Review of My Efforts: Composite Images to Extend and Unify Observations David Lee Myers www.davidleemyersphoto.com david@davidleemyersphoto.com
Experience of a Place or Phenomenon More visual aspects, Than fit a single camera view Wide view, closeup details Left, right, all around, up & down Movement, time flow Associations, imagination Put them together in a single, unified presentation. Reality and Integrity My work is about encountering and perceiving the world, and Understanding and thinking about what we see. Combined elements belong together in meaning as well as design. Multiple views are unified by aspects of subject, geography, and time. No phony, made-up reality: Alternate views are obvious panels. Flights of Fancy Occasionally replace reportage I try to make that obvious Mirrored images suggest emerging spirits totems and faces Musical notes or fantasy colors come from imagination.
Eight Good Examples Followed by design experiences and prinicples.
Alexandra s Walk Olympic National Park, Washington
Logging Stump, Long Island Cedars Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, Washington
Looking Up to Maples Olympic National Park, Washington
Shively Park Rain Astoria, Oregon
Kalmiopsis Burned Kalmiopsis Wilderness, southern coast range, Oregon
Big Red on the Altar Columbia River at Astoria, Oregon
Papillon of Edvard Grieg
Bach Basalt: D Minor Chaconne
Multiple negative darkroom printing, in a Jerry Uelsmann class. 1974. Though I loved this, it wasn t what I chose to do in the next 20 years.
Collages Physical Laser prints & copies, acrylic medium, and paint. On canvas. 1994. Pursuit of Prettiness, my first practice collage, using magazine pages
A Drunk Driving Death Drunk Driver s Target Autopsy of a Drunk Driver s Victim For details on this work, please see www.davidleemyersphoto.com
Early experiments with my original photography, collage elements, and paint.
Anise Swallowtail 32 x 50 inches
Monarch Mask 30 x 26 inches
Autumn Concerto 42 x 36 inches
Digital Compositing Begun in 1995. Design Tools All Methods Darkroom, Collage, Digital Repetition & Rhythm Time Sequence Detail Inset Informal Frame Mirroring & Kaleidoscope Imagined Elements DeSaturation, Ghosting Re-Coloring Scale Inversions
Repetition & Rhythm
2012-2013 David Lee Myers 2012-2013 David Lee Myers Repetition To help train the observer s eye, crucial field marks are repeated. Oregon North Coast Butterfly Guide excerpt from the full page:
Repetition 2012-2013 David Lee Myers 2012-2013 David Lee Myers
Time Sequence
Detail Inset
Detail Inset
Informal Frame
Informal Frame
Mirroring
Close-up
Kaleidoscope (Two-Axis Mirroring)
Mirroring
Imagined Elements
Imagined Elements
Imagined Elements
DeSaturation, Ghosting ReColoring 2012-2013 David Lee Myers 2012-2013 David Lee Myers
Scale Inversions smaller panels show the more distant view
Scale Inversions smaller panels show the more distant view
Development Sequence Viewing Denali Wildlife
Next: tip the lower left yellow flowers & butterfly.
Next: Shrink the background.
Next: Re-order the top right three.
Next: Detailed changes throughout.
Next: Crop away excess white border.
Next: Increase contrast within many panels.
Next: Enlarge left-hand three bus panels.
Next: Raise middle & lower rows.
Next: enlarge whole bottom row.
Next: Remove red photographer, slightly reposition panels on right half.
Next: slight shifts in top right, center right panels.
Next: Slight size changes in middle row left and next-to-right.
Done! Number A21æ Viewing Denali Wildlife
Development Sequence I wish I could be heroically quick to understand what combination of features will work. Mores experience will help. In the meantime, here s an honest report of my struggle. Fishing Lynn Canal
Step 3
Step 4 Next: More contrast in all panels.
Step 5 Next: Remove top portion of water & net panel.
Step 6 Next: Slide water-net panel upwards.
Step 7 Next: Less saturation on mountains, more contrast on water-net.
Step 8 Next: More saturation on mountains, monochrome water-net, except for floaat.
Step 9 Next: Rearrange panels.
Step 10 Next: Enlarge small & medium panels.
Step 11 Next: Back up a few steps.
Dropping Back to Step 8 Next: Monochrome mountains & small fishboat panel.
Step 12, made from Step 8 Next: Restore color to small fishboat panel.
Step 13 Next: Restore color to mountains, monochrome small fishboat.
Step 14 Next: Restore color to water-net panel.
Step 15 Next: Back up a few steps.
Dropping back to step 13 Next: Darken mountains, lighten water-net.
Step 16 Next: Back up a further.
Dropping back to step 11 Next: Subtle contrast changes.
Step 17 Next: Decrease contrast in mountains, small fishboat panel.
Step 18 Done! Fishing Lynn Canal
More Good Examples
Visiting Mendenhall Glacier
Pipeline in the Brooks Range
Doubletail
Courtship Dance of Queen Butterflies
Winter Solstice Dreams
Monarch Mask
Review of My Efforts: Composite Images to Extend and Unify Observations David Lee Myers www.davidleemyersphoto.com david@davidleemyersphoto.com