Tag: surreal

A Grand Entrance

A reflection on spontaneous photography moments that yield surprising results.

Sometimes I find myself taking a shot with my camera more on a whim than completely planned or thought out. I have no idea what triggers these moments, but if I could figured it out, I’ll want to have more of them. These occurrences feel more instinctive and playful and can sometimes lead to surprising results.

Here’s a shot from one such instance…

Grand Entrance into a Ballroom

This image came about as I was attending a Brooke Shaden workshop. Brooke was explaining some of the concepts that we might want to bring to our photography.

As our wonderful model showed some of the sticks that went well with the darkish brown dress, I instinctively took this shot with a zoom blur. I had this sense of the surreal coming through with a sylvan apparition into the grand ballroom where we were standing.

If you ever get a chance to hear Brooke speak or attend one of her classes or workshops, please do so. She’s a wonderful artist with a true passion for sharing and bring out the creative spark in other photographers.

Thursday Throwback – 8

From February 2009: A surreal moment on a deserted beach on Cape Cod.

Interestingly enough, this week’s photo is from the same year as the one in last week’s Thursday Throwback – 7. This is purely serendipitous! In February of 2009, my wife and I took some time to spend on Cape Cod. There’s nothing like visiting beaches and resort areas when there are no crowds!

Here’s one of my captures from that weekend…

A photo of ripples left in the sand at the beach from the movement of the water back and forth.
Beach Surreality

I played a little bit with angles, as I took several shots. There are a couple of images that I like from this series, among which this one is my favorite. I cropped the image a bit to get the 8×10 form factor, as I find that the shorter height provides more of a sense of length. That is a rather odd statement, as I read it back.

In my estimation, this illusion of length comes from the increase and thinning of the sand shapes. As they go towards the horizon, there is a sense of ever greater distance.

Also, if you look at this image long enough, you may get a sense that there is an ancient alien force at play here… Don’t look too long, lest it might reach out to you!

More portfolio thoughts

A next step in exploring what will make a portfolio from my work.

In last week’s post about my struggles with defining what might be considered my portfolio (Working toward a portfolio) I mused about how to define what could be considered a more cohesive representation of my photography goals and ambitions. Sometimes what it takes is to kick off a process, plant a seed in one’s mind and our conscious and unconscious processes will keep working on it; some of this is definitely happening.

One part is looking through my images (there are way too many) and seeing which ones still speak to me for one reason or another. As I have been doing just that, a theme or two has emerged. One motif is that I enjoy creating images that express some particular emotion or story element, such as this one…

Resisting Escape

This was shot during a workshop led by the wonderful Brooke Shaden in 2013. I remember how I came up with this image in very vivid detail, as I saw it in my mind’s eye the moment that I looked at this dilapidated bathroom. There were a large number of shots that were taken to get all the elements together, but they were all with an end-goal in mind.

The reason that this image still speaks to me despite all its imperfections is the concept and how I connected with it. There is also emotion in this image, as it communicates a struggle against an invisible hand that is pulling the woman toward the turbulent sky. This is a struggle that we can often relate with, as unseen forces seem to control us, trying to reduce our sense of free will and self-determination.

Over the next weeks, I will continue to explore and examine my images to round out a list of topics, emotions and subjects that drive my portfolio. I hope you will follow along!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Connect

A trip into darkness…

Welcome to week 205 of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

What the world needs now… No, I’m not breaking out into a Hal David and Burt Bacharach pop tune! During this time of social distance, it is more important than ever that we connect with one another. I thought the theme of Connect might make a lot of sense. So, your challenge is to capture anything that either connects or with which you feel connected.

The only requirement to your interpretation of the theme is that you have fun with it (and be safe). So let’s connect through our images!

This bridge makes a connection between two shores…

Surreal Connection

Yes, you guessed it: there was a bit of editing involved. In a case, such as this, I look to portray the mood or concept that I want to express in an image. I originally shot this well-graffitied bridge as a series of varying exposures to have all the data I needed for HDR processing. After processing the basics in Aurora HDR, I jumped into Photoshop. With the help of the Luminar 4 plugin, I changed the look of the bridge, and added a different sky. A bit more magic in Photoshop to skew the metal of this bridge in a slightly altered shape completed the mood to create this Surreal Connection. For the purists, I agree with you that this is no longer a photo, but that was not what I was after…

The full rules of this challenge are in TPC Guidelines, but here’s the tl;dr:

  • Write a post with an image for this week’s topic
  • Please tag your post with fpj-photo-challenge (if you’re not sure about how tags work, please check out this WordPress article about tagging posts)
  • Create a pingback link to this post, so that I can create a post showing all of the submissions over the week (note: pingbacks may not appear immediately, as my site is set up to require approval for linking to it; helps against previous bad experiences with spamming)
  • Have fun creating something new (or sharing something old)!!

May you and yours be safe and healthy, and connect across the globe through the blogosphere!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Fantasy

Walking through a fantasy land…

Welcome to week 187 of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!

After all these wonderful takes on the theme of Slope, I wanted to take the challenge into a completely different direction… This was brought on by my receiving my copy of Luminar 4 and playing around with one of the key features, the AI sky replacement tool. That led me to putting a Fantasy spin on the image I captured while walking the dogs with my sister in the Netherlands.

Your challenge is to use the theme of Fantasy and take it into your choice of creative directions; be it an image of your fantasy location, a fantasy that is in your mind, or whatever speaks fantasy to you! Have fun with this and let your thoughts and lenses go into the land of fantasy!!

I can’t wait to see what you might come up with!

Here’s that surreal walk through the park…

Starry Night in the Park

This small Nature area lies on the northern side of Rotterdam, close to the river Rotte, from where the town received its name. It’s a great location to go for a jog, get a breath of fresh air, or walk the dogs!

The full rules of this challenge are in TPC Guidelines, but here’s the tl;dr:

  • Write a post with an image for this week’s topic
  • Please tag your post with fpj-photo-challenge (if you’re not sure about how tags work, please check out this WordPress article about tagging posts)
  • Create a pingback link to this post, so that I can create a post showing all of the submissions over the week (note: pingbacks may not appear immediately, as my site is set up to require approval for linking to it; helps against previous bad experiences with spamming)
  • Have fun creating something new (or sharing something old)!!

Fantasy football, move over, fantasy photography is on the rise!

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 108

Ever higher and higher!

Welcome to the 108th round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!  It’s been great to be home this week and get back into a regular rhythm of life.

Your posts were fantastic as always, and a joy to read.  Your interpretation of the theme Rise was sometimes filled with hot air and sometimes required a climb, but always uplifting and creative!

Thank you for your great contributions!

Here’s another rise to a higher level…

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Resisting Escape

This image came from a photoshoot at a somewhat dilapidated mansion in New Jersey; this bathroom inspired me to generate something bold, breaking out of the space, as if rising toward another dimension.

The following were this week’s participants in the challenge with links to their posts:

  • Sarah is high up in the air this week in By Sarah, as she is flying over Melbourne with the sun rising.
  • With another great photo in theonlyD800inthehameau, I was reminded of the Irish well-wishing “May the road rise up to meet you!”.
  • Gwenny’s post in Field Notes from over the Hill has a great rise that asks to be climbed during a wonderful hike.
  • Xenia’s post in whippetwisdom shows the benefits of rising early with wonderful whippets.  Xenia’s second post is in her blog Tranature as she rises in the highlands toward the snow.  Both feature great haikus in addition to the photos!
  • ladyleemanilla provides another wonderful post that brings us the rise of the mountains.
  • In another excellent post in Don’t Hold Your Breath, we encounter a set of abandoned structures, around which the trees have risen over the years.
  • In Fleeting Muse‘s post, we get a beautiful report on Kilauea from last year, before the big eruption of the past weeks.
  • In pensivity101, we rise up to the level of the Malvern Hills, which look like a beautiful hike!
  • Stella’s wonderful post in Giggles & Tales shows the rise of all things living that is part of the rite of Spring!
  • Candace’s post in Netdancer’s Musings takes us way up, all the way to the Continetal Divide!
  • This week’s entry by Feel Purple has a beautiful photo that highlights a majestic sunrise!
  • Nicole takes us to another spectacular location in her post in Une Photo, Un Poéme, as we get the opportunity to climb some natural stairs in Scotland!
  • In an outstanding post in Land of Images, we get to enjoy a wonderful photo of Red Hill.
  • In Woolly Muses, we find out what it takes to rise well above the masses, as hot air lifts us ever higher!  Great post!
  • In a great post in Bulldog Travels, we go to Crystal Hermitage and are treated to wonderful photos highlighting the flowers that brighten up the landscape!
  • Donna tells us that she’s an early riser in her blog No-Madder Nomadder which results in getting really nice sunrise photos!
  • The post in Chateaux des Fleurs rises to the occasion with a beautiful photograph!
  • Andrea’s post in ARHtistic License takes us to the Phoenix Botanical Garden, where the art is amazing!
  • Hammad’s post in The Blog of Hammad Rais reminds us to rise to the occasion with a wonderful set of images!
  • Susan really captured the right moment in Musin’ with Susan, as the whale rising out of the sea looks amazing!
  • This week’s entry from Chinese Corner with Min teaches us a bit of Mandarin about rising to the challenge!
  • This week, Nicole’s post in Doar Nicole focuses on the slow rise to heart’s yearning with beautiful poetry and photography!
  • Miriam created a beautiful, touching post in her blog Out an’ About, focusing on rising through lifting others!
  • Yinglan takes us to an amazing location in her blog This is Another Story, as we visit China’s Grand Canyon, which is truly majestic!

I hope that you enjoy these posts and let the authors know!

What lurks beyond

One can only wonder…

Deeply buried within the complex landscape of her emotions, feelings are unearthed that can do nought but harm.  Inexplicably, these are what cause her to focus on the portal that has formed ahead; where it leads is not clear, but could it bring closure to the grief, so long ignored?

The butterflies must be a signal that all will be well, as they are the messengers of souls long lost, seeking to reach out.  Another step and she feels lighter than air, no longer touching the floor.  Dimensions are shifting around her.

What will be found on the other side?

Sense-of-Loss-MG_6139-SQUARE
Sense of Loss

Technical Details

This image is a composite of many layers that were shot during a workshop with the wonderful Brooke Shaden.  Inspiration was flowing everywhere during the workshop and, if you ever get the chance to take one, go for it!

A response to the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge theme of Danger.

A little levity

Up, up and away!

Every so often, I check the prompts that are provided by the fine folks at WordPress, and when I looked about 10 minutes ago, I was struck by the Discover challenge that asks to talk about your Superpower!

Of course, each of us has Superpowers, even though they may be latent, which is why the idea of having a Discover challenge is even more appropriate.  I have several, and the one that I will share with you today has to do with a little levity…

Resisting-Escape-4-27
Resisting Escape

Yes, I have the power to levitate people without any risk to them whatsoever.  This is also a great responsibility, as I should never raise them into the sky too high, for there is the fate of Icarus that might befall them.

What is your Superpower?

A Bit of Magic

Resisting escape

In photography, magic is the quotidian expression of our view of the world around us.  After all, what do we do in photography, but freeze a time slice of that world, in which we find ourselves, with the purpose of showing its magical aspects to our family, friends, and even complete strangers.

Such is the commonplace of photographic expression.  There is, however, a more subtle exploration that one might undertake; one that is aimed at showing the visions that play before our mind’s eye.  This metaphysical world is one that exists between dreams and fancies, ever just outside the reach of fingers’ touch, tantalizing…

Resisting-Escape-4-27
Resisting Escape

Resisting Escape is one such exploration to express a vision that unfolded itself in the combined dreamscape of the physical and metaphysical world.  Inspired by this interesting old bathroom, my mind embroidered upon reality in visualizing an escape from the everyday, being pulled upward by an irresistible force…

Inspired by https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/magic/