Uploaded: August 20, 2005 00:00:04
This photo was entered in the digital darkroom catagory because the background on this image was replaced. The photo is a composite of two images within a few minites of one another. The sun of the sunset is what is actually lighting the boy from the frount. The Sunset was taken as I rotated myself to the left of the boy and did not have the boy in the image at all. The lighting is very similar in this image because I used the same light to light the boy and then replaced the background with the photo that was actually lighting the boy. I should also mention that the rays of the sun are actual rays and not digitally rendered.
Leanne M.E. Boyd August 20, 2005
Cool image, Melissa! This would make a great advertizing campain. #297265Paul Sikora August 20, 2005
Melissa, I like this composition. Very appealing image #1737679Donna Dunbar August 20, 2005
Great Image Melissa I think this is one we will see again!! #1737773John Matthews August 20, 2005
this is awesome Melissa. great picture. #1737854Bonnie C. Lackey August 20, 2005
Bet this is hanging of this child's wall in poster size! #1737903Mary L. Graham August 20, 2005
Very Cool Shot Melissa!! =) #1738131Tammy Scott August 20, 2005
This is such a cool shot, Melissa!CJ (my daughter who just walked up while I was opening the shot)said she liked the lighting! She said it was neat! #1738186
Kerby Pfrangle August 20, 2005
Melissa well put together image.Love the colors, comp and lighting.
Job well done. Kerby #1738486
Ermanno Radice August 20, 2005
Fantastic image, gorgeous shot, Melissa! #1739535Shelly A. Van Camp August 20, 2005
Very nice ..love the colors as well :) #1739552teresina m. wheaton August 20, 2005
Melissa great composition on this one. My little boy loves doing stuff like this. The colors are just wonderful and I love the way the light is. Just a great job all around. #1739570Lynn Crawford August 20, 2005
WOW this looks great :) #1743037DiAnna F. Paulk August 21, 2005
Wow, Melissa!! I'm sure we'll see this in the winners' group for August!!!#1745077
Olivia Navarro August 21, 2005
AWESOME shot, Melissa!!!!!! The lighting is fantastic! #1745296Barbara Helgason August 21, 2005
Love this one, great capture Melissa! #1745429Johnny Santoso August 21, 2005
Stunning... I am speechless.. simply one of the best.. thanks for sharing Melissa.. regards,Jenny Bosmans August 21, 2005
Terrific image, Melissa!! Fantastic lighting and composition!! Love this! #1747084Alisha L. Ekstrom August 22, 2005
WOW Melissa...FANTASTIC image...I LOVE this!! GREAT lighting...Great comp....I bet we see this one again!! FANTASTIC..BEAUTIFUL!!! LOVE IT!!!:):) #1752842Cathy Stancil September 23, 2005
Congrats on this excellent finalist Melissa !! #1872692Jill Flynn September 23, 2005
Congratulations on this terrific finalist Melissa! Way to go! #1872781LJ Corliss September 23, 2005
Congrats :) #1873054Jenny Bosmans September 24, 2005
Congratulations on your super finalist, Melissa!! #1874439Donna K. Kilcher September 24, 2005
Congratulations #1874538Linda D. Lester September 24, 2005
Congratulations and good luck in the next round! #1874776Susana Ms Heide September 24, 2005
This is absolutely STUNNING Melissa!!!! That amazing sunset makes your boy and his bike look like a star!!! CONGRATS!!!! #1875334Barbara Helgason September 24, 2005
Congratulations Melissa, I loved this the first time, I'm thrilled to see this as a finalist, now I want to see it one more time!! #1875600KHAWLA Haddad September 24, 2005
Congratulations on this wonderful finalists, Melissa such wonderful work on it hope to seee it again reall soon!!!! #1875852Mata Patan September 24, 2005
This is a gorgeous finalist! #1875948Sue L. Cullumber September 24, 2005
Melissa, Very cool. Congrats on being a finalist! #1876376Terry R. Hatfield September 24, 2005
Congratulations Melissa!The Sunset And Colors Are Beautiful,Well Done:-) #1876631Sandy Landon September 24, 2005
This is incredible Melissa!!! Congrats!!!!! #1876637Deb Holmes-Hatfield September 24, 2005
Awesome finalist Melissa, way to go! #1877395Chris M. Rembold September 24, 2005
Was the boy lit with a wireless off camera flash? Amazing comosition in this sunset! #1877558Melissa L. Zavadil September 24, 2005
Very good observance of light! Chris this photo was entered in the digital darkroom catagory because the background on this image was replaced. The photo is a composite of two images within a few minites of one another. The sun of the sunset is what is actually lighting the boy from the frount. The Sunset was taken as I rotated myself to the left of the boy and did not have the boy in the image at all. The lighting is very similar in this image because I used the same light to light the boy and then replaced the background with the photo that was actually lighting the boy. Thanks for noticing that! :) #1877974Melissa L. Zavadil September 24, 2005
I am going to add that to the discription of the photo! :) Thanks Chris #1878022Jennifer Rennison September 24, 2005
Excellent composite, Melissa! Beautiful lighting and composition! Congratulations on your finalist! #1880029Susan Patton September 25, 2005
Beautiful Melissa..good luck! #1880704Nobu Nagase September 25, 2005
Bravo, Melissa, and congratulations on your finalist!!!Lori Carlson September 25, 2005
Awesome work and creativeness Melissa~this is one awesome image!! Congratulations! :0) #1883950Nicole Grimsley September 26, 2005
Another great shot of your adorable boy. Good luck and a well deserved finalist! #1887410Laurence Saliba October 01, 2005
Congrats on your finalist and POTD Melissa!!! This is a masterpiece!!! #1905031Leanne M.E. Boyd October 01, 2005
Outstanding Melissa! Congrats on your POTD and finalist! #1905033Susie Peek-Swint October 01, 2005
Fabulous image Melissa ~ a well-deserved POTD ~ great work in combining the layers! #1905038Wilson Low October 01, 2005
so nice! great shot ! #1905044Ronald Balthazor October 01, 2005
Sensational image and great POD, Melissa. #1905109Donna R. Moratelli October 01, 2005
Congratulations on POTD. GReat imag; Melissa! #1905163Scott Pedersen October 01, 2005
Nice #1905214Claudette Foote October 01, 2005
Outstanding Melissa! Congrats on your POTD and finalist! #1905218Joy E. Cobb October 01, 2005
Amazing photo. Congratulations - you deserved the recognition! The lighting is just beautiful. #1905221Donna W. Neal October 01, 2005
Beautiful and well deserved Finalist and POTD Melissa! #1905249Terry R. Hatfield October 01, 2005
Congratulations On Your POTD Melissa!!Great Job:-) #1905250Linda Proctor October 01, 2005
Congrats Melissa!! Outstanding finalist and POTD!!!! #1905252Virginia L. Allison October 01, 2005
Congrats Melissa. I am usually not drawn to people shots but this is amazing. I could look at this and see different aspects for a long time. Beautiful! That must have been a great end to a beautiful day. #1905285Diane L. Thomas October 01, 2005
Melissa, Great shot and PS work. Congrats on the finalist win. Diane Thomas #1905347Joy Rector October 01, 2005
congrats on the POTD #1905424Michelle R. Kovach October 01, 2005
Congrats on your POTD Melissa!Colette M. Metcalf October 01, 2005
Congratulations, Melissa!!! #1905491Olivia Navarro October 01, 2005
Yaaay, Melissa!!!! Congrats on your awesome finalist AND POTD!!!! #1905511Leonard Pierce October 01, 2005
Congratulations on your very well deserved POTD and finalist Melissa!!! Beautiful image and FANTASTIC work!! #1905549Jenny Bosmans October 01, 2005
Congratulations again, Melissa!!! #1905552Kimberly J. Whipps October 01, 2005
This didn't win? How is that possible? Incredible photo Melissa. Congrats. #1905694Laura E. OConnor October 01, 2005
CONGRATULATIONS MELISSA!!! Amazing photo!! You must be SO jazzed about your POTD!!! WAY TO GO! #1905701Wayne Nolting October 01, 2005
Very colorful and sharp image. The side lighting on the subject really made him stand out and the background is so ideal for this type of shot. The boy and his family must be ecstatic #1905703Kara L. Hendricks October 01, 2005
Congrats on your POTD!!!!! #1905707Wendy Stevenson October 01, 2005
Superb image and amazing PS work! Congrats on your POTD win!! Beautifully done! #1905718Lisa Deaton October 01, 2005
What a great photo!!! I ove all the work you did and the great effect it produced. Congrats on the fantastic finalist! #1905736Melissa L. Zavadil October 01, 2005
Wow!! I am so surprised! I can not believe I got a POTD!! This is great! I have never had one yet :o)Thanks everyone for their wonderful comments! I really appreciate all of them! :o) #1905825
Marsha S. Smith October 01, 2005
Amazing work, Melissa! Congratulations on this wonderful POTD! #1905835Susana Ms Heide October 01, 2005
This is so exciting Melissa!!! This photo desrves every bit of this recognition!!! You know that I love this image! CONGRATS on your first POTD!!!! #1905850Tony Gutowski October 01, 2005
Spectacular Image,Melissa. Nice work inDiana J. DeLucia October 01, 2005
One of the most stunning images I have seen in a long time. You could sell this to any BMX magazine. Awsome... #1905872Donna L. Palmlund October 01, 2005
Fantastic! This is a sure winner! #1905898Debra Curran October 01, 2005
Absolutely fantastic image! Any BMX org would be all over this! #1905913Vicki Hunt October 01, 2005
Well, WOW! This is totally awesome! Congrats on POTD!!! #1905933Jon Kolstad October 01, 2005
All I can say is WOW!, what a great capture! #1905949Mary Clarke October 01, 2005
Many congratulations on POTD Melissa - wonderful image. #1905957Eric Schneider October 01, 2005
IMPRESSED !!!! I dont use this word llightly. There are a lot of great photos in POTD, but this one really jumped out at me. Well done indeed !! #1905979Danilo Piccioni October 01, 2005
A sure winner! Congratulations! #1905993Diane Dupuis October 01, 2005
Congrats Melissa on a great shot and well deserved POTD! #1906008KHAWLA Haddad October 01, 2005
Big congratulation on wonderful POTD Melissa great winner!!! #1906018Luhut Napitupulu October 01, 2005
Very great work, Melissa! Congratulations on POTD! #1906032Sharon Day October 01, 2005
Big congratulations on POTD, Melissa!!! Wonderful shot! WTG!!! #1906096Juli Schatz October 01, 2005
I hate to throw a negative into all these great comments, but I came to the discussion to ask whether this was a "straight" shot or Photoshopped, and I see it was indeed a compilation. I think the two images individually ARE fantastic -- colors, pose, everything -- and the composition & concept are really great -- but it LOOKS doctored. #1906111Linda Stander October 01, 2005
stunning!!! the clarity, lighting, colors are brilliant. well done on this one. congrats on the POTD. #1906144Karen Kulin October 01, 2005
Great use of light! This is really dynamic. I don't think it looks "doctored" because we witnessed scenes similar to this on mountain biking trips to Moab.Karen #1906148
Melissa L. Zavadil October 01, 2005
Juli, I appreciate your comment and your critique. At least it doesn't look like bad ps skills... LOL LOL LOL!! Ok, I know that there are some people that are completely and utterly not into doctoring a photo at all and try to get the best shot with the camera they have. Well, its not my style. I can value the work that the 'realists' like/do. I can also value the work that I like and do. I see great things in each of these types of work.Anyway, I think what you are seeing is that everything is so perfectly vivid and perfectly exposed. There are a lot of photographers that smush photos together here in Colorado to get that exposed look because, the sun with the mountains makes such a splended display. So, I am more used to seeing this type of a shot, doctored or not. There are a lot of great photos that look doctored but, just because someone doctors a photo does not mean it is bad, so in all I will take your comment as a compliment.
I have to agree with Karens comment reguarding Moab. I love that place and I have spent numberous times there the place is spectacular and scenes like this are really an everyday occurance!! They have awesome riding too by the way!! :o) #1906213
Laura Clay-Ballard October 01, 2005
I love it! beautiful colors and vivid detail. Fabulous lighting. and congrats on potd #1906331Cathy Barrows October 01, 2005
Congrats on your POTD...i love it regardless #1906334Marsha S. Smith October 01, 2005
Melissa, I had to come back again, just to again say this is gorgeous and to say to others "DUH - IT IS IN THE DIGITAL DARKROOM CATEGORY!" The whole point of that category is to test our skills in PS and other digital manipulation programs. AND you stated up front it was a compilation. Great job, as always!Mary N C. Taitt October 01, 2005
Gorgeous shot, utterly gorgeous! Great work in PS, and taking the original images. Nice lighting. Congratulations, Melissa, on your finalist and POTD!I am with the school that says the final image rocks! No matter how you got there--it was, after all, YOUR WORK!
Do you like your 20D? Can you compare it to a 10D?
Mary :-) #1906389
Melissa L. Zavadil October 01, 2005
Thanks you guys! I appreciate all the comments! :o)Mary I can compare it with the 10D because that is what I had before my 20D. I wouldn't say it is a huge upgrade unless you want more pixels which I needed for my work. Otherwise I don't think it is worth the money to upgrade from a 10D to a 20D they are just so so similar. I do think the 20D is a much faster camera (which is great for sports-my kids do a lot) and has a little more options for artsy stuff. One of the biggest things I noticed between the two cameras was the length of time it took to turn the camera on (boot it up). The 20D pop its up, the 10D took a little pause (really not a big deal) just something that I noticed. But, for the price you can get for a 10D these days and the amount you have to spend to upgrade to the 20D--I don't think overall the swap is great from a money and feature perspective. I am happy with the camera, it is great and wonderful. If I could have waited to upgrade I would have waited for a mark 1DS to come down in price I think that that is a better swap. I am sure a lot of others will have differing perspectives so feel free to chime in! :o)
#1906469
Deb Holmes-Hatfield October 01, 2005
Congrats to you Melissa on your POTD! #1906580Jill Flynn October 01, 2005
Way to go Melissa! Congratulations on your POTD! #1906837Anita Taylor October 01, 2005
Well, it's all been said, Melissa! So, I'll just add another congratulations :) #1906891Pu Chen October 01, 2005
Wonderful work, Melissa! Congratulations on your POTD! #1906953Kathleen R. Struckle October 01, 2005
Awesome image!! Congrats on you POTD! #1907067Juli Schatz October 03, 2005
Hi Melissa- No, I don't have anything against "doctoring" or manipulating digital photos -- it's been done since the beginning of photogtaphy, in the chemical instead of digital darkroom, on the enlarger (sandwiching slides, dodging, burning, etc.) instead of on the computer screen. As I said, I loved your concept, and the individual pictures were outstanding -- I just thought (only my opinion!) that it looked "fixed". . . . but surely a WHOLE lot better than I could ever hope to do! #1911940Melissa L. Zavadil October 03, 2005
Hello Juli, Point taken :o)Why don't you post a gallery so we all can see your work and have discussions!! It is a great community and we are not out to get each other. :o) We would love for you to chime in! :o)
Have a great day!! :o) #1911967
Donna La Mattino Pagakis October 03, 2005
Congratulations on your finalist and potd win!! #1912305Lori Carlson October 03, 2005
Happy for you with your POTD recognition!!! Congratulations, Melissa!! :0) #1912311Alisha L. Ekstrom October 06, 2005
CONGRATS on your POTD!! I KNEW we would see this one again..& WE DID!! YIPPEEE for you!! I thought it was a masterpiece when I FIRST saw it & STILL do!!! LOVE IT my friend!!!!:):) #1923237Deon September 17, 2007
Excellent composition and the lighting is incredible. Congratulations Melissa on POTD. #4802319Jennifer A. Lambert July 26, 2008
This is amazingly beautiful. Everything in this shot screams to me: enjoyment, Dream chasing, Beauty, Fun and an accomplishment. OH and of course FAST Motorcycle Boys Dreams !! VERY NICE and very pretty as well.Jennifer A. Lambert July 26, 2008
Excuse the motorcycle part...I ment dirt bike....and was thinking Motorcycle...LOL !Sign up for an interactive online photography course to get critiques on your photos.
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