by successfulbob | fine art photography, photography education
I’m a fan of some of Georgia O’Keeffe’s art and with her inspiration I am using multiple images and this cow skull on the fence that I photographed at the last Arizona Professional Photographers all day event where I was teaching at a Western set town called Canyon Creek Ranch… (should you ever be in the area it’s a fun place to visit with history, jeep rides, horseback riding and more)
Inspired by O’keeffe
I call this process Photo-Synthesis whereby I use multiple images and blend them together to create something that I believe is greater than the sum of the parts.texture on the fence was created with two leaf images and a sheet metal image using differing Blend Modes in Adobe Photoshop.
This image is part of my ‘play to learn’ time. ‘Play to learn time’ is important for growing your skills and stretching vision.
What have you done lately to push your skills to another level??
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – If you would like to have me come speak to your local photography group or set up one on one lessons let me know…
by successfulbob | art books, fine art photography, photography - art quote, photography books, photography education
What are your goals when you make a photograph?
I came across this quote from Robert Farber (see his work here) and thought it was worth a share and some thinking on this Sunday morning.
“I try to create emotion through a mood, an appreciation for what’s there – something people walk by every day and don’t see.” Robert Farber
I don’t now that I have a concise thought like this about my photography.
I don’t have much more to say so I’ll end on this note and ask for your thoughts while I spend time thinking about my goals in creating images.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – Here’s a link to some of Farber’s books, many of them quite reasonable, if you want to expand your photo library.
by successfulbob | fine art photography, graphic design, photography education
I enjoy creating new images using my process dubbed Photo-Synthesis. I use multiple texture files, Adjustment Layers, Layer FX, Layer Masks and more…
This is one of the classes I teach and as a Panasonic Lumix Luminarybased on Adobe Photoshop. If you have a photography group and would like to have a presentation made depending on the size of the group… Click on the link in the menu bar for a description of this or other programs I present.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – the light rays were created with a photograph of rusty galvanized roofing material and Photoshop Blend Modes…
by successfulbob | fine art photography, photography, photography marketing
Hey that image looks really familiar! Oh it’s mine…
It’s fun seeing your work in print.
Speaking later today at the Texas PPA convention at the La Torretta Resort in Conroe, Texas and found this magazine on the counter from when I spoke here in January.
Texas PPA Magazine cover
Looking forward to giving my program nad sharing some of the techniques that made it possible to create this image…
Just thought I’d share with you.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | art books, fine art photography, photography, photography education
5 minutes
12 minutes
15 minutes
45 minutes
These are all times I have spent and will continue to spend studying individual works of art in museums.
OK, maybe the 45 minutes was a little extreme but it was a Monet at a museum in LaHauve, France and I did have a lunch break mixed in there.
Anyway I’ve also been studying art books on painting and color in order to enhance my visual knowledge and vocabulary. I think this is one you can jump into and enjoy if you would like to be a better photographer. It’s called the The Artist’s Eyes by Michael F. Marmor and James G. Raven.
The Artist’s Eyes – Vision and the History of Art book cover.
The Artist’s Eyes goes into detail of how the eye works in receiving and interpreting light, shadow and color in forming images which helps us to understand why art looks the way it does. A handy thought don’t you think?
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | fine art photography, landscape photography, Lumix GH4, Lumix Lounge, people photography, photography, photography education, photography gear
Ocotillo.
That’s not a word you hear everyday… Even if you live in the Southwest where these very interesting cactus reside. Ocotillo are long stalks that most of the year look like they are a bit worse for wear and have moved on past the living stage.
BUT, when nature’s green paint brush, AKA rain, moves through the area at the right time of year these seemingly greyish brown sticks with thorns turn green and put on a show with bright crimson blooms.
Kinda gives you hope when you see this process. And that’s where a phrase you hear even less, the name of this post, Dance of the Ocotillo. Which I think is easier to say than Dance of the Fouquieria splendens which is it’s binomial name.
My model friend Pash Galbavy said she really enjoys these plants and wanted to be photographed with them when in bloom. “Was I game to get up and hike into the wild before the sun chose to make an appearance?” “Sure,” I said. “Always up for a challenge and creating some art.”
Pash made individual dance moves around the cactus. Camera was mounted on a tripod and multiple exposures were blended together using Layers and Masks in Adobe’s Photoshop.
This is an alternate version I enjoy even more created using multiple NIK filters. Included in the mix were Pro Contrast, Glamour Glow, Sepia Toning, Edge Efx and Film Noise.
I used the Lumix GH4 with the Vario 12-35mm f2.8 lens mounted on a tripod. I wanted to capture motion on each movement but I couldn’t get the shutter speed slow enough without some extra help. Camera settings 19mm, 2 sec, f22 ISO 200 manual mode.
Getting the shutter speed this slow required the help of a 2 stop neutral density filter. I had just received a set of very inexpensive filters from Neewer because I wanted to experiment with them for water effects. The kit is less than 25 bucks and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. I just happened to throw them in my kit before this shoot… Who knew??
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – If you want to talk about someone dedicated to her art here is a photo of Pash dressed in clothing more appropriate to the per-dawn temperature!
Pash dressed for the 47 degree pre-dawn temps we were working in.
PPS – Making purchases on Amazon and through other links helps support the education on the Successful-Photographer web site… TIA.
