This is actually this week's challenge at Photo Art Friday. Since I hadn't participated for such a long time, I wasn't sure whether I would be up for it. Out of curiosity I checked what the challenge was for this week, and I was totally tempted. Bonnie asked us to "showcase a piece of photo art that references, in even the most oblique way, the title of one of your favorite books". Now, that sounds like a great challenge.
I chose my all-time favorite, a small book that I have loved for more than twenty years, "I Heard the Owl Call my Name" by Margaret Craven. It's the story of Mark Brian, a young Anglican priest who has not long to live and is sent to the Indian village of Kingcome in the wilds of British Columbia.
With all those pictures of the Great Horned Owl I took last year it wasn't hard to find "the base". I used two of Bonnie's textures, "Old Ornate Linen" and "cancel the cost" as well as some detail (an eye) of a piece of art by the First Nations that I saw in the Museum of Anthropology at UBC in Vancouver.
The recipe:
- crop the original photo so that I only have Mama Owl. Blur the entire photo (Gaussian Blur) at 100%, then use a layer mask and the brush tool to get the owl back.
- levels, brightness and saturation adjustments
- "Old Ornate Linen" in blending mode overlay at 100%
- copy, blending mode soft light at 100%
- "cancel the cost" in blending mode overlay at 54%
- add the text
- levels adjustment
- add the second photo (the eye) in blending mode exclusion at 64%
And... I recommend the book. It's a great read, done in a weekend. If you like "quiet" books, this is it.
Wordpress bloggers, please read: I have been unable to leave comments on some Wordpress blogs. It seems that Blogger users have to be enabled on Wordpress blogs to comment there. Since there are Wordpress blogs where I can leave comments without any problems, I assume that each Wordpress blog has to enable Blogger users to comment. It's sad when I can't leave comments...
Carola this is just lovely. Great photo, and lovely processing. also, the book sounds like a book I need to seek out and I will! thank you for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a wonderful book Carola, and your work here is just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThe Owl is a great entry for the title of the book and I'll be looking for that book at my library.
ReplyDeleteDarla
Beautifully done Carola. I've always meant to read Craven's book. Now I will! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
ReplyDeleteYes, this is a touching book, I know, I cried while reading and the picture is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI especially love the words in the background.
ReplyDeleteRinda
I love this wonderful composition, very intriguing uns searching eyes this owl.
ReplyDeleteLove owls! My fav birds, together with parrots.
ReplyDeletethe image is lovely. I enjoyed the book too, read it a long time ago.
ReplyDeletethanks for the note to Wordpress bloggers, we sometimes have problems posting comments on blogspot blogs too.
spectacular photo!
ReplyDeleteGreat photo art!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this book...
but I might now.
Thanks.
Beautiful work!
ReplyDeleteFabulous piece here. The book you mentioned sounds very interesting. I will have to look it up.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful. Love all the texture of your piece. The book sounds very interesting so I will have to look it up.
ReplyDeleteExpert use of textures, Carola. I'm impressed!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful piece of artwork!
ReplyDeleteLovely, Carola, and a wonderful book.
ReplyDeleteK
wonderful processing!
ReplyDeleteNice shot of the owl...great processing you did. Thanks for sharing your steps with us.
ReplyDeleteCapture Life!