Photos of the Week - Week 46
Critique Group Challenge:
Week 46, Storytime
Photo by Chris Mccarthy
Click to view a larger image
Chris says:
Calaveras County, Circa 1878. This is Sam, a charming, fast talking, slightly roguish gentlemen. Sam just seemed to appear in town one day and proceeded to make his living playing cards, betting on almost anything, and doing some writing/reporting for the local newspaper. Well, here in Angel’s Camp, on the second Sunday of every month, there was a frog leaping contest held inside a barn on Old Man Yasgur’s farm. A big circle was drawn on the floor of the barn and inside that circle, in the dead center, was a much much smaller circle. The frogs were placed in the center circle and released on the word go. The first frog to cross the outer circle won. The prize money didn't amount to much, but the betting did!
This was right up Sam's alley. Looking for a big payday he had captured and patiently and carefully trained Henry, and Sam thought he had the greatest leaping frog in the county. The photograph is of Sam giving Henry his final pep talk, and explaining how their joint financial well-being depended on Henry's performance. Upon “Go!” Henry took off like a hero. After his second leap he was 6 inches from the edge of the circle. No other frog had even made it halfway. But then Henry just stopped. Sam started urging Henry on, then he started yelling, and then he started cuss’n. But Henry didn't budge. The crowd roared, the race was over, Henry still hadn't budged. Sam was furious, yelling and screaming, and even threw down his Panama hat. Suddenly a pretty young lady rushed into the circle, picked up Henry, looked at Sam and scolded “don't you yell at him”. Then she kissed Henry on top of his head. A flash of light, a puff of smoke, and Henry had disappeared. Standing in his stead was a well dressed handsome young man, even princely. He looked at the girl, she looked at him, and the two walked off arm in arm, presumably to live happily ever after. Sam just stood there dumbfounded.
But don't feel too sorry for Sam. He wound up doing all right. On his way home that afternoon, he ran into a boy painting a fence. They struck up a conversation, and eventually became fast friends, kindred spirits. A few years later Sam wrote a a couple of books about the adventures of the boy Tom, and his friend Huck. He got them published under a nom de plume, Mark Twain. And so it goes.
This was a pretty simple picture. All it took was a rubber frog, a fake mustache, the back of a local vineyard as background, and Stu Whalen. The adjustments were all done in Lightroom. The vintage finish was added in Topaz. Oh, you might be wondering why the vintage finish didn't apply on Henry. Well according to the the Internet magical frogs never show up as black-and-white!
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