Jan Handman
July 2025 - An Uplifting Stroll
Original
Original 2
About the Image(s)
I started with the shot of New York City and deleted the water and sky. I added the Chrysler Building later to balance the composition. I removed the pips from the wood boxes and then added them in the foreground at random angles, getting smaller in the distance. At this point I wasn’t sure what function the boxes were going to perform, but once I looked in my photo stash and found the flamingo, I decided that was the quirky direction I wanted to head. I had chopped off his legs when I took the photo, so I had to add feet from another one. My husband agreed to let me photograph him in a dog-walking pose, so I added him in and painted in the leash in PS. Next I added the fog with a white brush at reduced opacity to create a little more distance between the boxes and the cityscape. Then I used a subtle Oil Paint filter. Lastly, I used Distressed EFX on my ipad to add a couple of aging filters.
10 comments posted
(Group 54)
You have created a wonderful illusion of suspension in midair, and the use of NYC is masterful. The twisting cubes work beautifully to reinforce the illusion of height. Take a look at my entry in Group 54 for this month. I have a very similar idea, but I chose globes instead of cubes, a desert instead of a large city, and a low angle instead of a view from above. One quiet scene, one frightening scene. As far as the birds in the distance of your image are concerned, I know you like birds, but they tend to draw the eye away from the dramatic tension of the scene you have created. This is really a powerful image. (Parenthetically, please look at how I chose to use cubes in Group 54's February 2025 entry. No need to comment on either of my images. Just a reference to a couple of coincidences.) Posted: 07/08/2025 12:21:25
Hi Alan; thanks for visiting. It's kind of uncanny how the similarities in our surreal images manifest themselves; unintentional for sure. I appreciate your perspectives and suggestions. The birds were a last minute add that I thought would carry the viewer's eye into the infinite distance, but I should have stopped myself. Posted: 07/08/2025 21:14:10
Patrick O’Brien
Good job, but if I were to pick nits, the lighting of your husband and the flamingo are inconsistent. The birds don't bother me. I understand leading the viewer to infinity, but continuing the floating boxes with diminished depth and perspective would have done the same thing and been more surreal for me. Posted: 07/11/2025 07:00:22
Thanks Patrick. Hmmm, I thought the lighting was pretty consistent coming from the upper left on my husband and the flamingo, but I guess I'll have to take another look. I considered putting in more boxes in the distance, but decided more than five might get redundant. Thanks for your assessment. Posted: 07/14/2025 20:59:41
Patrick O’Brien
No change needed. I might scrutinize too much. Most people won't notice. If you look closely, you'll see the flamingo's light source is more above than to the side, and the shadow hard vs. your husband's. Its really just me because of my forensics background, I don't just look but examine! Don't change it. Not that important. I bring it up cause I got nothing to criticize and feel like I should say something! Posted: 07/15/2025 04:41:55
I do see what you're referring to now; and I do appreciate your taking the time to provide thoughtful feedback. When I took that second look, I noticed the boxes don't really have consistent lighting either! :O Posted: 07/15/2025 21:58:43
Hi Jan. It's imaginative. It's awesome. You are really the master. Suggestions? Your husband posture look a bit stiff to me. I think PS Warp-tool could make him bend down a bit. Posted: 07/25/2025 00:39:55
Thank you Frans. I hadn't really noticed it, but I think you're absolutely right. He was trying too hard when he posed for my shot. I'll try to see if I can fix it PS or maybe retake the photo if I plan to use this image again. Thank you! Posted: 07/27/2025 21:00:04
This is one of your best. The lighting doesn't need to be consistent when the scene is so impossibly imaginative. Posted: 07/28/2025 05:19:54
Jan,
I thought that I already commented on this - sorry! I like this piece a lot. In particular - I like the way you combine vastly different subjects into a piece that works very well. Not to mention your artistry in stitching it all together. I almost feel my vertigo coming on watching your husband casually walking the flamingo - hopping from cube to cube high above Manhattan. I also like the way you layer the clouds and birds, blur the buildings in the distance, and give the sky an oil painting like texture to give the piece a dreamy feel. Posted: 07/28/2025 23:19:17
I thought that I already commented on this - sorry! I like this piece a lot. In particular - I like the way you combine vastly different subjects into a piece that works very well. Not to mention your artistry in stitching it all together. I almost feel my vertigo coming on watching your husband casually walking the flamingo - hopping from cube to cube high above Manhattan. I also like the way you layer the clouds and birds, blur the buildings in the distance, and give the sky an oil painting like texture to give the piece a dreamy feel. Posted: 07/28/2025 23:19:17