Dali Atomicus- Somone figure this out!!

[speedomansam]

This picture is called Dali Atomicus by Philippe Halsman. I need to know how the water moves the way it does; it moves how you'd expect at first then, at the lower left part of the picture, it tails out. I know what i think, but i'm not going to say anything as to not bias your ideas/opinions.

hmm, whoops, the attatchment thing didn't work. here's a link to the picture:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...UTF-8%26sa%3DG

sorry this post is completely random and doesn't exactly relate, but i need responses quickly and this is one of the most active forums i know of.

[acme.mail.order]

The behaviour of the water is not possible in a Newtonian universe. Ditto the chair, easel and artist unless the building is falling in which case the artist should promptly remove the brush from his nose. The cats leaping out of the picture are also questionable unless they belong to Erwin Schrodinger.

It's art - you're not supposed to understand it. If you want to re-create it in Photoshop or Gimp we can probably help.

$5000 for this? Maybe if someone is stoned enough on their substance of choice to pay that much they will also be stoned enough to explain it.

Scotty: beam this one to the Coat Room.

[hayne]

Actually, it's all real. The only fake part is that the chair, easel, & paintings etc were suspended on wires. The cats & water were thrown in from the side by an assistant as Dali jumped. It only took 28 tries to get it right.

http://www.luhring-design.com/inform...e-halsman.html

[corinthian]

You know, Google works if you try.

EDIT: Blast! Beat by mere seconds.

[speedomansam]

Well, all you google fiends, that still does not answer my question. Looking at the water arc, it pans out at the lower left. As this picture is real, how is it possible that the water moves in the way it does?

[staypuft]

Since it was stated it to have taken many tries to get the "right" result, here's my thought on it. There is no visible moisture on the floor or objects in the room (except the cat), but there should be with that much running water especially after 20 some attempts. The "water stream" appears to be lacking in depth yet it is quite high in areas like a ribbon. This leads me to believe it is NOT water at all, but rather a solid piece of acrylic or resin that is suspended by wires like the chair.

[bramley]

Quote: Originally Posted by speedomansam Well, all you google fiends, that still does not answer my question. Looking at the water arc, it pans out at the lower left. As this picture is real, how is it possible that the water moves in the way it does?

The water doesn't need to have flowed through an arc as following the motion of a thrown ball. The guy who threw the water did so from a bucket. But he moved the bucket, or perhaps himself as he threw the water, giving the water an initial varying speed and direction.

At a guess I'd say the bucket began low by the floor, moving horizontally fast, and by the time all of the water had been thrown was at about shoulder height, moving slowly, in a more vertical direction.

[yellow]

Quote: Originally Posted by staypuft This leads me to believe it is NOT water at all, but rather a solid piece of acrylic or resin that is suspended by wires like the chair.

Except that meow-meow #1 is travelling through it and there are splashs from it. I think I can possibly explain the water..

Imagine a bucket. Imagine said bucket filled with water.
Imagine you holding this bucket at your side.
Imaging you placing the bucket across your body and grabbing the bottom of the bucket in your other hand. But the bucket is still at your side (your other side).
Imagine now tipping the bucket just so much that the water does not come out, but it's right at the edge of the bucket.
Imagine moving the bucket up and away from you at a 45 degree angle.

The water starts coming out in a low arc near the ground and as you raise the bucket and it gets lighter (less water don't you know), the bucket moves faster until you reach the end of your arm length and all the water has flown out.

Maybe?


Or: Maybe one of those cats was borrowed from Dr. Schrodinger.

[schneb]

Don't look at the water as if the floor is horizontal. It may be slightly diagonal, hence the flow would take a different form of physics.

[speedomansam]

This may or may not be what some of you were saying, because then again i'm not sure what some of you are saying. So:

The assistant is standing right in front of Dali (the man in the picture) and throws the water up to the right by moving the bucket in that direction. He then moves the bucket back in the opposite direction, down left, making it tail out. the assistant had to get out of the way in time for the picture to be taken and the water to still be in the air, so this is probably why it took 28 or so tries to get a good picture.

-at least this is what my photography teacher suggested.

[yellow]

I would say it's more likely that the bucket-man is standing to the right of the picture out of the field of the camera lense, possibly on a rasied platform throwing the bucket of water. Try fiddling with a bucket of water this weekend, it shouldn't be too hard to get the idea of how the water is doing that.
I think it took 28 tries to get Salvador jumping, water flowing, and cats flying (and 1 kitty soaking!) all in the shot at the same time. Those must been some PISSED off cats!

[msmercury01]

You have to consider film speed, apeture and shutter speed. Considering the era that the picture was created (i.e. no computer enhancing) ; those three aspects will have an effect on the motion of the water, etc.
Teri

[rusto]

I've seen a photo (years ago, in a book) that shows the assistants and the bucket guy is definitely on the left.

[yellow]

ok, left it is!