Results March 2015 forum competition – Life Imitating Art

Results March 2015 forum competition – Life Imitating Art

March 2015 – Forum competition – Life Imitating Art results

All art forms inform one another. Film is a particular culprit. It’s the great cannibal of creative forces. Within it you’ll find the written word, photography and design. It’s this awareness of other forms of art that can help us to build a solid foundation for our own work, no matter what the format. The film critic and historian Mark Cousins recently drew up an imaginary film-degree syllabus that asked students to not only look at the works of filmmakers, but to also read particular passages in works of literature and study key works of particular painters.

There are several examples of the crossover between photography and other mediums. Cinema is the obvious one. Gregory Crewdson’s distinctly Lynchian aesthetic more than wears its references on its sleeve. Another great example is Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Stills series, a project that acts as a wonderful evocation of ideas and feminine archetypes drawn from Italian neorealism, film noir, and sci-fi B movies.

It was with all this in mind that I asked you to take a picture that drew inspiration from your favourite scene from a film or book. As ever, you all went to town and delivered the goods. It was difficult selecting just three, and as a result there were several that stood out but just didn’t quite make it.

Notable among them was Deliverance by Chris Evans. It’s an interesting image that utilises the oppressive atmosphere of the film and applies it to this shot of a burly gentleman lighting a cigar who is, quite possibly, on the verge of politely requesting that we squeal like a pig. It sent shivers down my spine. From a technical standpoint, I really like Daughter with a Fake Pearl Earring by Ffolrord. It’s a perfectly accomplished image that benefits strongly from a subtle but effective vignetting. It’s also a near-perfect recreation of the original source: The Girl with the Pearl Earring.

Again, we find submission that stands out due to some admirable moxy. Well done to Tommyt for his interpretation of There’s Something About Mary. Serious credit must also go to the model.

3rd Place
Transformers, Women in Disguise by PandaFace

I hate the Transformers films more than I can tell you without getting banned from the forum. There really is no better example of the soulless, meat-headed, leering, misogynist, action porn that riddles contemporary filmmaking. But then keep in mind I hate The Shawshank Redemption as well, so maybe I should keep quiet. This image is great though. For me it turns the tables of the male-dominated world of big robots hitting other big robots and does it in a really fun and, it must be said, beautifully executed way. PandaFace is a strong talent by the way. You can check out her work online.

2nd Place
Last of the Mohicans by Jürgen Warschun

If you’re a regular to the forum competition you’ll be more than familiar with Jürgen’s oeuvre. That’s right, I just used the word ‘oeuvre’. He’s just that good. I don’t know if this image was deliberate or an accident. It doesn’t matter. It’s perfectly timed. The light is magnificent. The look on the main subject’s face is hilarious and the overall composition verges on perfect.

1st Place
Indiana Jones by Allen Stewart

As much as I love the previous two images, this was pretty much a certainty for the number one spot. Allen tells us that this is part of a larger project where he recreates movie scenes. There’s not a lot I can say about it because it really is an image that speaks for itself. Maybe it’s the simplicity of the set that I like. Just a few little items have been laid out in just the right positions to evoke a scene that I guarantee we all know. The light is great and once again we see the benefit of good old vignette. Nice job, Allen.

See the themes for the 2015 competition

Look at all the entries for this round

Read all comments for this round

Leave your comments for winning pictures for this round