On to the Next Level

I am getting cabin fever. I want to be out in the park making photos. I need to get over this winter long bronchitis before I spend long hours outdoors. Today it is 4 degrees Fahrenheit! I must be patient, I’ll be out there soon making more photographs. Being housebound gives me the opportunity to work on my photographs. I took these photographs from January in Central Park, to the next level. Photographic art – composites with brushwork.

Northern Cardinal. Central Park 1/28/2015
Northern Cardinal. Central Park 1/28/2015
Fox Sparrow, Central Park 1/28/2015
Fox Sparrow, Central Park 1/28/2015
White-throated Sparrow, Central Park 1/28/2015
White-throated Sparrow, Central Park 1/28/2015

A Question of Photographic or Artistic Style

On 1/26/2015 I had critique from the Portfolio Review at B&H Camera. I appreciate their honesty and will consider what they said. The review is designed to help prepare us for possible selection by the Gallery. It was pointed out to me that photographs, not Photoshop work on the images, is what they like. Blurs and other tricks done in camera are OK. For example, they like abstract images of trees blurred to look like a pattern and other in camera tricks. But I was told that mine looked like I used Photoshop just because I could. I disagree with their limiting criteria. I feel my interpretations of my photographs is my art. Can’t win them all!

Straight photography is not what I want to do and does not fulfill me as an artist. I think that if I just use my photos unaltered they will be like many other photographs of nature. I to satisfy my need to create art I enhance, draw and painting on my photographs to fulfill my vision. If it cannot hope to please everyone, art is subjective.

Brown Thrasher, Central Park 10/5/2014
Brown Thrasher, Central Park 10/5/2014
Brown Thrasher, Central Park 10/5/2014
Version B. Brown Thrasher, Central Park 10/5/2014
Golden Leaf and Fall Flower, Central Park 10/25/2014
Version A. Golden Leaf and Fall Flower, Central Park 10/25/2014
Golden Leaf and Fall Flower, Central Park 10/25/2014
Version B. Golden Leaf and Fall Flower, Central Park 10/25/2014
Hermit Thrush, Central Park 10/25/2014
Verion A. Hermit Thrush, Central Park 10/25/2014
Hermit Thrush, Central Park 10/25/2014
Version B. Hermit Thrush, Central Park 10/25/2014

Select Three

My next task is to select only 3 of all images I’ve created since last September I managed to whittle it down to 5.

I received the following votes from social media and email as of 1/25/2015 :

  • 1 to remove Brown Thrasher
  • 4 to remove the House Sparrows
  • 3 to remove Golden Leaf and Fall Flower
  • 5 to remove Grasses
  • 2 to remove the Hermit Thrush

Thanks for your votes. Voting is now over. I will leave out House Sparrows. It was fun seeing which ones you all liked.  I’ll show the winning three at B&H on Monday, January 26.

Brown Thrasher with Berry, Central Park 10/5/2014
Brown Thrasher with Berry, Central Park 10/5/2014
Golden Leaf and Fall Flower, Central Park 10/25/2014
Golden Leaf and Fall Flower, Central Park 10/25/2014
House Sparrows Bathing, Conservatory, Central Park 10/5/2014
House Sparrows Bathing, Conservatory, Central Park 10/5/2014
Grass, Central Park 10/5/2014
Grass, Central Park 10/5/2014
Hermit Thrush, Central Park 10/25/2014
Hermit Thrush, Central Park 10/25/2014

Central Park January 13

Tuesday was a freezing cold day. I only managed to take a few photographs in Central Park. Here are 4 edited in Lightroom and Photoshop.

American Robin, Central Park 1/13/2015

American Robin, Central Park 1/13/2015

Squirrel Swirl, Central Park 1/13/2015
Squirrel Swirl, Central Park 1/13/2015
Sweetgum in Ice, Central Park 1/13/2015
Sweetgum in Ice, Central Park 1/13/2015
Tufted Titmouse, Central Park 1/13/2015
Tufted Titmouse, Central Park 1/13/2015

Black-crowned Night Heron, Central Park 7/29/2014

Black-crowned Night Heron, Central Park 7/29/2014
Black-crowned Night Heron, Central Park 7/29/2014

A painterly effect brushed with brushes with a Wacom Tablet in in Corel Painter takes an ordinary Black-crowned Night Heron in a dark corner of Central Park’s Lake turns it into photographic art.

Created in Photoshop and Corel Painter. NIKON D600, f-stop 5.6, exposure time 1/100 sec., ISO·320, focal length 200mm, and max aperture 4.8.