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Ouylle — Human Birds, skydive
Published: 2007-08-06 16:53:13 +0000 UTC; Views: 1030; Favourites: 39; Downloads: 18
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Description
In les Bains des Pâquis, Geneva.Featuring my crazy friend Phil ([link] ).
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Comments: 39
Hello there. I know you didn't ask for critique and I have actually never written a critique before, but this artwork stirs me greatly and I was trying to put all my thoughts together when I came up with this. I hope you like it 
I find this picture extremely interesting because I can relate it to a big amout of very abstrat ideas and values; yet it has a relatively simple post processing, which means it closely reproduces something that was absolutely real.
The black and white is one of the things that create this connection between abstract and real. It keeps the attention away from the everyday shorts the model is wearing and from the overall colorfulness; it gives more meaning to the action which is now open for interpretation.
When I look at the picture the first think that acts on my perception is the upside down orientation, making me think of an impressive, powerful, turning jump that means vitality, health, fun... the fact that the sun is on the upper right corner helps defining up and down, contributing to the idea that the ground where the model took off is somewhere beyond the bottom of the picture.
Another important part is the title. It lets the watcher know the contest in which the picture was taken, which immediately brings up a feeling of adventure, craziness, and daring linked with freedom. All these wrapped together with a hint of impossibility (did he really jump just like that??) and respect, admiration . The ideas of identity and uniqueness (of the person in the picture, which mirror our own) are there as well.
Going back to the picture itself, the perspective at which we see the body and the pose of the model (including the expression on his face) somehow work together to make it very difficult to feel the pull of gravity toward the bottom of the frame. They make the model appear lighter; the movement I imagine is similar to what trying to do a back-flip on the seabed would look like: a fast way up and turn followed by a long stop at the peak where the movement becomes slow, floaty, almost dream-like. I love this effect because it brings up the abstract feeling of the picture and makes the moment of freedom and impossible float; last longer than the millisecond in which it was portrayed.
Also, the model has an aesthetic, good looking body that makes the piece appealing to the eye, but at the same time the hair on his chest takes him closer to the everyday human, the one that is "not perfect" (I am not giving my opinion about chest hair here, I am just acknowledging that it is not an attribute of today's ideal male body). It makes it easier to relate him to every "you" who is watching the picture (even to the female "you" 's
like me). Both the simple shorts he is wearing (made even simpler by the "lack" of color) and the fact that all the protective equipment is missing make him look naked. To me this represents a clear and direct reference to the beauty of vulnerability and the rush of facing danger. The open arms mean embracing all this and enjoying it, letting feelings and fate take over you without fear.
All in all, this beautiful picture captures the magic of the impossible made possible through bravery, it captures happiness and life energy; it shouts "don't forget to live your life!"
Really, really great
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Hehe ! Faudrait pas que ses bras fondent au soleil !
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I really look forward to your photographs, they're always a little bit different, they have their own tune to them. 
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You're kind ! Thank you so much !
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Please don't touch this crop...it is exquisite..perfect...awesome..
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Oh I won't crop it ! Thanks a lot Shell !
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He has a lot of hain on his chest 
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Me too and we are both proud of it ! 
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Great catch! I would have tried a more vertical cropping, so to leave more empty space under the flying man, which would have seemed to be falling from a higher place.
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This was the only square I could do in vertical terms... Not a lot of time to adjust the framing on the spot but I agree with the principle !
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Yeah I thought it was that kind of shot where you don't really have the time to compose the image...
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Eugene Richards (probablement le photographe que je préfère) en a fait une dans le même esprit.
Très belle réussite que la tienne, saisissante!
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Merci ! Et encore merci pour la référence !
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Il va être content quand il la verra celle-là!!!
Bien tripant à fouttre dans sa chambre pour les visiteuses
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pas mal de shadow highlight non?
J'ai remarqué je crois sur duet I ou II une espèce de trainée blanche qui entoure le corps et le détache bien du ciel. Sur celle-là c'est quasi pas le cas mais le corps se détache aussi vraiment bien. C'est grâce à ça?
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Tu m'étonnes, il va vouloir un poster !
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