Tuesday, March 16, 2010

A Monkey With Photoshop is Still a Monkey...

Last week, let's see- I forgot what day it was, but I was doing something else- I forget what- and I got distracted by playing around with Photoshop, something I haven't done since I can't remember when.  Usually I start out to do a specific thing, then as I'm looking for the thing I wanted, I get distracted by something else, like, "Oh wow, why have I not done anything with this photo..." and pretty soon my original purpose has gone away somewhere, to be completely forgotten, or to return to me at a later time when I least expect it.  I swear, I never used to be this way, and I find it pretty distressing at times.  What has happened to my brain?  Is ADHD contagious?

Anyway, here are the results of my distraction:


Okay, this is a bit scary, like the cover of a weird horror novel or a scene from a creepy movie...



This is the original photo of a full moon, and here's what I did with it:


I was attempting to create a sort of frosty, winter-y mood here.  I don't think I was successful, but it reminds me of an illustration for a children's book, so it's still somewhat interesting.  All in all, I like the original better.


With this one, I was just playing around at first, with nothing much in mind (as usual).  Here's the original, a shot through some hemlock boughs.  I liked the lines created by the dark twigs.




Then I wondered if I could make it look as if it were a stained glass window, with the sticks separating the panes...


I'm not sure what this looks like; a Kandinsky painting, maybe?  Hmmm....

So I just kept going....


... until it looked like- what?  A sixties flashback?  Something out of Scientific American, like the structure of proteins in a spider's eyeball?


Oh well; let's just say these were not my finest Photoshop moments.  What have I learned from this?  I've learned that it's fun, and sometimes liberating, to just allow myself to play without worrying about the end result.  I've also learned that a monkey with Photoshop is still a monkey!

7 comments:

  1. Keep monkeying around with Photoshop. And let the Monkey-Shine!

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  2. Fooling round with yr mind in another gear is when the best stuff happens - especially with Photoshop. It's great, you can undo it or not as you please.

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  3. oh yes, keep playing, play is always where we learn or find something new and wonderful!

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  4. I love the first one. Spontanously caaled it: The anticipation of magic.

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  5. It must be contagious! I never used to be that way either but you could be describing me.

    Your photoshop experiments are not bad at all. I love the second one of the full moon. It is pretty and delicate.

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  6. You crack me up...I love the way you 'jump about' and discover so many wonder-filled ways to look at the world...these are an inspiration...I love the effect of the 'Kandinsky' image as it reminds me a lot of what you accomplish with your mixed media pieces.

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  7. I think it is so much fun to play around with photo shop-- it is like magic-- you can't predict the outcomes-- so creative.

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