DIGITAL CONCEPTUALIZATION?

"Flower Child"

Huh?? Digital WHAT??

This label, used by many art competitions and photo magazines -- describes a creative photographic process where the photo-artist -- from the get-go --  conceives the work as a computerized piece of art. As far as I'm concerned, this is much more than taking an ordinary photograph and simply  "playing" with all the effects Photoshop has to offer until an interesting image appears. No -- this work is conceptualized from the beginning as being created through the digital combination of many photographic elements (which is really practical only by using digital technology).  In other words, I see digital conceptualization photography as a creative process where the digital artist uses all the techniques at his/her disposal to achieve an idea... much like the mixed-media artist does -- using physical elements.

In my creation "Flower Child," the concept was: a little girl appears to sit in a champagne flute -- like a flower blossom. The basic element is a "still life" of an empty flower stem in a flute filled with water.  I added some petals for "atmosphere" (and to help create the illusion that perhaps a bud has just opened)... and the finished work would reveal the "little girl flower." Building a complex digital image often involves creating many layers... the image to the right is the first.


Next, the little "blossom" was carefully photographed with studio lighting -- and cut out of the background -- in preparation for placing her in the champagne flute. The digital process used here is similar to the "green screen" effect widely used in movie special effects where -- after shooting is finished... the background can be digitally removed... and then another background pasted into the blank space.  Using a solid color background (usually green) makes it easier... in my photo I had to literally trace the girl's outline before cutting out the background (and don't be confused by the color of the backdrop behind the scene in the final image -- I just happened to use a green bed sheet for this).


From here, the layering process becomes fairly complex.


After "resizing" the little girl to match the background -- it would be fairly easy to just "paste" her into the scene -- except she's supposed to be sitting INSIDE the glass.

This illusion requires some clever layering -- and a separate photograph of the glass (LEFT-without the flower stem). She would actually be sitting between the FRONT OF THE GLASS and the STEM... and the only way to create this effect is to cut-and-paste part of the empty glass OVER her legs.

This also helps to "diffuse" the image of her legs -- as if they really ARE behind the glass.
(the closeup on the right
makes it easier to see
what I mean).







After a little more "tweaking" of the various layers... the final image is finished and, hopefully, creates an effective version of my original "digital conceptualization."  Here's the final version of my precious grand-daughter Ava Clara... who is now eight years old...and the most photographed child in the history of grandparenthood.

"Flower Child"