Since I have been practicing photoshop and reviewing a myriad of images, I have finally found the inspiration for my final photo project. One of the most beautiful experiences that I have ever had in my life has been my daughter's development that I have been a part of from conception onward. From the moment I found out that my wife was with child, I have watched the beauty of human life take form and blossom into a beautiful four-year-old little girl; however, my photo project isn't as much about her, as it is about motherhood.
I would like to somehow express the beauty of pregnancy from a father's perspective. There are many symbolic expressions for motherhood and I would like to create a photo that captures a collection of them to make a single statement. Considering every breathing human form on this planet is by way of a mother's womb, I expect my audience to be wide with variety.
My intention for the features of the image is to convey a message of adoration for a mother's unmatched ability to create life. A life that she will nurture and protect until that very life becomes capable and prepared to enter society as a magnificent extension of the woman who begot them.
I used four different pictures to create this one photo. The first layer captures a mountain where it meets the ocean and the sky is lit up with the Northern Lights. Next, I placed the image of the expecting mother over the first layer and then used the gradient tool for color mixing. Then I placed a moon photo over the belly of the mother and brushed it to blend with the shape of her stomach. I had to use the brush on each layer to blend the lines for a smoother look. Then I embedded a city photo that had lightning striking the city surface. I blended the thunderous cloud with the mother's dress in an attempt to make it look like she was the source of the lightning. For each layer, I adjusted the hue, saturation, and contrast. I experimented with the different features to create a unique collection of different lighting.
At first, I found photoshop to be a vastly intimidating user interface with endless menus of features that looked to have been designed for professionals of extraordinary abilities and experience with said program. Nevertheless, I have found YouTube to be very helpful and I have begun to explore the program and learn a few techniques that have made my experience less cumbersome and more enjoyable. I would like to continue using photoshop well beyond this class and I suspect, naturally, my skills will improve.
My lesson thus far, from using photoshop, has been to embrace different techniques of artistic expression, whether naturally good at the said technique or not, a commitment to learning a new craft will expand one's creative ability, and in the end, will have been well worth the effort.
