Saturday, 7 February 2015

Tinkering

Somehow I've collected the following four images on my laptop. I usually give my photos a little tweak; just a some gentle persuasion to encourage them to along the path I had visualised for them. Every so often I get rather carried away and push them into unknown and unexpected territory. 

   

This house in Saffron Walden has a very Gothic appearance, totally at odds with its surroundings - even before I started messing about with it. It was really a pleasantly sunny day, not a spooky moonlit night.




No real reason for this, just entirely decorative. It started out as some leaves on a tree.




Another battered gravestone from the Mill Road Cemetery. For this effect I desaturated the image to black and white then added a bit of contrast. But before I did that I made a colour copy which I then blurred to an unrecognisable coloured smudge. By adding the two results together I achieved the rather nice (I think) effect above.



What can I say?!! The above photo was produced without resorting to any mind-altering chemical substances. Would have made a nice album cover for Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, Cream, Big Brother and the Holding Company........

Huge prizes to anyone who can guess what this picture started out as. 


Take care. 

24 comments:

  1. In my opinion the third phioto is fantastic..

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  2. Far out! You nailed it on that last one dude. Trippy man.

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  3. I love how you enhance and play with your photos. I find it very inspiring and plan to open Photoshop today and give it a try! Beautiful.

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  4. I have no idea what your last photo was! Nice special effects edits on the other three! I've yet to explore that part of my photo editing programs.

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  5. LOVE that first picture! The second one reminds me of a dress a girlfriend wore - more years ago than I care to say, but I keep popping back to look at it... Your final picture is last night's curry, by Warhol.

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  6. The house looks just like ghost house. I can almost see the ghosts and bats.
    But still it is so wonderful image.

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  7. I like what you did with the gothic house and the cemetery scene. No idea what the last one was!

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  8. What a contrast between the first and second one. Great spookifying of the first one, but my favourite is the second one. Almost looks like a cross between stained glass and watercolour painting. Last picture : jelly beans? I guess we will be in picture no.3 before we figure it out.

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  9. The house really looks spooky and the second one would make a great dress fabric. The soft focus is an interesting effect and suits this subject. The last one might give me a migraine.

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  10. could the last one be Christmas lights? Street scene? I love what you've done with all these images. I love playing with the post processing to see where a photo can go. Sometimes it works, sometimes not, but the journey is always fun.

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  11. Just wondering what you're on John.{:))
    I have past the colour blindness test OK. so if it is an Ishihara Plate theres no numbers in there.{:))

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  12. Boy, you're doing some neat stuff there! Like them all. No clue what the last one was, but I did briefly think Christmas lights.

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  13. You're very talented with this. They are all terrifically done (maybe with the exception of that last one which crosses my eyes a bit. I have no idea what it once was!)

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  14. This surpasses mild editing John, - you must have had great fun messing about with your creativity bug.

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  15. Beautiful imagery John. As to the last one - soap bubbles on the top of washing-up water?

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  16. Can't imagine what the image in your last photo started out as but I've enjoyed your tinkering especially the Gothic house:)

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  17. I love it when you tinker with the photos! I love the house but the last one (is it water?) is enough to send my migraine loving head into a tizz!

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  18. Loved the house - keep on messing!

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  19. Impressive tinkering! I love that last shot but have no clue what it is.

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  20. I love the spooky house, but the grave one makes me want to write a poem! I haven't any idea of what the last one began life as but It will be interesting to find out.

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  21. I especially love that third image, lovely! - Tasha

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  22. I love every photo!!! They are so creative and so interesting. The Gothic building is fascinating and you created special mood. Beautiful!

    And "some leaves on a tree" turned into a wonderful abstract. And I am in love with the "cover" for a nice album of great musicians.

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  23. Aren't you clever, John? You have become a master at applying artistic effects to these images. I feel inadequate . . .

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  24. Absolutely Fabulous! I really need to get myself a better photo editing program, every time I see you have fun with your shots John it makes me want to play :)

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Thanks for taking the time to comment. I'll try to answer any questions via a comment or e-mail within the next day or two (no hard questions, please!).