ShadowFun wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 5:56 am
Great idea Agent, collecting all Arachne’s challenge entries… awesome seeing more of her too!
As you know, I’ve been following your lead and doing some of the same over on my threads. I’m now realizing how many photos took considerable energy to put together… and just how much those processes are now lost in time.
Don’t lose those moments!
Right!? A ton of time and energy goes into some of these! Usually I get ideas pretty quickly for most challenges but some of them require a lot of thought just to come up with a good idea, then the planning of the logistics to make it happen. Some shoots are quick and easy, others take hours to set up and get just right. Gifs and composites can take hours in post to finalize. Most months I spend hours on contests, but I absolutely love it! It'd be a shame if people never saw them unless they've been active in the contests, too!
Let's take a look at July 2023 and start off with a deceptively hard photo:
Cat A: Butts
Arachne in "Help Me Step Wanre, I'm Stuck!"
- Arachne - Butts.jpg (7.63 MiB) Viewed 342 times
"How... Why are you even in there Arachne!?"
"I thought I saw one of those stupid little elves go in here! Now shut up and help!"
Carefully I positioned myself behind her, placed my hands on her hips, and pulled! She popped right out.
This photo looks pretty simple but the amount of effort I put in to get Arachne into this pose without damaging her or my back was very high! I was absolutely dripping sweat by the time I had her back in a safe position and my basement is typically pretty cool, even in July! Oh, and getting her into those pants is a workout, too. Worth it!
Tight.
Cat B: Draws or Paints
Arachne and Rhyl in "Self Portrait"
- Arachne - Draws or Paints.jpg (2.28 MiB) Viewed 342 times
I really like this photo and can't believe that I hadn't taken it before, but that's part of the glory of the contests; it gives you ideas and motivation to do shoots that you may not have otherwise. That piece of art is directly responsible for Arachne's physical existence. She started as a DnD character, that character inspired me to commission art, and a comment on that art led me to get on Google and discover Nymeria. It was nice to get Arachne beside her art. That print is hanging near me as I type this!
Cat C: Cooling Off
Arachne in "Fan Harder!"
- Arachne - Cooling Off.gif (6.17 MiB) Viewed 342 times
Just out of shot is the fastest flapping palm frond you ever did see! Arachne likes her refreshing breezes from all natural sources, not electronically generated.
This may be my least favorite gif I've made for a contest. I believe I had four fans blasting in her face for this and I could only get a little bit of hair movement. Worst of all, I had to comb her hair out again after this!
Cat D: Song
Arachne in "Lolth Domain"
- Arachne - Song.png (2.82 MiB) Viewed 342 times
Story time: This isn't my favorite song. Many days I can't even decide my favorite genre. But, it is my favorite song in regards to Arachne.
Before Arachne arrived I was looking for a picture of Lolth, the goddess of the drow. This album cover came up and I immediately dropped everything to give it a listen. It's not every day you come across music related to your favorite DnD race! I added it to my favorites in Youtube Music.
Move along to March 17th of this year and I'm sitting in my livingroom at a folding table, building a Lego set and listening to music on my laptop. As you all know, you've got to keep your mind busy when you're waiting for the arrival of your first doll! On a playlist of over 600 songs going on Random, this song comes on. Not a minute into it a UPS truck pulls up. Before the track ended I had a large box in my house. A song I already associated with Arachne by chance ended up holding more meaning for me than I could have ever given it on purpose! Music can transport us through time and space to all kinds of memories and this song takes me to a chilly morning that changed my life. Enjoy!
Oh, and don't tell Arachne... Depicting her as her goddess is probably some kind of blasphemy...
Yeah, the blurb I posted with this entry pretty much says it all about this composite. I spent a lot of time getting it just right, starting off by getting a photo and pose that was as close as possible, and then doing all of the editing in photoshop. I was very proud of the outcome and it gave me a win! I'm tempted to get this printed. Bonus photo, the original pose.
- Original2.jpg (3.37 MiB) Viewed 342 times
UK: Interacting with Technology
Arachne (feat. Nymeria) in "Video Call"
- Arachne - Interacting with Technology.jpg (5.46 MiB) Viewed 342 times
"Hey Arachne... What're you up to? Oh, hey Nymeria!"
"What do you want, wanre?" asked Arachne with a sigh.
"Nothing... What's that? What are the spider-skulls on the map?"
"Lolth's influence spreads in this realm, wanre. Leave us. We have important matters to discuss."
"Oh. Of course, mistress."
Well, I guess no Minecraft for me today...
Special thanks to Willendorph for sending me the photo of Nymeria to use!
I really like this entry, too. It's one of those ones where you know what you want to do as soon as the contest is announced. Luckily Willendorph was able and willing to help make it a reality! Ever since I interrupted them I think they've taken to doing their talking while I'm at work...
Willendorph sent me the photo of Nymeria and I photoshopped it into a video call frame. I love Nymeria's expression. She looks exhausted. "Arachne, it's your damn human again. Can't you tie him up in the basement or something?" The map is marked with 'spider skulls' and the locations represent known or estimated locations of Arachne's fans at the time; places that Lolth's influence had spread to! If you've been following Arachne since then and you have something in your profile for your location you might notice a mark in your vicinity! Sometimes it's the little details.
- Map Marked.png (2.19 MiB) Viewed 342 times
That's it for Arachne in July!