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* What's Cookin'? - a modern Rockwell
by Lonnit Rysher
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17-DEC-2005 Lonnit Rysher

1st Place
* What's Cookin'? - a modern Rockwell
by Lonnit Rysher

I was baking cookies and my son wanted to
watch them in the oven and pulled up a
chair. I instantly thought "Norman Rockwell!".

Canon EOS 10D ,Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
1/125s f/3.5 at 27.0mm iso200 with Flash full exif

other sizes: small original auto
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Canon DSLR Challenge11-Feb-2006 14:48
Lonnit - this is the *only* shot from my far-flung acquaintances that I've ever copied and sent to friends. I'm sure you've got a heap of "interestingness" hidden among those silent ones who are yet to get cozy with Flickr. Thanks for this ageless keeper! .. Lew
Rene Hales03-Jan-2006 19:22
Nicely done.--Rene
roberta30-Dec-2005 04:54
Excellent Lonnit!
Guest 28-Dec-2005 22:24
classic! voted
Canon DSLR Challenge28-Dec-2005 18:30
Thank you very much T & T. :) ~ Lonnit
Tara Shriner28-Dec-2005 02:54
Rockwell is one of my major influences, you did an incredible job of captureing the look, feel and the colors.
Canon DSLR Challenge27-Dec-2005 23:28
Wonderful job Lonnit. I really love the look of this photo. Tells one of the stories of childhood, this image brought back some of those great memories. (*)nitpicks, just two ;) I agree with Michael about the handle being cloned out. Also, perhaps burning the edges of the back of the shirt, just a bit in areas that blend in with the background. Wearing pajamas in the shot just adds to the coziness and I agree with that type of apparel for this shot.

-Techo :)
Canon DSLR Challenge27-Dec-2005 21:33
Thanks Andy

Oh, Grant, I didn't know that! Wow - that makes me even happier than I thought! LOL! ~ Lonnit
Guest 27-Dec-2005 20:51
This is just a wonderful conception and fantastic execution.
Guest 27-Dec-2005 14:04
Lonnit,

I thought you might be interested in knowing that "Interestingness" only selects 500 images per day. Do you know how many images are uploaded to flickr? 14,000 per hour. That puts you in the top .0001%. Well done.
Guest 27-Dec-2005 01:15
Not much to say that hasn't already been said. Excellent shot.
Canon DSLR Challenge24-Dec-2005 02:59
Michael, Don't think I didn't consider cloning out the handle! LOL! I only noticed it after the image was uploaded and I was too lazy to redo it. I'll have to reconsider. :)

I'd like to thank you for taking the time to notice that I'm on a post processing journey in which I am consciously using color and texture in your post processing to accentuate the mood. I am not aware though, that I am trying to lead the viewer. ;) Here, I indeed did manipulate the color to give the feel of a graphic or Saturday Evening Post cover. Thank you for the wonderful compliment. I too do feel it is one of my strongest images. It's actually one that I put some of the most thought into before clicking the shutter. I usually shoot candid. Because this was a reinactment, only moments later, I had the opportunity to clean up the scene a bit and take several frames. I am discovering though, like Gayle's daughter, my son is turning out to be quite the little model! How convenient is that? :) He's really quite a natural and can run thru a nice selection of emotions, quite convincingly. I was doing some window light practice portraits with him recently and I thought he got upset about something. I asked what was wrong and he told me he was acting! LOL! As for this image, I am quite proud of it. It has taken off like wildfire on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/graphicdetails/ ), with people leaving comments and favoriting it like crazy! I even made it into the Interestingness galleries - a place where they put images that are found to be the most interesting by viewers. This brought a nice flow of traffic into my site, getting me lots of comments on many of my shots, and even causing as second, older image to get swooped up into the Interestigness galleries as well! It's been my goal to get one in there, so imagine my thrill to see 2 of my images in! Thanks for your lovely comments, your noticings, appreciation of my efforts, and your support. :) ~ Warmly,
Lonnit
Guest 21-Dec-2005 06:30
Lonnit, this is completely wonderful and a delightful take on the theme, I wouldn't change a pixel (well, OK, I'd clone out that cabinet handle against the side of the oven, am I picky or what...now you can tell me to shut up :-).

I've only joined the CSLR challenges in recent months, but I'm particularly enjoying watching your post processing journey in each challenge. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that you are consciously using color and texture in your post processing to accentuate the mood and lead the viewer where you want them go. In this image, I think you've manipulated the color to give me the feel of a graphic or Saturday Evening Post cover. It's quite extraordinary in my book and something I want to pursue in my own postprocessing. Kudos to you, I think this image is amongst the finest in your already strong portfolio (with or without the cabinet handle, LOL). -Michael
Canon DSLR Challenge21-Dec-2005 01:10
Jim - That just happens to be my kitchen chair, so he didn't have much of a choice in the chair he grabbed. ;) You're right though, in what you said, and I agree with you. I do like the touch it adds. I don't want it to try to be a copy of a Rockwell... more like what he would have shot had he come to my home, using what was available here.


Phil, I only did the swap in at the time it was happening. When I came in with the camera, Squeak decided to walk out. I called to Pip and he was happy to oblige. I then realized the fan in the window needed to go, along with the bananas on the counter, which would have been distracting right over his head. The 'set up' time was all of about 15 seconds! LOL! The jammies were already on him, although Squeak was wearing a different set. I didn't think them inapproiate and thought they actually worked rather well. I wasn't really going for the Rockwellian look until either while I was clicking the shutter, or maybe it wasn't until I uploaded it into the computer - I forget at this point. Anyway, the only thing that bugged me about the jammies was that they have Spider Man on them and that means I can't sell the image for commercial purposes. :( Maybe I'll do a reshoot eventually, maybe not. I hate reshoots - one of those things where it feels forced and the magic of the moment is over. I didn't really like doing a reinactment here, but because it was instantaneous, it was tolerable for me. I'd never be able to be a commercial studio set shooter. Just not me. 99% of my work is candid, besides the paid portrait work I do. But even then I shoot outdoors and wing it on the fly. If I ever do get around to a reshoot, I will contact the wardrobe dep't first. ;) Thanks for the suggestion - it was an excellent one. :)


Thanks Everyone. :) ~ Lonnit
Canon DSLR Challenge19-Dec-2005 23:45
Lonnit, You have done a wonderful job in recreating a Rockwell. Kudos! -Cat
Canon DSLR Challenge19-Dec-2005 09:44
Oh, man. That IS a Rockwell. The profile of Pip is just perfect as is his posture and the way he's looking over his glasses. I don't know how you (and he) could've nailed it any better. I am no expert on Rockwell, but I have seen plenty of his work over the years and this shot and the way you've worked it, to me, are spot-on. I also love that chair you've got him on. Obviously, it's modern and not what you'd see in an actual Rockwell, but I like that. It is really the only thing in the shot that couldn't be from a "real" Rockwell and I like having something to force you to know it's a new shot. I also really love the size of the chair compared to Pip. Awesome. Jim H.
Canon DSLR Challenge19-Dec-2005 08:50
Gulp! I'm going to go against the grain here and say I'm not over-keen on this.
I can see what you're aiming for, though, and think you got pretty close.
However, having read that it was now a set-up (albeit based on real events) I think you should have put him in some different clothes - as it stands you do lose him against the background somewhat. It would have been great to have seen him in (say) khaki shorts and a light blue shirt (to mimic - at least a little - the colours that Rockwell would have used).
Phil
Vikas Malhotra19-Dec-2005 06:59
Simply Superb. Bravo.

Cheers, Vikas.
Canon DSLR Challenge19-Dec-2005 02:30
Thank you! :) ~ Lonnit
Canon DSLR Challenge19-Dec-2005 00:00
Voonderbar. Full of character. Excellent idea, nice treatment. --Mr. Biscuit
ctfchallenge18-Dec-2005 18:48
this one is awesome! -Abstract
ctfchallenge18-Dec-2005 17:25
Cool one!! Very nicey done! -Cat
Canon DSLR Challenge18-Dec-2005 15:51
Steve - Thanks. Yes, I am too young for that, but I am a fan of his work. I'd also worked in a china shop where we sold the Rockwell figurines and plates. His images just speak right to your heart; they're so endearing. Thank so much for the compliments. ~ Norma Lonnit ;)
Canon DSLR Challenge18-Dec-2005 15:47
John - Thanks, and thanks for posting the print so people can see the similarities. Gee, I came even closer than I thought! LOL! I've not actually seen a Rockwell in about 10+ years. No wonder I felt the connection so strongly; look at the body language and facial expression! That was all Pip's doing. What happened was that my son Squeak was helping me make the cookies. He then said he wanted to watch them bake and pulled up a chair. I didn't know about the chair b/c I'd left the room. When I came back a moment later, my husband said, "Look - that's a picture.". I turned around and it sure was!! But, he got up. I asked him to come back so I could shoot but he didn't want to. Fortunately, he's a twin, so I asked his brother! LOL! How convenient is that? LOL! Pip agreed and sat just like this. I snapped away, after, of course, I pulled the box fan out of the window and cleared some stuff off the counter. ;) So, this was a setup shot that was just a replay of an event moments prior. ~ Lonnit
Canon DSLR Challenge18-Dec-2005 15:39
Thanks, Sharon. As for the lighting, er, ahhhh, it was a Rockwell sculpture I was after and to that one must add thier own lighting. Yeah, that's it... a Rockwell sculpture. Er.. yeah, that was what I meant. LOL! ;) ~ Lonnit

Gayle, Pro Hart sounds vaguely familiar, but who and who? LOL! :) ~ Lonnit
Guest 18-Dec-2005 12:42
Lonnit
Great capture. You're too young to remeber all of the Saturday Evening Post covers that Norman Rockwell created. In 1973 when I ws in college the Indianapolis Museum of Art featured a Norman Rockwell exhibit that I attended and will never forget. Again, great capture and I wish I had your "artistic eye." We need to call you "Norma" now?

Steve
johnebones18-Dec-2005 07:08
Hi Lonnit. I'm a Norman Rockwell fan, and I think you've done a great job capturing his spirit. Your image reminded me of a Rockwell that I have hanging in my office -John(ebones)

elips18-Dec-2005 06:37
This is absolutely fabulous, Lonnit! Norman Rockwell indeed! The lighting might be a little harsh for a Rockwell but who cares, it's great! ~Sharon
Gayle Knowles18-Dec-2005 06:18
Have you ever heard of Albert Namitjira? Pro Hart? Brett Whitely? No? Thought not ;-) They are famous Australian artists, household names in fact.
Glad you biggened it, now I can enjoy it better.
Canon DSLR Challenge18-Dec-2005 04:28
Gayle - Never heard of him? You too??? Geez, he's probably the most well known American artist. I guess his work never left the US. He specialized in portraying everyday people in a heartwarming, small town manner. Lots of his work was with kids, but you'd also see the rural doctor, the local soda jerk, the newspaper boy... just people around small town USA. I guess maybe it was too all-American to translate elsewhere. This image just screamed "Norman Rockwell" to me, so as a dedication to him, I chose to give it a Rockwellian treatment. He worked in rich, dark colors, with lots of warmth. A modern, white kitchen wouldn't have been typical of him at all, but that's where the scene took place and it wasn't intended to be a Rockwell when I shot it, but once I got snapping I realized what I had. So, I decided to treat it with some warmer tones and effect it up a bit. I think it really captures the feel of what he would have come away with, had he visited my home.

Thank you for your wonderful compliment. At your request, I have biggend it. :) ~ Lonnit
Canon DSLR Challenge18-Dec-2005 04:15
Thanks Bruce & Matt. :)

R.Adams - Thank you. Norman Rockwell was an artist whose work appeared regularly on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post.

Thanks Traveller, that is a nice compliment, and so is the one in the link. :) I repsonded on the thread. ~ Lonnit
Gayle Knowles18-Dec-2005 04:00
I've never heard of Rockwell but this is an excellent image of childhood. One of your best, I would say.
Can you just make it a tad bigger though, please?
Guest 18-Dec-2005 02:22
Nice colors! pretty cool... and cute.
Bruce T Jones18-Dec-2005 01:31
Just a wonderful shot. I enjoy this immensely! -- Bruce
Canon DSLR Challenge18-Dec-2005 01:18
Very Cool Lonnit, who is Rockwell BTW.
R.Adams
Canon DSLR Challenge18-Dec-2005 00:52
Very nice, Lonnit, and affecting. I never know what kind of picture is going to come out of your camera...and I mean that in the best way possible. Please also see my comment on your Poitrait posted here:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1019&message=16317319

Because I do think that it was important. Best Wishes, Traveller
Canon DSLR Challenge17-Dec-2005 22:57
It does look like a Rockwell ...
theFly