Before and After - 1

As a follow-up to my previous blog about "Is Photography Really an Art?" I thought I would post some very ordinary photographs and show the viewer what I did with it to change it into what I consider art.

To me, the before photo is of no value as a snapshot, much less art. However, I must have seen something in it to make me take the shot to begin with. And I don't like to waste shots, so I almost always work with them, although they don't always work out in any way that satisfies me. As I worked with this one, I started out working with the values, lighting, and colors. I then turned it into black and white. I was beginning to see something. I then monochromed it with some green. I cropped it to give it the rule of thirds. I may have eventually added a bit of one of the painterly effects to give it some black. Not sure, as I can't remember and don't take notes. I work by the seat of my pants, my knowledge of the software I work with, some basic understanding of art picked up through the years, and my intuition.

Hope you like the difference.

Click the link below to see the "after" product.