Photography Edits in Photoshop

Using Photoshop, I manipulated my primary source photography to alter the tones which give different moods, almost changing the context of the natural form.

Whilst these Photographs above are of the same plant, they are captured and edited in unique, innovative ways. The image on the left presents a calm atmosphere with the orange tones, hinting at a morning sunrise. The image on the right is darker and appears more mysterious. The sharp white of the plant cuts through the darkness, creating a strong image.

The image above is more simplified with its black and white tones. The plant almost imitates a 'scribble' in the air. I love the natural delicacy in all of these images which the camera has captured. The different colours emphasise a variety of moods which the viewer can interpret.

On my venture to Castle Hill, I actually found and photographed some burr plants which were initially used by George de Mestral to inspire him to create velcro. It was intriguing to see them in person as when I photographed the oddly shaped plants and edited it in Photoshop, it gave a sense of futurism. Even the background gives a sense that they are on another planet.

These images are cropped versions of the original close up dead flower which was photographed indoors. The pink is natural and unedited whilst the blue tint on the left image gives a more subtle hint of tones and a greater sense of elegance and calm.

Simply rotating an image proves to be effective as this one imitates a flame, when in fact it is a leaf. Changing the colour to reflect its new shape instantly puts the natural leaf in an entirely new context.

The edit of the left highlights the line in the image, framing the individual petals. This was created using a gradient filter in Photoshop. The photo on the right is more natural looking, it almost appears at though a bright morning sunrise is shining down onto the petals, highlighting their beauty.

I believe that editing the photographs was a success, there a some new innovative approaches to standard photography which are unique and re-contextualise some of the nature. This kind of approach could be adapted to traditional media artwork inspired by this photography.

Trip to Castle Hill: More Nature Photography

More nature photography taken on a trip to Castle Hill in Huddersfield. 

Nature Photography: Inside and Outside

As I am a great believer in using my own imagery in my artwork, I decided that the best step to take was to go out (or stay in) and take some primary source photography of nature. I feel going out and taking my own photographs meets the brief to be innovative as no picture is ever the same, so proves to be an ideal starting point for the commission. Since I already had a few flowers inside, I took some close-up images of those, even taking some of the flower heads and leaves off to photograph them individually or photograph them in various compositions. This worked well and I especially thought that the individually photographed nature was effective as I was able to capture more detail and the colour was vibrant. 

Primary Source Photography:

Venturing outside into the playground of nature allowed me to experience the natural world at its best. Through the shivers in the cold, I managed to take some interesting photographs, though many turned out blurred. I focused on looking at patterns and textures in nature, trying to find any striking imagery. As it is not the best time of year to capture nature, the Winter climate only allowed for quite dull images. The most interesting thing I found were a bunch of mushrooms at the base of a tree.

Overall, I enjoyed taking my own primary source imagery. Now, I will filter through the images to decide on which would be best to re-invent in my own style.