I’ve been playing around with iPhone photos of scenes I see along my short daily walks. And I’m enthralled with a technique that takes photos
From This
(see top photo)
To This
(see photo below)
The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.”
― Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
I came upon an area beside the path with numerous tall dead plants that had lost all their leaves. The plants were surrounded with other plants with various shaped, colored and textured leaves. And there was some sort of magic in the scene that did not show up in the original color photograph. So I began playing around. I found that I could create really interesting effects by transforming the images to toned black and white and then layering a texture over the image in Photoshop using the “Difference” blend mode.
The results are varied for each image even though they are very similar. It’s as if each photograph has it’s own personality that wants to come out and my explorations help me to discover that personality.
Helping Others See the Beauty I See
Though the original photograph does not look “interesting” or well-composed to my eye, I found the textures and shapes fascinating. It felt so good when I was able to find a way to help that hidden beauty emerge. When I look at the final photographs I feel wonder. That’s one of the core feelings I’m going for when I go out with my camera. Wonder, along with gratitude, awe, and seeing beauty feed my soul and bring me joy.
My soul, when I tend to it, is a far more expansive and fascinating source of guidance than my ego will ever be, because my soul desires only one thing: wonder. And since creativity is my most efficient pathway to wonder, I take refuge there, and it feeds my soul, and it quiets the hungry ghost—thereby saving me from the most dangerous aspect of myself.”
― Big Magic: How to Live a Creative Life, and Let Go of Your Fear
Have a wonder-full day!
May you walk in beauty.
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