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Daily Deviation

August 9, 2009

Welcome to your Life by *dkj1974 is a newborn photo I'll never forget in my life. Besides the focus on the baby with care about the composition, the choice of highlighting the little one along with the reds of the blood and the umbilical cord (?) within a black and white photo makes it even more powerful. Surely, a dA icon in the making. - Also, check out Darryll's gallery, he has really great works in it!

Featured by Helewidis

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Welcome to your Life

Published: May 24, 2009

dkj1974

309 Comments

21K Views

Another added in the series: [link]

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This image was taken on the 11th of February 2008 and as you can see, its a very special image to Trey and I. Zoey Jones, our daughter, brought meaning to our lives in a way we never imagined. As a young married couple, who scoffed at the thought of kids, and never really saw us as having any, this bundle of joy has just flipped everything on its head.

You might see a lot of her in the coming weeks, but I am trying to get images together for a website, documenting her journey with us so far, and as we move around, trying to find ones place in the world.

Btw: you may wonder, how I felt taking this image, well, I wish someone could have photographed me, cos i think my mouth was on the floor and i was just holding the button on my camera in shock. Can't believe how time has just flown. Anyway, I'm saving all the soppy stuff and emotional ranting for the site.

I also cant believe she has gone from that to this : [link]

EDIT

*** A DD for me, I am so happy, and out of my whole Gallery, this is the picture I most wanted to share with the world!

I would like to thank [link] helewidis for the wonderful words and for the DD, its so easy sometimes on DA to get despondent sometimes, but this just makes your day.

Thanks SO much, and to EVERYONE for looking!!!!

Thank you EVERYONE for your kind comments and favourites, it has been a day full of endearing messages!

Image details

Image size

2200x3151px 1.82 MB

Make

Canon

Model

Canon EOS 350D DIGITAL

Shutter Speed

1/30 second

Aperture

F/4.0

Focal Length

30 mm

ISO Speed

400

Date Taken

Feb 11, 2008, 11:41:13 AM

Comments309

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M155-B3h4v3

Jun 23, 2012

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I have spent the last 30 minutes looking at this shot! This is such a beautifully presented piece.

I love how you have kept only the baby and the 'mess' in colour. It feels almost like this image is suspended in time, like this was shot right before the baby cried.

It is a perfect shot for a family photo album or scrapbook that I'm sure your daughter will fully appreciate in years to come. The composition is just perfect. It's funny, not all babies look good when they're first born but with this shot you have really caught your daughter well.

dkj1974

Jun 25, 2012

thank you so much!!!!! its always going to be my most precious picture

Sarah-L-B

Aug 9, 2009

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First of all, well done on receiving a DD! This piece is very deserving!

With regard to the colouring of this piece, I am in favor of it. After all, I'm sure when your daughter was born she was the only person in the room you could look at. Making the rest of the image black and white not only places further emphasis on your daughter, but can also symbolize the fact that she is indeed the most important and special person in the room. Everything else fades to gray in comparison. So in your choice of colour you have - be it intentional or not - also described the feeling and emotion surrounding the arrival of your daughter. So what if there is a team of nurses and doctors, medical equipment and various other, less than pleasant things in the room? Suddenly none of that matters, and there is this perfect little human being in the world.

The composition is also perfect, considering the circumstances under which this piece was taken!

Overall, an amazing piece of photography!

dkj1974

Aug 9, 2009

I thank you for that, indeed you are 100% correct, when that little pile of joy came out, it IS all that matters, and with it, she brought a great amount of Colour into our lives, so the colouring is not only intentional, it is symbolic. Again I am aware there are those who feel the selective colouring process can ruin a great pictures, but I had this in another gallery for ages, and it never acquired a tenth of the interest this one has, so as far as impact, I think this one draws more people toward it.

I really appreciate your Crit!

Sarah-L-B

Aug 9, 2009

You're welcome.
I do really like the selective colouring. Its true that in some cases a raw photograph can work better, but in this case it certainly enhances it. It also makes it stand out again other work of this nature, where most photographers would choose to show the moment as raw as possible. This is still raw in terms of the subject, but I like the fact that you considered the colours and put a great deal of thought into how you can enhance it.

thank you very much

Overall

Vision

Originality

Technique

Impact

Compositionally, this piece is good, with the baby being at the centre of the frame for maximum impact, being cradled by the hands of the (presumably) surgeon. Choice of depth of field is good, leading to sharpness in the needed part of the frame.

Now, where I do disagree with your "vision" is the selective colouring employed. Whilst I understand you were trying to bring focus onto the baby, I feel that it undermines the overall quality and feel of the image. The effect is obviously a false one, and photography should surely be about capturing what is there, as it was, not a falsified image. The added issue is that the blood on the gloves looks really false, without any depth - almost as if you'd just stuck it there with a Photoshop brush in one colour.

Personally, I think this image would have been far stronger in a high-contrast black and white, or even simply in colour - your composition is strong enough.

Needless to say, congratulations however. The birth of a child is a special thing indeed.

Timothy-Sim

Sep 9, 2009

i feel that the selective saturation worked in the favour of this picture at this point in time.

While i'm not a fan of it, it definitely brought out what the main subject was and the user definitely made it look good and not too amateurish.

I'm not saying this because he got a DD for it. But I strongly believe that the use of selective colouring and the whole overall shot deserves more than 2 stars for originality and 1 star for impact.

dkj1974

Sep 19, 2010

Thanks for that Timothy, I appreciate the words

dkj1974

Aug 9, 2009

I thank you for the Crit, I may not agree, (see remarks on crit after yours) but i think its a good thing to have views from everyone. Again I thank you for your time and words.

cei-

Aug 9, 2009

Of course, opinions always differ

morbidthegrim

Jun 12, 2009

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What can be said about this image?

I have pondered a critique, if I should or should not do one, why?

Because this is such as personal image, the birth if a child is without doubt the most amazing thing you will come ever experience, I was present at the birth of all three of my sons, looking at this I wish I had the forethought to have brought a camera along with me.

I can understand the emotions of doing this, I know as a father how the father here felt.

I can understand his pride and just how much he cried (I don't have to ask, I know he cried, I did and I am proud to say I did) So this image means more than I convey in a critique.

So why write one?

Because this needs to be shown to a wider audience, its as simple as that.

dkj1974

Jun 12, 2009

AH Mike, I thank you, with a lump in my throat too, this was an image I took almost a year and a half ago now, only recently done some editing and selective colouring, and whilst it being a personal image, it is one of the best moments two people can have in their lives, I wanted the world to see this simply for the people like my wife and I who previously said, we will never have children... we had animals... Its a completely different thing, I wanted the world to see this because it is a moment in life where things just kind of click into place, after initial fears and failures, after different thoughts and worries, at that single moment, Nothing else matters, and whilst I was lucky enough to get this picture, I assure you, there was absolutely NO forethought into it's execution, it was simply holding my finger on the button, my other hand in Trey's and staring wide eyed at the beautiful girl who has graced us with her presence.

There are many pictures on DA where you think, wow, I wish I got that sunset, or that animal, you know - a specific moment, but this, for me, is probably a once in a lifetime picture.

I thank you for the critique ever so kindly, you really made my evening.