# An assignment for myself I'd like help with.



## Ernicus (Jun 3, 2012)

There are few of you who are quite creative, so I'm hoping you'll chime in.  Bitter..I hope you're reading.  

There is a local photo shop here that does monthly contests for fun.  I want to play along as it gives me something to work on and it's fun.  They give a title or theme and we submit a pic depicting that theme, pretty  basic stuff.

What I want to do is be different, creative, and stand out.  My problem, is I over think things and I am not sure how to get what I want to depict into a shot.  I want to include a great deep message, yet at the same time keep it simple.  As my mind wanders thinking of what to shoot, or make to shoot, I find myself getting overloaded and trying to include too much into the picture, which I know will ruin it.

This months theme is "Ripple Effect"

Now, I am sure you, like me, can already see it; a wall full of lake pics, boats in lakes, ducks in lakes, maybe some water drops, etc...etc.  I don't want to show an actual ripple.  Here is what I am thinking...and I'm having trouble deciding how to make the shot.

I am thinking "Ripple Effect" as in cause and effect of life.  I want to shoot the "end result" of a bad choice one had made in their life....or the other way I want to go is the bad choices others (ie..parents) have made in their lives that has affected the subject in some way.

So like a drunk bum, or a bad teen, a troubled teen or person.  Neglect of some sort.  Something of that nature.

My main problem is figuring out how to tell the story...which could be pretty inclusive...yet keeping it simple enough for a picture.  Just taking a pic of a bum or a hoodlum or a pregnant teen, won't really tell the story in my opinion...I feel it needs more.

I was thinking of a troubled teen as main subject,...with background of pictoral brags of a working parent(s) and their awards from their work...plaques, trophies, etc...showing they spend more time on their work/hobby than their child.  Something like that.

anyway, if anyone has any ideas on how to keep such a thing simple yet effective.  I'm all ears.

I'll leave the shooting up to me as it's mine to make or fail on, a part of learning.  I'd really like some help on how to tell the story in a picture though.

Thanks.


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## BlackSheep (Jun 3, 2012)

What about something like a drunk parent, asleep on the couch in the background, and a child in the foreground, drinking some booze that was left out on the coffee table?

A different idea from what you've got already could be something to do with the environment; especially if you do something about water pollution, it could be a double tie-in with the ripple theme.


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## pgriz (Jun 3, 2012)

How 'bout a triptych?  Then you could have one image to show the "problem", a second image to capture the "ripple", and a third image to show the "effect".


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## Ernicus (Jun 3, 2012)

BlackSheep said:


> What about something like a drunk parent, asleep on the couch in the background, and a child in the foreground, drinking some booze that was left out on the coffee table?
> 
> A different idea from what you've got already could be something to do with the environment; especially if you do something about water pollution, it could be a double tie-in with the ripple theme.



Exactly the sort of effect I was thinking....in case 1.  nice.

case 2, great idea also.  more to ponder.


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## Ernicus (Jun 3, 2012)

pgriz said:


> How 'bout a triptych?  Then you could have one image to show the "problem", a second image to capture the "ripple", and a third image to show the "effect".



I don't know what that is...but I learn fast, so I'll look it up and see what's involved.  Luckily I have the whole month to make it work should I chose that sort of idea/process.

thanks


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## Ernicus (Jun 3, 2012)

I had another thought while watching this course I have.  Usually if I stop thinking about something I come up with ideas un intentionally.

a counter or table with a glass or can of beer...then two cans...then three...then a shot...then a bottle....then either a cut up drivers license and a set of keys....or a pair of handcuffs.

composure would be tricky...but it's simple and with right lighting could be effective.

so many ideas....lol


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## Ernicus (Jun 3, 2012)

So I looked up a triptych and it seems simple enough.  My only thoughts would be would it be considered.  Rules are a single 8x10 matted and hung on wall for voting.  I'm wondering if 3 images divided up within the 8x10 would be accepted and/or enough to show the meaning being small...as in each shot being 8x3.33  etc...


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## Compaq (Jun 4, 2012)

What about some miserable-looking adult being the cashier in a store, and some young punk with caps and sagging jeans buy a pack of smoke and a coke 

I'm not very creative in this regard, you'll do better without my help, probably. Unless, of course, I hit the motherload with the above scenario


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## Ernicus (Jun 4, 2012)

I thought about the above two types of scenarios, almost identical to what yours is.  Problem I had is that it shows the effect but not the cause.  How did the guy get to the cashier state?  Life?  drugs? jail?  bad choices?  too much left to be implied by the viewer I think.


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## Dillard (Jun 4, 2012)

Why not a classic mirror picture, but have the reflection differ. Lets say, a teen smoking a blunt in front of the mirror, but do a little photoshop and have the reflection be of an inmate behind bars. It shows the ripple of a bad decision, like you wish, but much more then simple water



Edit: something similar to this


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## Ernicus (Jun 4, 2012)

Dillard said:


> Why not a classic mirror picture, but have the reflection differ. Lets say, a teen smoking a blunt in front of the mirror, but do a little photoshop and have the reflection be of an inmate behind bars. It shows the ripple of a bad decision, like you wish, but much more then simple water
> 
> 
> 
> Edit: something similar to this



oooh...I like that idea.  Let me look into that.  I've never done anything like that...so it will be a great learning thing.  I'll have to figure a way to make it more photography and less photoshop though.  But I like the idea.


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## Ernicus (Jun 4, 2012)

after some thought, if I do this, I think I'll shoot the original image and just replace the mirror image with a mugshot of an adult closely related in looks.  So not much photchopping needed.


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## sm4him (Jun 4, 2012)

Ernicus said:


> after some thought, if I do this, I think I'll shoot the original image and just replace the mirror image with a mugshot of an adult closely related in looks.  So not much photchopping needed.



You *could* pull this off by using the same person for the "reflection" and original.  Take the first photo of the person with the joint/bottle/pills/whatever looking into the mirror.  Then take that same person, and a pair of cheap little toy handcuffs (unless you have "real" ones, but unless you're a police officer, I really don't want to KNOW if you have handcuffs, lol)--find somewhere locally with a nice wrought iron fence (cemeteries are often good choices), and have them pose like they are "behind bars" in the handcuffs.  
Mask that shot onto the mirror from the original photo, and voila (she says, as if SHE would have the skills to pull it off... )

EDIT: It would be especially effective if you use a guy, and have them not shave for a week or so in between photo 1 and photo 2.


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## Ernicus (Jun 4, 2012)

more to think about.  nice idea with the iron bars from a fence...didn't even think about that.

...and maybe I do have handcuffs...and maybe I'm not gonna say why...although I think it's pretty much implied at this point.  ;-)


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