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A Treacherous Trek Through Dreamland


A Treacherous Trek Through Dreamland
Photo Information
Copyright: Ayda Meisami (chiaraluna) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 563 W: 85 N: 585] (2536)
Genre: People
Medium: Black & White
Date Taken: 2005-04-12
Categories: Daily Life, Decisive Moment, Mood, Portrait
Camera: Toshiba PDR-4300
Details: Tripod: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Dreams & Nightmares, An Essence Of 'Noir', Light and Shadows [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-04-14 5:42
Viewed: 1716
Points: 38
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
almost 5am and as usual i'm fading in & out of sleeping pill dazes yet not managing to sleep... so as this post is about a nightmare.. its both apt & ironic to post it during an attack of insomnia! ihih

now my dreams are notoriously weird and awful.. actually never had a good or neutral dream.. always nightmares, usually several a night and always so strange and vivid... this one was particularly bizarre..

it started with me taking my kitty & her kittens to the vet.. when i arrived this vet bizarrely turned out to be half vets offices & half TL headquarters!!... i proceeded to spend the whole day there waiting for them to give the ok on my kitties and spending that time on one of their many pc's checking the various trek sites, of which i found adam had created several new ones.. one being 'TrekDark' where you could only post dark moody images!! ahahah my subconscious was really showing there!! :D the really funny thing was that even though i had no knowlegde of 'TD' till then it seemed i'd mistakenly posted a 'light' image and was afraid it would be banned as a violation!!

as closing time approached they still hadn't told me about my cats and i was getting worried.. especially as apparently when the place closed, the automatic doors locked and no one could get out! ... the place closed... i was trapped and even the few remaining staff could not or would not help me... this one guy who was the tech manager sat with me to try and help me contact someone to get me home but my email system wouldn't work and whenever i tried dialing the numbers on one of the many cell phones lying around, i either couldn't remember them, couldn't even push the buttons, or weird messages would come on the phone saying i couldn't dial out... yikes!! by now i was really panicking and trying to find a way to escape... this guy kept talking about how 'adam' would sort things out and eventually and finally i figured out he was talking about 'our' adam!! guess he was the evil mastermind behind this trap they had laid for me... ihihih

well.. many more disturbing things happened including me finding an old abused horse which i tried to rescue but who then had a terrible accident and died... i ran into the place trying to get someone to help the horse but no one would... it continued getting weirder and weirder and went to many dark subconscious places that i don't care to mention now... but how bizarre was all that!?

***

shot in b&w, with a lamp as light source positioned on the floor to my right to up-light me & cast a long shadow - aim was to convey a look of forboding & fear as strange unexplainable things happened around me...

* cropped & resized
* used a filter called 'bad dream' (appropriate!) which intensifies contrast/shadow
* USM, levels for more highlights
* framed, signed & converted to greyscale for better web viewing

definately one for Ana's theme.. ihih i think i'd be a Freudians wet dream ^_^
Carma, alagoa, Quark, DAM, fucowee, philwalters has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To nova: merci Michel!chiaraluna 3 04-15 01:25
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Critiques [Translate]

the portrait is ... wonderfull...
the note.... no words.... ;-)))
Paolo

Excellent shot showing exactly what you've written. The shadow gives the feeling you're so small to compare to what aunt you. The eyes are so powerfull.
I like this.
Denis.

  • Great 
  • Carma Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 499 W: 129 N: 297] (4974)
  • [2005-04-14 5:56]

Smooth but hard, great mood, crasy shadow.
I love that portrait of you!

you know what else is bizarre?? you and me both posting a soft, but harsh nightmare photo right next to each other :)
ayda, i really like the lighting and the larger-than-life shadow it casts onto the wall, symbolic to me, of the ever-present danger in the nightmare.
this black and white is lovely with the lighting, especially i like the detail created by shadow on your neck and collar bone, again, symbolic to me as the little, soft, scared you in the nightmare.
very nice work!!

  • Great 
  • zto Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 951 W: 120 N: 59] (262)
  • [2005-04-14 6:31]

Beautifull vinking princess Ayda...you should not be hidden in the shadows of dreamland, but run on the meadows and fly across the lands...or the Italien hills hihi. Wonderful wonderfull potrait. So moody and a wonderfull shadow casted on the wall. Your look, a bit startled, keeping an eye on whatever is out there...It is haunting...

………..What you write in your note makes me sad Ayda, it hurts me when people suffering. I know that you have hard time and I hope it will be over soon.
The story about this photo is a good one, strange but it reflected well the way your dreams was. And the photo is really great Ayda ;-), your are a beautiful woman (oeps I become shy) and that you let shows us in this composition. I love also the light and shadow effects.
Well done Ayda!!!

Jos

What a bad dream you experienced. As I was reading your note, I felt like I was with you, right there, in your dream too. Sounds like you have too much on your mind, and need a good rest or a vacation. Great image of you portraying your feelings about the dream. Good dark and light areas. Well done.

TrekDark?? I think we both could be posting nightmares there!!
It was a delight to read your note like always and thank you for adding this one to the theme!!
As for the photo itself, it does transpire all that fear and hopelessness that hunt us through the nightmares, it's definitely very powerful and even without the note it's intensity would not be diminuished. Excellent work again Ayda!! Beautiful contrast & pose!
I truly regreat not being able to add this one to my favourites list, but I've already went over my 100 limit! Darn luck ;-)

  • Great 
  • Quark Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 1449 W: 10 N: 29] (66)
  • [2005-04-14 13:13]

Why but why do "they from the nightmare" chose you.....
Or is it yourself ? (think about that....)
"Or is the huge "shadow" behind you, stronger than you ?"

About the nightmare, I'm a little concerned but I think, you have too much on your mind....
For the picture, you "translate" (me always with this translate-word:-)) this in a superb way, the jet-black, the shadow (YOUR shadow, remember...) and the frightened look in your face, very nice done, but... wish I could help you with something.
I now only can say, sleep well tonight....

  • Great 
  • DAM Gold Star Critiquer [C: 513 W: 67 N: 268] (1110)
  • [2005-04-14 13:37]

Hmmm..... get out and see the world. This picture is worry some... to dark and if it is the way you feel... "NASA we have a problem"
Nightmares is the subconcious expressing fears and insecurities... I would agree with QUARK here...is this you doing it to yourself, or the sleeping pills. Take care of yourself.
DAM

  • Great 
  • Maru Gold Star Critiquer [C: 471 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2005-04-14 16:19]

Hello Ayda,
great shot, very moody with your frightened face and you seem to be very worried. The light is superb!
Hope you find a way to feel better :)
Marisa

  • Great 
  • nova Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2719 W: 255 N: 809] (8335)
  • [2005-04-14 18:44]
  • [+]

Should I wish you more nightmares in order for you to create?? Nice shot! I like the expression of your face and the way you are dressed! Great b&w composition! Looks like a fashion photo! Great shot,Princess Ayda!

bonjour Ayda ou princesse.
C'est avec plaisir que je fais connaissance avec tes photos. J'ai choisi celle-ci parcequ'elle est la dernière et la première :-)))
Très belle réalisation et le travail en B&W est excellent.
Excuse pour mon anglais il n'est pas terrible et en plus je suis comme les blés.
A demain
jp
***
hello Ayda or princess.
It is with pleasure that I make knowledge with your photographs. I have chose this one because it is the last and the first:-)))
Very beautiful realization and work in B&W is excellent.
Excuse for my English it is not terrible and in more I am like corns.
At tomorrow
jp

  • Great 
  • edie Gold Star Critiquer [C: 659 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2005-04-15 6:04]

I like very much your restless look,I am not sure to well understand your tale,but I know I see in your picture a great female personality and energy.I love your B&W mood greatly.
Brava.
Edie

Nice... it's the look to the left and the strong shadows that makes this shot work for me.

Looks terrific in BW.

Hi Ayda,
Man! What a nightmare! I think maybe you had one too many TL sessions. ;P
This image you made is really good. Your looks is very dramatic. And is enhanced by the darkness with a strong shadow...darkness with a strong shadow?...sound weird, but that's how it is. Excellent work!
Richard

good portrait the shadow and the look tells your mood. good note about that crazy dream I think this could make a good post for TD.

cze
Bardzociekawy portret.Ciekawie dobra tonacja czerni.A cien dodaje klimatu tajemniczosci

i liked the black and white, the angle, the noise the blur everything , you did a great job

your gaze is clearly indicative of something perilous
but the size of your shadow - being bigger than you are
does a tremendous amount for establishing the mood

This is an amazing photo. There is something grosteque in the shadow that confirms the ....
I wanted to say fear but it's not really fear it's more a expectation of the unknown. Something is going to happen but you are not sure what. It is not something joyfull though. I don't know if this makes sense.

Analizzo le tue foto una volta, un'altra ancora ma esse mi danno sempre la stessa sensazione.
Le riguardo ma accidenti non riesco a concentrarmi
non riesco a guardarle senza farmi distogliere dal pensiero fisso dei tuoi pensieri.
Si trovo due vite che si scontrano sempre nelle tue foto,
la vita che vuoi mostrare nella tua vetrina e
l'altra che nulla ha a che fare con la prima.
L'enigma che rimane è di non capire quale vivi.
ciao

Lucio

Hi Ayda. Reassuringly worrying.

Regards Phil.

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