Alan Kaplan  


The Light by Alan Kaplan

March 2019 - The Light

March 2019 - Alan Kaplan

Original 1

March 2019 - Alan Kaplan

Original 2

March 2019 - Alan Kaplan

Original 3

About the Image(s)

I drew the hole in the ground and used a Phlearn.com tutorial describing how to create a light beam. To draw a straight line, use the brush/pencil too to make a small dot as an end point. Move the cursor to the proposed other end of the line, hold down the Shift Key, and click. This produces a straight line.
I extracted and placed the boatman on the surface, used the edit tool to flip him vertically, reduced the capacity, and added the Gaussian Blur to complete the reflection.
After extracting the Christ figure, I placed him in the beam. Then I created a new layer, used the brush tool to draw the boy’s shadow, reduced the capacity, and went back to the Gaussian Blur filter to complete the shadow.


This round’s discussion is now closed!
17 comments posted




Jan Handman   Jan Handman
Wow, lots of symbolism here. I'd be interested to know your reasons for each of your elements. Is the light beam coming from above and heading below, or the other way around? The boatman is heading right for the hole; is he eventually going to disappear into it? Your Original 2 made me chuckle; the little boy is getting quite an eyeful -- wonder what he was thinking. ;)   Posted: 03/10/2019 12:22:11
Alan Kaplan   Alan Kaplan
(Group 54)
I hope you don't mind if I answer your questions after a few others have made comments. I'm glad you like Original 2. It has been successful in a couple of photo competitions.   Posted: 03/10/2019 16:02:30
Jan Handman   Jan Handman
The main reason I'm curious about the individual elements of your piece is because I wonder what your artistic vision is for it. I agree that each viewer will extract a different meaning, but in order to do that, to me, there needs to be some bit of cohesiveness or a theme so that the viewer feels that they're looking at more than just a random collection of elements. I want to feel something from your image, but I guess I'm not "getting it." In reading your reply to Candy, I note that you gave a clue when you said the boy was captivated by the image of Christ -- and yet the boy's body is facing away from Christ and his head is looking straight ahead rather than upward. The viewer is unable to make a connection if your elements don't reinforce what you're trying to convey. Steve's comment about perhaps using a texture (or I'm thinking maybe a color tint) to tie the elements together is a valid one, in my opinion. Your desire to keep your surrealistic images simple is well and good, but if your elements don't carry through your vision, the viewer will have a hard time connecting with it. I'm including a revised version with a texture and vignette, only to see if you think perhaps your original image can still have your intended simplicity, while being tied together with a consistent overlay. It's more heavy-handed than ideal, but I wanted to make sure you could tell the difference.   Posted: 03/17/2019 11:34:22
Comment Image
Alan Kaplan   Alan Kaplan
(Group 54)
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback and an image. First of all, your point about the boy is well taken. I went back to the original and flipped the boy horizontally, and he faces Christ at a better angle. Second, I had hoped the boatman could be seen as rowing toward Christ accompanied by his surrealistic reflection. Third, I don't feel a vignette nor an undercoating of texture adds cohesiveness or solidifies a theme. We'll have to agree to disagree on that point. Finally the light emanating from the hole in the ground is "the Light of the world." I've seen Salvador Dali's "Persistence of Memory" dozens of times as it is the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, and I still don't understand what the drooping watches have to do with memory or why the closed pocket watch is covered with ants or what ants have to do with memory. I frequently look online at current surrealistic artists Nguyen Dinh Dang and Michael Cheval just to enjoy their imaginative works while not always "getting it." I know I'm not in any of their leagues, but I still call upon the muses to keep my imagination fresh and look forward to feedback such as yours to help me see my composites as others see them.   Posted: 03/20/2019 22:06:06
Jan Handman   Jan Handman
It's nice to know who your inspirational artists are. And that's the great thing about art -- some appeals to me more than to you and vice versa. I didn't explain my revision to your image very well. I wasn't suggesting that the texture gave it a theme, just a common look. When I create composites (some more surrealistic than others), I always finish with a texture and/or color overlay to help all the elements look like they belong together. In my "Steampunk Femme" image (Nov) that you have mentioned you like, if you notice the many different elements in my Original 2, they all have a different color cast. So my last step was to add an overlay that gave them a common color-way and reinforce the Steampunk look. Your current image is certainly thought-provoking and I've enjoyed the dialog to help me understand it better. :)   Posted: 03/22/2019 10:52:53
Alan Kaplan   Alan Kaplan
(Group 54)
I have enjoyed and learned from our dialogue. Perhaps you can teach me one last thing. I do like your Steampunk composites (I believe there was another one). You mention adding an overlay. Can you tell me how one does this?   Posted: 03/22/2019 14:57:01
Jan Handman   Jan Handman
Of course, glad to. I usually use the On1 plug-in to PS. Let me know whether you have On1 and we'll go from there. If not, the basics can be done in PS, but it's more cumbersome without the cool presets in On1.   Posted: 03/22/2019 21:55:28
Jan Handman   Jan Handman
Of course, glad to. First, let me ask you -- do you have the On1 plug-in? That's what I usually use; you can use PS but it's a bit more time consuming because you have to create the overlays rather than being able to use On1's presets. Still perfectly doable; I just need to know what software you'll be using.   Posted: 03/23/2019 13:30:33



Steve Estill   Steve Estill
An interesting image giving lots to think about.
I'd have probably used Flaming Pear Flood to give more of a ripple effect in the boatman's reflection and maybe some motion blur on Christ (to show him either rising or falling). Maybe a texture to tie all the elements together. But these are obviously my own thoughts and it would possibly overwork and spoil your excellent image.
The straight line method can be used in many of the tools - when making selections using the polygonal selection tool (also works with Topaz Remask): the eraser tool, healing brushes, clone stamp etc.   Posted: 03/10/2019 15:54:44
Alan Kaplan   Alan Kaplan
(Group 54)
Thank you for your comments. As far as straight lines are concerned, I have more success with the PS method I use than other straight line methods. I feel I have more control. Two philosophies I try to follow when creating my composites are "Less Is More" and "Keep It Simple Stupid." That's why there's no motion blur or wave ripples. In addition, if I supply too many detail, I feel I would lose the surrealistic effect I'm aiming for.   Posted: 03/10/2019 16:14:50
Steve Estill   Steve Estill
Fair comment - what a good job we're all different!   Posted: 03/10/2019 16:26:46



Georgianne Giese   Georgianne Giese
(Group 77)
Alan, your style reminds me somewhat of Salvador Dali, though the simplicity that you bring to your images is your own unique twist (which is good, in my opinion). I do like the glass-like effect of the water. The straight line effect, with a larger softer brush on the outside and a slightly harder but smaller brush as a straight line up the center, is one that can be used with a Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer in various degrees of subtlety, in many different scenarios. You use it quite blatantly here, to emphasize the subject, and it works well.   Posted: 03/13/2019 14:00:34



Georgianne Giese   Georgianne Giese
(Group 77)
Alan, your style reminds me somewhat of Salvador Dali, though the simplicity that you bring to your images is your own unique twist (which is good, in my opinion). I do like the glass-like effect of the water. The straight line effect, with a larger softer brush on the outside and a slightly harder but smaller brush as a straight line up the center, is one that can be used with a Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer in various degrees of subtlety, in many different scenarios. You use it quite blatantly here, to emphasize the subject, and it works well.   Posted: 03/13/2019 14:00:35



Candy Childrey   Candy Childrey
Alan, as we are now in Lent and approaching Easter your image appears to me to be somewhat disjointed with nothing to tie the elements together.there doesn't seem to be any difference in the texture of the water and the ground that the boys is standing on. I agree with Steve that a texture would help and some more definition in the water would improve the image.   Posted: 03/16/2019 10:43:55
Alan Kaplan   Alan Kaplan
(Group 54)
Candy, Thank you for your feedback. You raise 2 points that I wish to clarify. Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is the image of Christ. I'm Jewish. Neither Lent nor Easter influence this composite. My goal is to create surrealistic works, hence the boat's reflection in the sand, not in water. The meaning is up to the viewer. The title of the composite is "The Light" because I like the song "Light of the World" in the play "Godspsel", and Google tells me that in John 8:12 Jesus says, "I am the light of the world." The boy being captivated by an image of Christ as the light of the world, for me, is not disjointed. I appreciate your feedback/dialogue, and I hope you understand that my creative thoughts here were secular.   Posted: 03/16/2019 20:34:01



Candy Childrey   Candy Childrey
Thanks for the explanation. My husband says I don't see the world in metaphor.   Posted: 03/16/2019 21:18:21



Jan Handman   Jan Handman
Alan -- I tried to reply to your last comment but maybe we've exceeded the number possible, so I'm trying it as a new comment block rather than a reply. I'm happy to pass along how I create overlays. First, let me ask -- do you have the On1 plug-in? You can do it in PS but it's a bit more time consuming because you create the overlays rather than using On1's presets. Perfectly doable though; I just need to know what software you'll be using.   Posted: 03/23/2019 13:38:30