Photography and Imagination

As I mentioned last week, when I look through my camera lens, I don't see only what's in front of me. I also see other ways the final photo could look. And the last couple of years, I've worked a lot on my skills so I can bring those imaginary photos to life. 

I've been on a couple of photography walks over in Oakland Cemetery over the last few weeks. Both walks were short since I was pressed for time. But there's something about the cemetery that sparks my imagination. 

A couple of weeks ago when I was there, I took a photo of an angel headstone:

I liked the way she pointed to the sky. And I was thinking about how she'd look with a more dramatic sky.

When I uploaded the photo to Lightroom it was a plain photo with a dreary sky. I love big, puffy, dramatic clouds in my photos.

But I was thinking about much more when I made the above composite. I was thinking about the heavenly bodies and what people think happens after death.

I selected the angel out of the photo and put her on a photo of the stars since they're the heavenly bodies. 

I added some nice puffy orange-yellow and dark-gray clouds for some drama. 

Then I found a photo I'd taken of some butterflies in Destin. I cut out the butterfly and added that to the angel's hand.

I've been told that butterflies are cliche, and I understand. But they're also a universal symbol of rebirth and regeneration. A butterfly was perfect for this photo. I may have left the butterfly a little too orange, though. I can't decide. 

What do you think?

It's hard getting composites to look right unless all the photos used were taken at the same time or under similar conditions. The photos I used here were all taken at different times under different lighting conditions. It wasn't too much of a problem for this composite, other than the butterfly. But I kinda like the butterfly standing out because of what it represents. 

I'm working on getting a dreamy quality to my photos. I've always loved surrealism and it exerts a strong influence on my photography. 

I'll keep working on it!

What are you working on today? 

I hope it's something you love. 

See you between the raindrops!

xoxo,
Susan