Something New

This is the kind of thing that happens when you spend too much time with artists.

It is an experiment of colors and textures that worked.  At least I think it worked, but please don't call the art police.  They may have a differing opinion.

The original photo was taken two years ago, when Allie was 18 months old and I was staying with her for a week while her parents went on an anniversary cruise.  (Our children have the disease too.)  I purchased a bouquet of flowers to photograph while she was napping.  Way back then I processed the picture like this.

It's nice enough.  I love the shallow depth of field.  (Blurred background with a very small area in focus for the photographically challenged.)  The color is pretty.  And to tell you the truth I think I was thrilled with it at the time.  But the times they are a changing.  

Take for example the picture below.

I was delighted to catch this pelican in flight.  Delighted that one wing was up and the other down.  Delighted that you could see its face and delighted that it was actually in focus.  But the picture is boring.  Nothing to give it any depth or interest.  

The addition of a second photo and a little Photoshop magic transforms it into the promise of art.

It still needs some tweaking.  But all in all I like the effect.  It may one day see a frame, or it may end up on the cutting room floor but the fun is in the process.

This one is my favorite.

What started out as a boring and very bland photo of the Key West lighthouse (below) has been transformed into something wonderful, something someone just might want to purchase and hang in their home. (I'll be sure to keep you apprised of that situation.)  

I know there are photography purists out there who would run naked and screaming through the streets at the sight of such a travesty.   But technology has given us the tools to make magic and I say why not.

After all there's room in this big bad world for everyone.  And the more time I spend hanging around with other artists the more convinced of that I become.