This has been a very busy year, both photographically and with the "mainstream" business that I run.  So much so that I've fallen behind with my blog - but there's lots to write about so watch this space!

I've been experimenting with a number of different techniques this year.  The main one is an extension of the slightly hyper-realistic style that I've always enjoyed.  It involves, creating a slightly painterly, subtly cartoony effect.  I'm not the first photographer to do it by any means - Dave Hill in particular, and others like Joel Grimes are well-known exponents of this kind of a style.  However I'd like to think I'm working my way towards an approach that's at least somewhat distinctive, especially when it's coupled with my subject matter and shooting style. 

This first image is an example I'm particularly happy with.  It's actually a composite of an image of a friend's house, shot during the Club RUB flyer shoots, with a studio image of Emma.  Both images had a similar treatment and I learned a great deal about how to drop a character into another background in a way that feels like they're really there!   It's not the only style I want to pursue by any means, but it's influencing my thinking quite a lot at the moment.

This second image uses a similar technique - just a less attractive model :)  The lighting plays an important part in creating the effect you see here, as well as the post-processing.  Many people have tried to emulate this type of look without much success, and I'm not 100% where I want to be yet.  But I think I've settled on an approach that gives me roughly the look I'm after for myself.  It involves flattening the contrast slightly, then accentuating the highlights and shadows - in part through processing (adding overlays of the image with, for example, some desaturation) and in part through manual dodging and burning (photographer speak for lightening and darkening selective areas of the image). 

The result is a more 3D-looking image and feels to me more... created... than a straight photo.  And ultimately I think that's what is going to retain my interest and energy in photography.  There are any number of people that can record a scene, and a smaller but still sensible number that can light that scene well.  Creating and crafting all the elements of an image that stays in the mind - whatever those elements are - that's the trick.

Next up will be some more images that are definitely "created"!

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