling a statement with this shot. I was only curious to hear opinions on the technical merit of the picture. Please do not read any further into it than that.
edit: After reading about the incident in Finland, I have to say, you both have a lot of nerve evening mentioning it to me. It takes a certain kind of deranged person to commit a vicious act like that, but it takes a naive person to blame it on anyone other than that deranged person.
I agree with Mike totally. Guns dont kill people, people kill people. Stick to the creative topic and stop trying to read into something that isnt there. Nice work Mike.
Yes, its a bb gun. Yes, its my arm. I had only heard about the incident before now, but no details. If you want to know the truth, the bb gun was given to me recently, and I haven't used it yet. I don't plan on ever using it as more than a prop.
The fact that you've even made an association between this picture and what happened in Finland says more about you than the picture does about me.
I already stated how I feel about the tragedy... blame the person, not the gun. That doesn't mean I am for guns, it just means that the world is what it is, and its a shame that a person like that can get their hands on a gun.
First - I think you did a good job with the photo...and as an exercise you have me wanting to try something similar to see if I could do it.
Second - Just remember to put a better title on your posts...no big deal, but it's better if we get a sense of the photo not just that you're messing around.
Third - Everyone chill out on the guy. It's a photo of a gun. Not a statement of anything. It's his first post so cut him some slack and get a grip. Poor guy probably won't post another thing on this site thanks to you.
Thanks Mike, I'm mostly a lurker here on FM, and I decided to post this up on a whim. This is the first time I've had any problems with a post title on a forum, but I suppose I should put more thought into it when it relates to such a touchy subject.
By the way, I realized that I should tell about my lighting setup.
*two Alien Bees AB400s, each with 7" standard reflector left and right behind my arm
*Nikon SB-24 high camera left, firing through a shoot-through umbrella
*Nikon SB-800 held by assistant, low power, held in close and pointed at the gun
I also didn't physically snap this shot, my girlfriend did, but I set everything up.
Well, now I'm in the mood to take a photo of my rifle out of spite. There's not a damned thing wrong with the title. Some people just need to chill. After all, several million gun owners didn't kill anyone yesterday. That includes me.
It's a great photo of a handgun with some nice PS work. How do you DO that, anyway? I mean even the hairs on your arm are visible. Apparently, I'm doing it wrong.
Ooh, I just noticed that you removed the text on the slide to make it appear more genuine and also removed the CO2 cartridge from beneath your hand.... nice touch.
guru, thanks so much - check out my last post for the lighting setup. The hair shows up well because its backlit from the left and right, providing separation from the background (a little contrast boost helped too).
Hey Mike...you've drawn people in here with your pistol that have not appeared before.
Some have even suggested they might bring out their rifles for spite.
Personally, I am not seeing this draw as good...despite their support for you, for it.
What I think is, since you appear to be someone who is promoting his artistic ability via his website, you could do better elsewhere subject-wise.
fwiw, the 45 cal. pistol (what your image emulates) appeared in this world for one reason and one reason only...that, to hammer one in his/her tracks. The round travels at 802 ft per second. Such a slow speed effectively hits a target with a massive hammer. hammer = massive trauma = dead.
I speak of these things as one who has used the 45 cal pistol to stop people in their tracks.
Your use of the pistol/image colors you (in ignorance perhaps)...period.
Maybe you and your girlfriend should make better artistic choices on which to hone your skills?...or, perhaps you both might take a stint in the Marine Corps. You seem to be young enough to still give that a shot.
That same .45 handgun has been a standard target weapon for many years. Research the 3 Gun National Matches. Many millions of .45 ACP rounds fired with no blood drawn. Thank you for your service but, your opinion of firearms is not universal. My .45s have never harmed a soul.
Mike, I like what you have done with the image. The PS work is great and the end result is a nice photo with great detail.
I think it is great that your image has elicited such a broad response. Regardless of your intent isn't that a part of art; eliciting a response and sparking conversation? I wonder if the response would be different had the subject been a bottle of alcohol or a cigarette, both of which have higher body counts than a gun. Anything can be used for good or bad but when we start to feel like we have to self-censore so as not to offend we tread into dangerous waters. I mean it's not that hard to see a gun or gun violence these days. Just watch any of the 20 versions of CSI on TV. Just my humble opinion.
zemok, thanks for the great insight on this. I never really look at my work as art, but I am happy that its possible to evoke some kind of emotion in my viewers.
The subject matter doesn't bother me nearly as much as the snarky comments and debate over said subject matter. For the record, I live where guns abound and the person who doesn't own one or more guns is the anomaly rather than the norm. It is a sad day when the gun is to blame for the pitiful state of current affairs rather than the attitude behind the gun. Get real. It is a picture. The picture had the background replaced. Period! Look at and answer the question asked rather than create a diatribe on the subject matter.
The photoshop work is very good, especially on the second picture. On the first, I would have liked to see more of the mood or feel you wish to portray (such as more dirt or grunge), rather than just replacing the background. This IMHO would lend more of a feel of surrealism and tell a more graphic story than currently exists.
