Idea to Image Series
by Mark ~ June 21st, 2008. Filed under: Idea2Image, composition, field techniques, macro, processing.I have been meaning to start some blog postings about previsualization I have had with some images Granted my brain doesn’t often think that far in advance, but sometimes I get lucky! 
So I hope you enjoy the first in the “Idea to Image” series..
The plant shown here is a Scouring Rush or a lot of people call them Horsetails. . It is a wetland plant and grows in these straight stalks, usually about 2 feet high or so. . . I have always thought their details were quite interesting graphically, from the points they form to the separated segments of the plant. . . However, I always had difficulty composing them, just one stalk never seemed to be enough for me. . They often grow in very chaotic wetland environments, making it difficult to simplify a composition. I always wanted to find a patch of them where they could be grouped together.
While my wife and I were taking our dog for a walk, we went on a new trail that happened to have large groups of horsetails. In fact, they were quite abundant As you photographers know, sometimes your brain doesn’t stop taking pictures, even when the camera is away . I thought this place might be just the ticket to realize the image I wanted.
Returning a following morning, I found a very close group of them and managed to push a few together to form an even tighter cluster I had found the composition I was looking for These stalks are green in color. Later on in post processing it hit me that the green was a bit too overpowering. What I was originally interested in was the graphical nature of these plants Of course, when the color interferes, black and white is the way to go.
Just converting this image to monochrome helped, but it still wasn’t quite there It wasn’t until I started playing with some of the grayscale sliders in Lightroom that this image really came alive By tweaking the green, blue, and aqua sliders, the black features became ink black, and some of the green areas were smoothed out The tweaks also accented the contrast a bit more in the segments The image shown here is the final result.
This often happens with some of my ideas for images I have a fairly basic concept in my head – it develops a bit more when you find the opportunity Then bring in the camera and you are off to a good start Sometimes the image doesn’t quite live up to your previsualization when reviewing it later in post Post processing helps push it to that final state.
This picture existed in my head long before I ever knew the location or how I would process it. It is quite gratifying to finally bring the idea to an image.
June 21st, 2008 at
Outstanding! I can’t seem to stop running my eyes up and down this image ”lingering here, then there. The background story is wonderfully instructive. Thank you for sharing both.
June 21st, 2008 at
What a great innovation. Your ideas here open up many other doors. Thanks for sharing this stuff, Mark.
km
June 21st, 2008 at
Now that is a stunning image, Mark! Your previsualization paid off! I’m glad that you found what you were looking for. The idea to go with black & white was perfect, though I wonder what it would have looked like with all of that green … Hmmm?
You know, always exploring. The graphical nature of this shot is perfect. Hopefully you’re printing this one out and hanging it.
June 21st, 2008 at
Hey Mark,
Way cool photo. Excellent work on the processing, as always.
I tend to agree with your comments on visualization (though I think ‘previsualization’ is a misnomer for the process); it begins with a concept that becomes more focused as the project unfolds – rarely do I have a completed image in mind before I grab a camera. Probably never. That’s half the fun, the process, the exploration along the way. I think if the final image were fully conceived before the photography began, the art becomes artless, and reduced to a merely technical craftship. That’s what machines do.
Cheers
Carl
June 22nd, 2008 at
Great image Mark finely crafted.
Pre-visualization is one of the things I’ve tried to work on real hard this year to improve my art. I think it is the key to us really learning what our unique creative language is as artists and photographers. Ansel did it better than anyone.
June 22nd, 2008 at
it’s always so interesting to hear the story behind the image. I want to try doing more of that in my own blog as well.
June 22nd, 2008 at
You’re certainly on the right track Mark.
And, … this is a stunning start!!
June 23rd, 2008 at
I too enjoy reading about the process, mental as well as technical. It does influence the way I “see” the final image. I’ll look forward to seeing where else you take the series. I certainly like this first presentation.
June 24th, 2008 at
The tones are beautiful in this Mark, great work, every time I try this technique of previsualization , I let myself down !!
June 24th, 2008 at
Thanks folks.
@Paul – you are just going to have to imagine the green, because I ain’t showin it! ha! Someday I imagine I will print it.
@ Carl – yep, I find the same thing. Quite often it is a very fuzzy concept that gets sharpened along the way.
But for this one I pretty much knew I wanted them stacked close together beforehand.
@ Bernie – I wouldn’t say I am always successful at it either. Perhaps part of the series should include some of my failures as well. But now then – who would want to see that.
June 24th, 2008 at
Hey Mark,
Yes, that’s what I mean – start with a concept like ’stacked close together’, and the rest, often the processing, etc, even composition sometimes, unfolds as we go.
Cheers
Carl
June 25th, 2008 at
What a great image Mark! The black and white treatment is perfect for such a graphic subject.
Ron
June 25th, 2008 at
Very interesting! You inspire me to “play” a little bit more with my own photographs.
June 25th, 2008 at
Thanks Ron.
Lana – sometimes playing afterwards can really push an image in new directions.
June 25th, 2008 at
I can see how these would attract you to photograph them. They are a great subject. I have a few bunches of these plants in front of my house and should take advantage of that.
Converting this image to B&W works exceptionally well. The detail and textures are great.