How To... Photo-Illustration

This photo-illustration was created for use with articles geared towards people who may be addicted to over the counter or prescription drugs. 

 

My initial idea was something geared towards over-the-counter addictions.  As I began to think about and research a few different options regarding a photo-illustration I narrowed the ideas down to what became "Trapped by an Addiction."  Starting with the above photo I began to compile my final product.

My next step was simply taking a picture with my camera of a person who depicted a sense of agony and a desire for help. 

 

 After opening it in Photoshop, I separated the image from the background using the quick selection tool.  

I copied the selected image into the pills picture (also in Photoshop) and proceeded by converting the whole image to black and white as well as adding a shadow under the girl using the brush tool.

I added the final touches by including the text "Trapped by an Addiction" and adding faded gray framing just to give it an extra pop.

The Essence of Photography

A whimsical moment… the height of beauty… a feeling of remorse… a light into a soul.  Each of these scenarios can be fully portrayed by the simple push of a button through photography.   

Photography is an expressive art that not only captures beauty, meaning, sorrow, joy or whatever it is that is being dynamically expressed in that moment but also allows the photographer to get creative in the message that they want to be communicated.  At the end of the day, the meaning is all based upon the eye of the beholder.  Art is an expression that can be interpreted many different ways by many different people and with 7 billion people walking the planet that's a lot of possible interpretations.

These few moments spent perusing this blog will hopefully bring delight to your eye as well as enlightenment to your mind with different approaches and techniques in photography that will enable you to capture any moment in time precisely as you mean to.  

Currently I am a junior at Valley Forge Christian College studying Digital Media with a concentration in photography.  Not only is photography my career path of choice but it is also one of my passions. 
 

 

Buddy Barrel's Return

On Sunday, March 3rd, Buddy Barrel returned to Sunshine Full Gospel Church in Shickshinny, PA after a year of being "on leave" after walking in a local parade on a damagingly rainy day.  Buddy Barrel is the mascot for the Assemblies of God Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade which raises money for missionaries around the world.

Six year old Alyssa dumps all of her pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters that she had saved up throughout the month into the Buddy Barrel offering.  It had been a while since Buddy Barrel was the one who held the bucket so the congregation was very excited to see him resume his position.

Just a few of the kids of S.F.G.C. pose with their beloved Buddy Barrel that they had missed so much.  Pictured from left to right are Alyssa (6), Matt (9), Anita (assistant Sunday School superintendent), Buddy Barrel, Kendra (12) and Zach (10).