How I got the black

It's been several months since my last blog entry and i humbly beg the apology of all my fans, admirers, and enthralled readers!  Lots has transpired but little of true import and certainly nothing of lasting value.

Recently i had the honor of being part of the Durango Art Center's first inaugural "Who's New" art show.   The comments were  favorable and i felt that my latest work was well received.  Ego was thrilled and at the same time tortured .

This image was initially selected by my peerlessly supportive family and then by the jurists at the DAC.  The colors are quite strong and rich and made more so by the black background which gives the impression that the form was just sort of hanging there and thrust out from this inky darkness.  It was.  It is!   In my imagination I felt it thusly.  In the mind's eye i saw this  iris as lush, juicy, full, ripe.  A unique combination of color and shape, texture and  light.

i was surprised that the most commonly asked question was: "how did you get that black?"

i was surprised that no one asked: : "how did you get that depth of field and at the same time that dreamy softness?"

Below is the "original raw" image capture before the magic happened, before i went to work sculpting the shapes  and bringing forth the luminosity and creating the sense of mystery by painting in that black background. 

i guess its time to confess.  i use photoshop.  i try to practice photography as a contemplative and sacred art, but i use photoshop religiously.  However,  i prefer to think of it as being the case that photoshop gives me the tools and something else gives me guidance and vision.  

1) i cropped the image:   often when i compose what i see in the viewfinder is not what i see in my mind.  In the mind i see the image as it will be.

Here's a fun thing to try.  Practice composing your images horizontally in your mind while actually framing and taking the image in a vertical format.  Switch that around some times just for kicks.

Then, when you get down to working the other magic which is the craftship that goes into taking raw data and turning it into something else, my hope is that something nourishing will arise.  Leavened bread perhaps.  Food for soul known through the eyes.

2) i used selective color selectively.  Always do this using layers then play with the blend mode and of course the opacity settings.

3) A special yet to be announced prize to the first person who tells me what else i did.

doc rob