Corner Three

This is a strange combination of a graffiti "3" from the side of a railroad car, a photo of the corner of a room, a palm tree photographed in Tucson, some smudges, and more. These things rarely end up the way I first envision them, which is why I love the process. They're the result of play and surprise and "what if." ©Carol Leigh

Thanking Juanita

My neighbor, Juanita, moved up to Washington to live with her children. She gave me a number of things as she was clearing "junk" out of her house. Yesterday I photographed the end of a rolled-up nautical chart, purposely keeping it out of focus. I also photographed a glass fishnet float she gave me, using a flashlight to illuminate it. A nautical chart, a net float . . . a perfect combination. Thanking Juanita . . . ©Carol Leigh

Flowers in the Window

Running on just three hours of sleep and am probably going to hit the wall any second, but I can't get photomontages out of my head and every time I walk away from the computer I have a new idea and have to get right back. I have LOTS of other things to tend to, but right now everything seems to be cranking. Does sleep deprivation enhance creativity? Or does it cloud my judgment so that everything I make LOOKS good but is really horrible? Ha! I'll have to check back in a couple of days (after a good night's sleep) and find out. Oh, the main component here? Reflection of a fishing boat in the water. Yup. Way too much fun. ©Carol Leigh

23672

A fishing boat and its reflection in the water is combined with numbers I've photographed on dumpsters, trains, and the sides of containers. And now I'm going back to bed. ©Carol Leigh

Homeward Bound

Composed of photos of scratched metal from a couple of weathered fishing boats plus two images I took long ago of great blue herons in flight. What I like is how the photo looks as though you're maybe looking out a window at a twilight seascape. ©Carol Leigh

Pears 446

Comprised of pears, an old math book, peeling paint, an old handwritten receipt, the side of a rusty bus, and more. ©Carol Leigh

And leave the driving to us . . .

©Carol Leigh

Coastal Waters

Okay, for CJ, the "commentary" is that I created a background using a couple of photographs. Then I chopped up a photo I'd taken of a rusty fishing boat hull and riveted those three cut-up pieces onto the background. What caught my eye was how the rust pattern, with its blue and gold colors as well as the large foreground "sea stack" formation, look similar to what we find here on the Oregon coast. Hence the "coastal waters" concept. Glad you like it! ©Carol Leigh

Whew!

For the past few days I've been struggling with my photomontages. Nothing working. No inspiration. Nothing coming together. Uh-oh. Is it over? Is the thrill gone? Has the creativity dried up? So I began looking at other art — paintings created with watercolors, oil, and pastels — and the problem was solved. It's tunnel vision. When all we look at are other photographs, we get stuck in a rut. Because all we're seeing are PHOTOGRAPHS! I recommend immersing yourself in a variety of artforms, from children's fingerpainting to sculpture to collage to garden landscaping. It's all about line, design, color, lack of color, and contrast. (And a lot more, but how long can this post be before you run off screaming into the night?) It was a moody pastel painting that inspired me to look at my photos differently and to use different tools to create a look I wanted. I wanted a relatively monochromatic scene and I didn't want letters or numbers. Been there, done that, let's put 'em on the shelf for awhile. So I selected a photo I took in San Miguel de Allende last year, added a background that I painted earlier this year, tweaked and combined and added a bit more stuff and voila! (Or, as I'm sadly reading more and more lately — "wallah!") My point? Creativity impasse removed by emerging from the photography tunnel and exposing myself to other forms of art. Could it work for you? Try it. You have nothing to lose. ©Carol Leigh

Ranchos de Taos

If you're familiar with the famous St. Francis church in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, you know there's no way to photograph this particular view. I blended a few different images and then toned them down to a mild sepia tint to emphasize form, light, and shadow. I love this photo for its subtlety, its depth, and its balance. ©Carol Leigh