Another stark shot at Lyme Park in Cheshire. The important elements in the composition here are the tree, the tower, the figure and the rock. Positioning the horizon low in the frame gives a feeling of space and expanse. It was important to get the base of the tree standing out against the sky, as opposed to being obscured by the background landscape.
Trees
A stark black and white shot taken at Lyme Park, in Cheshire, England. For some reason last year I got into black and white photography - something I have not done much of in over forty years of taking pics. I know that colour pics can easily be changed to black and white on photoshop, but sometimes I think that effect is better using the black and white mode on the digital camera. The difference between takling and colour and black and white as far as the photographer is concerned consists of learning to 'see' in black and white - which means picking out shapes and textures rather than areas of hue and colour.
Pyramid fantasy
Another photomontage. I am always looking for shots like this with unusual or ruined buildings that have open doorways or windows where a montage element can be added. I nearly always favour the rather formal composition by photographing the building head on.
Posts on frozen lake
Another fairly minimalist shot taken spontaneously. I would have liked to have taken a lower vantage point but then I could not avoid the houses on the other side of the lake.
Donkeys at the seaside
I love the emptiness and slight bleakness of this shot, which sums up the coastal resort of Blackpool in Lancashire on a cold, windy autumn day. This was taken while out for a walk on the beach and little has been done to it afterwards: It was rotated slightly to get the horizon level; It was slightly cropped to remove a group of people in the background on the extreme left; Colour saturation was also increased slightly. Notice again the rule of thirds and the formality of the composition.
Cyclist
I find that when I go out with my camera, a certain amount of spontaneity is required. I do not usually go out to take a particular, planned image, but rather to walk with my camera, having a more open, receptive mind than usual; with a sensitivity, openness and awareness to images, shapes and colours around me. This is just such a spontaneous shot, the whole thing taken in less than a second. I walked to the side of this guy, became aware that he would soon be in silhouette, stopped at the right the moment, turned and snapped this contre-jour shot. I seem to be in a black and white phase so the image is black and white and not in colour. In Photoshop, I went on to Images/Adjust/Auto Contrast and this made the image even more dynamic.
Poppies - Photoshop tutorial - Variations
This photoart image is one of a series of poppy art pictures that I have done. Originally, this was a more formal composition involving a fuller view including the china vase in which the poppies are standing. However, a more minimalist approach seemed more effective and so the image was considerably cropped to produce this simpler, but I think, more effective image. The loss of resolution and definition by such severe cropping does not adversely affect an art effect picture, and indeed may enhance it by increasing the art effect. Warmth is essential to this image and the original weas a little cold in colour, so the whole image was 'warmed up' in photoshop in Images/Adjust/Variations. More yellow and red were added to create the necessary summer warmth.
Statues
I love these old gravestones in local cemetries; they have a beauty an sometimes an eroticism all of their own. Alas many of them are falling into disrepair or have been vandalised so over the last few years I have taken photos of the more interesting ones, especially with an eye to this kind of montage work. This image is one that I had not planned but arose as I was looking at various images and elements. What I like is the contrast between the shiny sleek figure on the left and the the rougher stone figure on the right, creating a slightly surreal and erotic image. Thus I do not close my mind to creativity after the image is taken, but continue to thing of different ways of cropping or enhancing images on the computer, especially at this time of the year, whicj in England is rather dull, damp and cold, so outdoor photography is minimised and darkroom/computer work emphasised until the better light and weather comes along.
Abbey montage
This is another of my photomontage projects using Photoshop. This one looked better in black and white. The various elements are built up on layers, and one important factor is the direction of light and shadow. I try to make my photomontages look as though they could be real...they do not necessarily appear as obvious montage work, or I at least try to leave the viewer guessing. Conflicting directions of light and shdow between elements is an obvious give away.
Fantasy castle montage
Well this is the kind of thing that has tended to make up my projects recently. It is a further development of one of a technique used in one of the first posts on this blog, 'the pleasure of martyrs'. This has been constructed on Photoshop using various elements and layers. I did two versions of this, one in colour and one in black and white, but I thought that the colour one looked better.
Civil war art effect
Civil war re-enactment by Sealed Knot Society. The Sealed Knot is a group that stages re-enactments of English Civil War battles, like this one at Nantwich in Cheshire, held every year on a weekend at about mid January. One technique for these kinds of images is getting rid of modern objects in the background such as cars, pylons or modern buildings, so choosing your vantage point and framing is very important. This image was slightly cropped to get rid of a spectator barrier in the foreground. It was then further cropped for artistic balance, to create a sense of momentum and movement again using the rule of thirds. I felt that this image was further enhanced by using the art effects described elsewhere on this blog.
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