Hello everyone,

My challenge for the week is a broad one: Surreal, going with the art themes

An explanation of the topic is here from the MOMA.

Try to make a surreal picture of anything you like. This can be achieved by technique or by subject. As with every digital image you take post-processing is an essential part of the work-flow. As in last week's contest, I too would like to see that the composition in itself makes the image a surreal one. You can of course, use post processing to enhance the result you're after, but it can not be solely defined by it.


The Challenge will run until midnight next Saturday, August 30th, Australian Eastern Standard Time

Rules:
Every week, a new theme is picked and judged by the winner of the previous week.

Everyone is eligible to send in their best interpretation of the given theme, as long as the photo is taken with a Pentax/Samsung camera. Themes can be subject-oriented or technique-oriented.

Rules
1. Post ONE photo (max 1024x1024).
2. The photo must portray an interpretation of the theme.
3. Post your single picture in this thread and explain what motivated you to take the picture and/or how you feel it represents the weekly theme (especially if it's not obvious).
4. The challenge is interactive. Any response is welcome.
5. The judge will pick the WINNERS and choose one of them to be the judge for the next week.
6. This challenge runs for 7 days plus an additional day for the judge to choose the winners.
7. Any Pentax (or Samsung DSLR) camera can be used.
8. Pictures can be from any time frame, not just within the week of the current theme.
9. In case the winner of a challenge is unable to become the judge for the next challenge, they will PM the #2 winner for that person to be the judge

An example,

[scomatic]

hi...
May I know how you shoot this image? Are it's PS picture?

[Arjay Bee]

Hmmm no, silicon facemasks from resuscitation training in a shallow soap bath at the end of the course. A bit unsettling, eh. That's the element of surreal I enjoy.

The post processing was only a bit of curves and sharpening and b&w conversion.

[tessfully]

I froze in a bowl of sparkling water this portrait taken in 1940, and then I photographed the image as the ice slowly melted away obtaining some often surreal and unsettling images of my beloved late-grandmother.

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Last edited by tessfully; 08-24-2014 at 03:46 AM.

[atupdate]

Tim

[jmschrei]

[Arjay Bee]

What a great start.... bit worried the topic may have been outside people's comfort zone... but no. Look forward to seeing more responses and image postings.

[charliezap]

At the very least it was a "surreal" moment for me when I awoke to a gorgeous sunrise with the mist rising from Niagara Falls. It was truly a "Kodak moment" that I will treasure.--charliezap

[itsahabit]

Shot on my K3 with 18-135mmWR lens at 135mm, f8 and 180th/s with lighting from below and slightly behind (Pentax AF540 FGZ2). This gives the orchid a very surreal glow. I like the effect and have a number of examples. Prefer it with white orchids where the dark shadows contrast with the glowing white highlights. My first contribution, hope its on topic.

[Catscradle]

You created this thread on 8/22, does that mean the official end date is 8/29/14.

One other question. The abstract thread called for basically an SOOC picture, very mild post-processing. Is this also true of this or is a greater degree of post-processing allowed?
Steve.

[mattb123]

I took this last fall at sunrise the morning after an early snow storm.
The snow on the grass, the light, the clouds, and the reflection broken up by ducks all lend a surreal feel to it for me.
K-5 & DA 15

[Arjay Bee]

You created this thread on 8/22, does that mean the official end date is 8/29/14.

One other question. The abstract thread called for basically an SOOC picture, very mild post-processing. Is this also true of this or is a greater degree of post-processing allowed?
Steve.

In Australia I created it on the 23rd so for me the comp ends on the 30th - for you the 29th... The challenge permits pp but creation of an image from scratch using a graphics program or using photocompositing would be outside the expectations.

[whk1992]

Took a photo of the Columbia Tower in Seattle at noon today. The whole image was in a tone of blue -- the sky, the glazing, everything. Instead of just presenting it in full color, I swapped all blue with black and made it almost X-ray like.

[LarsW]

On a guided photo tour in a closed down underground miltary place. My cheap tripod had just broke down there so i played around with my wireless flash instead. I found this hand in the jug and placed the flash there.

[Dieterson]

Here is a picture taken at a christmas market. It wasn't very impressive in the first place, but a simple inversion of the colours turned it basically into this. A lot of things seem to be wrong: the heavy stone column seems to float, the angel looks rather ghostly, the lights are dark blue and the ball of lights looks out of place in front of the baroque column. All this makes the picture looking so surreal to me.

I did a few things in GIMP, but basically the inversion is what gave the picture its look.