Beautifully done.

I love the multiple reflections of the light source on the baloons on the left. Nice shot and as Ray said, beautifully done.

It would have been a nicer shot if would could have seen more of the person twisting the balloon animals but this is still very unique and original so good luck!

This is a nice shot... but it isn't really of a "tool"

To kryicom: I am a professional balloon twister. I'm not sure how the balloons I use could be considered anything BUT a tool.

if this is what a balloon twister uses for their trade, then it is a tool of the trade.........shot on topic!

I never said it was off theme but it would have made for a more unique image if you say, captured a clown twisting balloons. It would have just make it more of an actual tool being used, the clown twisting balloons in this case. See where I'm coming from?

The balloons are not a TOOL. The ballons are the resources that are made into a product. A tool is a mechanism used ON a resource. Saying the ballons are the tool is like saying the lumber, or the finished house, are the tools of a carpenter.

contest description: In this photography contest your goal is to enter shots of a tool and the trade it is being used on. It must be on the job! For example, you could photograph a hammer in use by a carpenter, a mason's trowel being used to spread mud on a wall by a brick layer, a mechanic using a wrench on an engine or even a technical support operator with his headset.

ziggy, I'm not sure what you are trying to say with that. Are you saying that my entry is on or off topic? Thanks! :P

And I'm sorry some of you feel this entry is off, but a mod has already declared it as on-topic. "Tools of the trade" is a common phrase that does not necessarily mean a "tool." I have in fact heard things such as lumber, paint, and the like be referenced as "tools of the trade." Regardless, I'm deeply sorry that some of you take offense to the entry. I will have to try harder next time! :P

I recently had a conversation with one of you about mini mods calling stuff off topic and how that is a violation of rule 3.7
we both agreed not to do this. You know who you are and to directly quote you:

"From here on in BOTH OF US will abide by the commenting rules, and if one of us breaks those rules the other is entitled to slap the rulebreaker silly.

Consider yourself slapped silly.

ziggyx2003........if you have a problem with an entry, you use the red flag system, you do not start an argument here.......!

Locksmagic: Is that a slap or a bonk?

Is not the hand a tool used in this job?

No, hands aren't tools. see comments under theme. Not all jobs use tools... such as this one, for example

@ Locksmagic: did the words off theme cross my lips, not they did not, i merely quoted the contest description.

@ Moderator: did I START this argument NO, did I use the red flag system, YES.

but hey its all good, happy to wear it.

I really don't know why you argue this so much, Kyricom. It's perfectly on theme. When he uses the balloons for entertainment purposes, then they become tools. A balloon twister is an entertainer is a tradesman in the entertainment industry. From makeup and wardrobe to prosthetics and props, (like colored balloons) it is a tool of the trade. I never specified it had to only be construction, hence the reason I specified tech support operator with their headset. This is on theme. The balloons are the tools of the trade. So forget arguing over it and just once try to be more open minded, because you really discredit way too many at times. Personally I think you discredit far more than you congratulate.

Woah woah woah everyone! I really appreciate all the attention this is getting but I hate to be the cause of so much arguing. Do I think the picture is on theme? Yes. The balloons are a tool I use when I do magic shows to entertain children (and sometimes adults). But I also recognize that not everyone may share my opinion. That is FINE. I welcome free-thinking! All I ask is that we keep our heads level and our eyes clear. Besides, in the end...they're just balloons! :P Nothing to get all up in a huff about.

So I decided to google "tools of a clown", and the first article that came up was written by a very famous clown named Bruce "Charlie" Johnson, here are the first couple sentences of that article:

"Balloon sculpture, juggling, and magic are to clowns what hammers, saws, and screwdrivers are to carpenters. They are only the tools used to create something else."

Just some food for thought.

there are no red flags from you ziggy!

I flagged this saturday morning my time, I am not allowed to say something is off theme, so I flag. If you don't have a flag, then it is a problem at your end, not mine. I stated with the flag that there was no person practising the trade.

Adein is that you hiding behind the mod name. Is it really up to mods to tell everyone whats on topic? Its off topic because"It must be on the job!" "A tool must be the focus and it has to be obvious that it's being used on the job it was designed for"

Its neither one of those SO the mod is throwing around his personal bias opinion and telling us like children we dont know better.

Locks magic who cares what the definition is. You ignore that its not being used on the job and its not being used for what its designed for.

wow... 24 comments (with mine) and growing... Gotta love the attention. My 2 cents is that he made the balloon animals (product)using his hands (tools) so it's on theme. Just because I don't see him giving them to kids in the pic doesn't mean he can't still give them. No different than a carpenter, stone worker, or welder making a product with no customer in the pic. He is holding one of them, so to me he is "working"

Holding is not making one of them. Wheres the process? It must be shown on the job where is that being shown? Its a composed shot in a studio not on the job.

Mekun I'm not ignoring anything, the argument was whether or not balloons or hands can be considered tools, so that is what I commented on, AND I'm not the only person to have commented on the subject so why are you singling me out?

And another thing, if you have an issue with a mod take it up with them through the proper channels, don't hijack a persons entry to vent your frustrations. To answer your question yes it is up to the mods to say whats on topic, that's why they're the mods, we may not always agree with their decisions but when it comes down to it what they say goes. Since your in the questioning mood though maybe you should ask yourself if it's your place to say whether a person's entry is off topic or not (check commenting rules 3.4 and 3.7 if your not sure)

LOL like you have any right to tell me anything. Ya ill point out when i think the mod is bias dont like that? To bad. You worry about yourself ill take care of me.

O and when did it become your job to have discussion about rules to anyone. "I recently had a conversation with one of you about mini mods calling stuff off topic and how that is a violation of rule 3.7"

Sigh.....

@Mekun what I said to ziggy was was a result of a conversation she and I had where we both agreed to call each other out on this subject, if I misinterpreted her than I was wrong. The only reason I said anything to you was because you directed a comment at me.

What good did your comments serve? You simply repeated what other people have already said, hurled insults at a mod, and for some unknown reason brought me into your tirade.

The subject has been beaten to death, obviously it's going to be allowed to stay so vote it low and move on. How would you feel if you spent time thinking about, setting up, taking, editing, and posting a shot only to have people attack it, it's not like the Author tried to get around the rules, he felt that this was a good take on the theme and decided to shoot it. Maybe your right and it isn't on theme, but that's why we have the red flag system.

Now if the mod IS in fact Ade than your calling him bias is more than laughable, Ade would probably pull his own mother's entry if he felt it was off topic

@ Everyone else. The arguments for both sides have been made, this has gotten completely out of hand now I propose that out of respect to the Author we keep any further comments about this being on topic or not to ourselves.

You want to read ade's private threats to me? Please get off your high horse. How did your definition serve anyone? It didnt that was my point.But you missed the point about the rest of the guidelines for the contest. Convenient. But now we can move on because you said so.

wow... gone for two days and the world implodes. The mod has obviously looked at it. It looks as though they don't agree with me. I'll live (although hands are DEFINITELY not tools ). Vote and move on. All this personal stuff should either be handled backchannel, or in the forum - but not on some innocent third party's entry.

Who knew balloons could cause so much pain...
lol seriously everyone, lets try to keep level heads. Some people think its off theme; others think its on theme. I respectfully request that everyone keep their comments constructive and please...PLEASE try not to argue. As I stated before, I hate being the cause of argumentation. My intent with this entry was not to upset anyone; I was simply taking a shot of myself working with a tool of my trade. Nothing more. So lets all take a chill pill so the world can be bright and groovy. :P

lol groovy been awhile since I heard the word. Whatever the case, this is a nifty shot Author

This shot has been deemed to be 'on topic' by a mod, so let's just look at it in an artistic and technical way, the way we should look at it, and vote on it.........not so difficult is it!!