Karl Leck  


Fairie Dark Side by Karl Leck

May 2022 - Fairie Dark Side

About the Image(s)

I've seen many modifications of portraits. They can be used to imply hidden aspects of the subject. I started with an image of a fairie model at the New England Council of Camera Clubs' Amherst conference a couple years ago. It's an interesting character portrait but I wanted to reveal a hidden side. I started with the original image in Photoshop Elements, converted it to black & white, then inverted it to a negative. The b&w negative image was placed over the original as a mask. Using a semi-soft brush, areas of the b&w layer were masked out to reveal the color layer. I did several variations of which this one suited Fairie Dark Side the best.


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




Judith Lesnaw   Judith Lesnaw
This image really holds my attention. The concept, and your execution of it are ingenious. The extension of the red lips into the B&W half of the face is very effective. The sharp edge of the B&W half is jarring and really brings out the idea of two character states. I might also try blurring that edge and making it uneven to suggest fluctuations in the manifestations of the two personalities.   Posted: 05/11/2022 18:51:37
Karl Leck   Karl Leck
Actually the edge between color and b&w negative is blurred or soft. I didn't want the edge to be sharp. Perhaps the amount wasn't noticeable enough.   Posted: 05/12/2022 10:29:41



Freddie Kelvin   Freddie Kelvin
Stunning rendition...somehow reminds me of"Black Swan."
The ears, are they reflections of a devil's ears?
I find it hard to take my eyes off this...it's so piercing!   Posted: 05/15/2022 19:39:24