Photo Collage Project

     Whether it involved family snap shots or experimental abstract close-ups, I have always enjoyed photography.  The digital age has of course made taking quality pictures quite easy on one hand.   Yet, on the other hand, software like “Fotoshop” has given us so many ways to manipulate an image, I have at times found it challenging and overwhelming.  The following project involves no fancy digital manipulation.

     First I start by selecting a category or subject matter.  I decided on a floral theme.  I selected four photographs from my “Picassa” library.  I manipulated two and ended up with a total of six images for the collage.  I experimented assembling them a different ways until I found the combination that pleased me.  I then added on top of the final image some real leaves taken from houseplants which are barely perceptible but add an interesting dimension.

   

    In my selection I was after an abstract quality.  Close-ups are often a good choice.  I also wanted interesting shapes, minimal but vibrant colors as well as strong contrasts between light and shadows.

In a Horticultural Mood

     Photo collages do not need to be complex in order to make a strong impact.  Collages take photography to another dimension and make you reflect on composition and effect.  They can be a wonderful departure point to a future painting.  I find such projects particularly rewarding when they involve an ordinary subject matter.  You too will discover there is “ Splendour  In The Grass”

(a poem by William Wordsworth.)

April 2013                                                                                            Yvette Stenzel