Four Rocks, Lake Huron, Michigan
So how does the saying go? Something about idle minds becomming the devil’s playground? The urge to create something different has been tumbling around in my head for quite awhile. My Lightroom catalog is filled with a lot of dead ends and half-baked ideas. This latest set may end up with that classification in the long run, but I ended up liking the first few tries. We’ll see how it goes and how long it sticks.
The basic idea was to tear down an image into parts and try to put it back together again. I actually started by actually cutting and pasting sections (digitally at least), but it wasn’t going down a road I thought had enough visual cohesion. I had some images that I had flagged that might be good to play around with some textures, and I started seeing how the textures were creating some unique images in themselves. So I went down that road and it resulted in these… devil influenced or not.
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- Moss Blooms Mosaic
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- Dandelion Seed Mosaic #FL-10020
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- Tulip Mosaic
More from this series will be added to this gallery as I develop them: Texture Mosaics
God stuff, Mark! I’m really taken with the first image. I have little skill in Photoshop as Lightroom is my basic editing tool. I do have Topaz but primarily use their presets. And, it does nothing like you have done with these. Excellent! I hope you print one of these and hang it on the wall.
Thanks Monte! One day I will get around to making some prints…
Love the colors in these – beautiful and artistic. Especially the dandelion seed mosaic.
Thanks Tom. The dandelion is one of my favorites as well.
Fabulous! I enjoyed the visual and learned a lot through the post and comments. Thank you. Be well!
Thank you for your visit and comments Darla
Beautiful work Mark. I have always done this sort of thing with my photos, turning them into something beyond a photograph. Even with film though it was usually harder back then. However I don’t think I’ve ever turned out something that looked as pleasing and enticing as what you have done here. Each picture is worthy of being displayed on a wall.
Thanks Cedric. I appreciate the feedback from one of the masters of the surreal! I did have possible wall art in mind for this series. Maybe a few art consultants will find a place for them.
Mark, I like these images. I find them visually interesting, but there is a question that plagues me – at what point does something stop being a photograph and turn into some other form of art?
Mike, I would say I asked myself that very question in creating them. It is a question that is always asked on the limits of post-processing. I thought about hand-tinted photographs, collage photographs, and similar “altering” methods. Ultimately, I guess I find solace in that the base content and composition could not have been created without a camera. And because of that, I have no issue in calling them photographs.
They are obviously manipulated for artistic purposes vs. some type of deception. So if others want to call them something else, I’m OK with that also. They possibly could have even been done without a computer I suppose. Would that have made a difference? It is difficult to have an absolute definition.
Mark, thanks for the reasoned well-thought reply.
These are great, Mark. There are so many things we can do with our tools that the opportunities are endless. I’d love to expand my Photoshop skills but just can’t be to find the time. I’ll be very interested to see where you go with these.
Thanks Tom. You are quite right. There are so many different possibilities we can take our photographs these days that it can be paralyzing at times.
I really like these Mark. They are definitely unique in a very intriguing way. They have a very vintage feel and the mosaic makes you want to explore them more deeply. Definitely a cool idea!!
Thanks Howard. I was hoping it would inspire some exploration at least.