The red spiral slide at Crapo Park is iconic to the park and photographed by many. This image was made a couple years ago and has been sitting in my hard drive. Why? I have been unsure if I like the image and whether to let it be shown. Looking at the image today, I had a different view and made the decision to post it on social media.
I wanted to make an image that was different and my own of this well known slide. The question was how could it be photographed in a creative and unique way.
This image was made by using numerous photos using the Pep Ventosa technique. Some will appreciate the artistic technique and others will say it’s a blurry photo.
Regardless of your opinion, it’s always good to step outside the box and try something new and creative!
It is November 3, 2024 and my flowers are still hanging on and blooming. The sky is overcast making for a perfect day to photograph flowers. Flower photography being my favorite genre of photography. However, it is also rainy and windy. When the rain stopped I went out and cut coneflowers, black-eyed susans, fizzy white cosmos and bicolor cosmos.
Had I put on my rain gear, it would have been possible to photograph outside although the wind would not have been my friend. Photographing flowers right after rain is always fun to capture those tiny raindrops with reflections of the flowers. However, the wind had blown off the raindrops so those type of photos were not possible. My next idea was to photograph the flowers inside. Having cut the flowers I was able to arrange the flowers the way I wanted, not necessarily how mother nature chose. In a south facing window, I placed my largest diffuser. Why? It was perfect to make high key photos inside. Not to mention the background outside would have been distracting. Besides, why not?
First up, I photographed the coneflowers and black-eyed susans. A single image did not fulfill my need to be creative. There is a photographer, Pep Ventosa, that created an amazing technique. Typically this technique is created by taking several images around your subject. The images are layered in post processing creating an impressionist image. Instead of moving around my subject, I turned the vase of flowers several times, making an image after each turn. Using Photoshop, I layered all the photos and reduced the opacity of each layer so that each layer was partially visible.
Purple Coneflowers and Black Eyed Susans
Purple Coneflowers and Black Eyed Susans Pep Ventosa Style
Using a different vase, I arranged Fizzy White Cosmos and Bicolor Cosmos. I started with a single image and then turned the vase multiple times and made an image between each turn.
Fizzy White Cosmos and Bicolor Cosmos
Fizzy White Cosmos and Bicolor Cosmos Pep Ventosa Style
I then added all the cosmos to the vase with the coneflowers and black-eyed susans. Again, a single image and then multiple images as I turned the vase.
Coneflowers, Black-eyed Susans, Fizzy White Cosmos and Bicolor Cosmos
Coneflowers, Black-eyed Susans, Fizzy White Cosmos and Bicolor Cosmos Pep Ventosa Style
Highly unusual to have these flowers still blooming at this time of year! The cosmos still have unopened buds on them. My summer was so busy with my garden, I wasn’t able to photograph all the flowers in my yard as I had hoped. Thankfully, Mother Nature was giving me one last opportunity to photograph a few of my flowers.
Different Isn't Wrong, It's Just Different 