Back to Writing

This has been a long break from my blog. A loss of belief in my computer started it and, as with everything I do, it is too easy to stay away from something which takes effort.

In my defense, my computer did have a power problem which caused it to shut down at the most awkward moments, eventually it went to be mended and now is working perfectly. What remained with me was the mistrust. Would it turn on this time? Would it keep going? How long did I have until it shut down again? That stayed with me for a long while after it was back and working.

So, what have I been doing photographically in this third lockdown. Finally getting my head around composites.

The net huts with a few add-ons

I am trying to use only my own photographs to make these mix and matches so the progress has been slow. I also have discovered that my selection skills are not brilliant so I’ve watched a lot of tutorials to try and get better. I have and still am learning about selecting, cutting out, moving and fine tuning the selection so that it matches, colour wise, the original image.

A Thai fishing boat, an English sea, recoloured, a strange sky and some strange contraption in the sky

The tutorials that have helped have been Glyn Dewis, find him on YouTube or his own website. He also has a great tutorial on Kelbyone which has helped a lot. Also Dave Cross has a website with tutorials and I found him at Adobe Max. Julienne Kost on Adobe Photoshop tutorials on YouTube provided the final information for me.

Practice is the best teacher, finding the method that works best for me. There are myriad ways to select and loads of ways to blend the object or objects into the background. It takes time, and can be frustrating but very satisfying to achieve a look that appears to be real, however unreal that may actually be.

foxes on the pier

This last I have up in my window as part of Anthony Gormley’s country wide arts project, The Great Big Art Exhibition. Digitally it is hosted by First Site, and you can go and see all the participant’s artwork there.

The idea is that, in lockdown, we turn the whole country into a public art exhibition. Sculptures, paintings, photographs, lithographs, whatever your method, either in a window or out in the garden, on a wall or wherever you want to put them, so the everyone can see them. The first theme was animals, hence my foxes. The next is portraits. Have a look it is a great idea, IMHO.

Thanks for reading.