Oct 13 2015
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Weekly Photo Challenge and Travel Theme: Paint A Happy Place

Claremont Gardens

Weekly Photo Challenge and Travel Theme: Paint A Happy Place

Before fibromyalgia affected my manual dexterity I painted in many mediums, oils being my favourite. Chronic illness can’t destroy my creativity though! Art is not simply something that I do, it defines me. I just love Painting With Light, almost the literal meaning of photography. I’m often at my happiest finding scenes that inspire me, like these ones captured at Claremont Landscape Gardens, and using my imagination and creativity through digital processing to paint my visions. For these pieces I first processed my images in Camera Raw then worked on them extensively in Photoshop. I wanted to capture the essence of an old masterpiece by Constable or Turner, focusing on rich tones with strong elements of light and shadow.

25 comments on “Weekly Photo Challenge and Travel Theme: Paint A Happy Place”

  1. Looks like a magical place. So glad you caught the black swan. I have only ever been to Claremont once and it was a dull day, can’t say I was too impressed with any of my images. Maybe they need a bit of your magic!

    Reply

    • The magic is in the heart and mind Jude, the camera doesn’t always capture what you fully see and feel 🙂 It’s not the best landscape to photograph on a dull day. The main features really need the contrasts of light to bring it to life. I always love feeding the birds there though 😀 The swan looked so beautiful set against the reflection of the autumnal tree. It’s not the best of the photos that I took but it was the elements to the composition that spoke to me. Poor thing’s all on his own still after loosing his mate a while ago. I made a fuss of him by the bank with special swan/duck pellets 🙂 Thanks Jude!

      Reply

      • Well I think you are being too modest 🙂 I agree that the light is very important and you certainly captured that with the trees, but you also have the ability to picture the end result in your head and the technical skills to deliver. I learn so much by studying your photos. I may not be in your league, but you have helped me slow down and study a scene before pressing that shutter. Thank YOU Sarah!

      • Thanks Jude!! That means so much to me 🙂 I’ve learned a fair bit through WordPress about different processing software and various presets and plugins for the Adobe suites. Everything else is mostly through experimenting which is the way I have always worked as an artist! I so wanted to teach art but it wasn’t to be. One of the best pieces of advice to give to any artist or photographer is to slow down and study your subject, looking at all the views and perspectives. I think people, in general, would be much healthier and happier if they slowed down at times and really took in what was around them 🙂

    • Thank you so very much Susan! So lovely to have a place to share my work and have it appreciated 🙂 It’s beginning to look like we’re going to have a very colourful Autumn here! Hope the season is shaping up the same way for you 🙂

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  6. I’m so sorry to hear that you don’t paint now … Sarah, you have such a beautiful wonderful talent with your camera. Thank you so much for sharing your work. To me they are like paintings!

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    • Probably the most frustrating aspect of my illnesses! But, yes I am still painting in my own way 🙂 I used a lot of photography in my fine art work at college so I had already been able to explore its versatility as a medium. I miss having a dark room to mess about in but using a combination of software programs feels a lot like the manual developing. It’s a fun process 🙂

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