About the Image(s)
Here is â¬The Healers Dreamâ¬. I keep coming back to imaginary scenes in the most beloved historical fantasy novel of my youth, about the peasant woman who found a mysterious herb that cured leprosy, and, sadly, ended up to be burned as a witch because of her unexpected success. Our camera club made a trip to the island where the story was set, and I tempted a fellow photographer to play along and pose as the heroine (Orig. 1). Orig. 2 is spring flowers from the island of Gotland. The composite is plain cut-and-paste of several layers from the two images, with liberal use of fog and mist assets from Affinity Photo library in various opacities, and this new Average Blur trick as a finish. - I aimed at something with a luminous dream-like quality. I have been going back and forth with contrast, brightness and glow - I wonder if I lost the magic at some point and ended up with just something flat. I very much look forward to all help and ideas.
Bruce Harley
Hi Kirsti, Double exposure is a great effect if you can pull it off, and you have here. Read your comments about flatness, this comes with mist and fog pictures I am afraid, tried various methods but it is what it is. Saying that it works here, and I like it very much.
The hand bothers me somewhat, and I am not sure if it would be better with it gone. Portraits with hands are always problematic.
Apart from that - the content, story, exposure, composition are all great. Well done. Posted: 07/11/2024 09:34:44
Kirsti Näntö-Salonen
Thank you so much, Bruce! I was bothered by the hand myself, too, especially by the well manicured nails, and kept adding various layers to soften it. I wonder if it would be better to try to remove it altogether, or to hide it under extra layers? Posted: 07/11/2024 15:09:55
Maria Mazo
Hi Kirsti, you image showcases a great story. I like how the images blend together and the amount of mystery that the fog adds to the scene. Like Bruce, I am not a fan of the girl's hand, I find that it is too prominent in the foreground. I suggest removing it completely. Otherwise, the image is well balanced and executed
Posted: 07/13/2024 05:40:45
Kirsti Näntö-Salonen
Thank you, Maria! I will get to work! Posted: 07/13/2024 05:43:27
Alan Kaplan
Your concern of the flatness of your image is addressed in your title . . . it's a dream. It can be misty, clear, hot and humid, etc. Bruce gave me the same advice about hands a couple of months ago: portraits and hands don't mix. I usually don't have a face and hand together, but I see what he means here. Works well as a dream. Posted: 07/15/2024 13:05:04
Kirsti Näntö-Salonen
Thank you, Alan! The hand will be off in the next version! Posted: 07/15/2024 14:14:12
Peggy Nugent
I think this is a very touching image, Kirsti. The expression of the healer is so poignant; I read it as thoughtful, but also considering something not so pleasant, almost as if she can sense her future.
I think the wispy fog works extremely well here, and that the lack of contrast feels very natural.
I originally thought that maybe there could be a little more space between her face and the tall flowers, but when I tried it, she no longer felt as if she was in the midst of the garden. So now I think you have composed this in a very thoughtful and effective way. The greenery in the lower left corner also adds to the feeling that she is in the middle of her garden.
I think this is a lovely illustration for your fairy tale. Posted: 07/17/2024 21:22:40
Kirsti Näntö-Salonen
Thank you, Peggy - again you catch exactly what I was after! I think that this is a dream she has in the prison cell, waiting for her execution. - The model keeps joking about a photo shoot where the directions were "please look more sad and serious" instead of "smile!" Posted: 07/22/2024 10:11:26
Brad Becker
Kirsti, I love the fact you went to Gotland to capture this image at its source. I'm not as bothered by the hand given it is a story about a healer (and it seems healers often use their hands to heal). I do find the image somewhat flat. If this bothers you I might play around with the dark tones as you could selectively add contrast to create more depth. Either way it is a lovely image, very evocative. Posted: 07/20/2024 00:54:38
Kirsti Näntö-Salonen
Thank you, Brad - the island where the story is set is actually closer to home, but the Gotland flowers from another trip had exactly the right look of the mythic herb. I will experiment with the darker tones. Posted: 07/22/2024 10:02:29
