EX64 Painterly

April 17, 2020 Len Metcalf

I love the term painterly. This is because my first love is probably art. I spent more time learning to draw and to paint, practicing and experimenting than I did photography. That really didn’t change until I hit my twenties, when photography finally took over.

I turn to the art world for inspiration all the time. Art dates are one of my favorite dates. Go to an art gallery with a friend, and wander the gallery together talking about the art, and discussing what you see and feel. It is the reason we have the post, ‘Which artist can you recommend for inspiration’. https://lensclub.discussion.community/post/which-artist-can-you-recommend-for-inspiration-10478272?pid=1311164018 Which I recommend you go to and add an artist who you find inspiring, as it will be a great resource for this exercise.

When I am looking at paintings I am connecting emotionally, mentally and sometimes physically. It is a whole body thing. I am fascinated that with some paint and a brush or a pallet knife, something so moving can eventuate. I find it deeply inspiring.

This weeks exercise is one in education, not that they all aren’t. This week we are going to help each other learn different techniques and inspire others to try something new.

I have no idea how many different techniques there are around to create photographs that are painterly. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands. I truly don’t know. I bet you know some I don’t, and that others reading this don’t know either. Some of you may never have even thought of this, and are starting with a blank slate. So to get us going I am going to put some photographs up and in the captions describe how I made them. Hopefully the painterly bit will be obvious.

This week I want you to go and create a painterly photograph, or a few. A new one, please, diving into your old work isn’t in the spirit of the weekly exercise. This is because it is about learning and not exercising our egos. We are in this together. We all want to learn. We all want to push ourselves. Scouring old works is disheartening for those that are trying something new. It is so inspiring to know that you created something new at the same time we were trying to create something. This is the same for the weekly challenge.

When you post your painterly photograph, I want you to describe at length how you made it. A paragraph is appropriate. If you wish to post more than one, that is fine, but please post them as separate listings in the thread, rather than putting them all together. And make sure you include your techniques with each one.

If you are just starting out on this you might find it easier to stick with just one technique, but I do encourage you to try many.

Here are some suggestions you might use to start this weeks exercise off with.

Multiple exposures - in camera or in software
Long exposures with camera movement
Adding textures by layering two or more photographs together
Prisma phone and tablet app
Nik Colour EFX Software
Topaz Software
Photoshop filters

Please post your photographs from this weeks exercise in our community forum https://lensclub.discussion.community/post/ex64-painterly-10491398?pid=1311265900#post1311265900

We will talk about the exercise in a weekly get together on Friday in a Zoom meeting. This will be a facilitated discussion. It will be recorded and added to the bottom of this exercise for those that missed it or who are visiting this exercise at a later date.

When giving feedback to others please always use our guidelines of at least three positives to one improvement. Always frame your suggestions as your own.

Topic: Weekly exercise discussions
Time: Apr 24, 2020 10:00 AM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

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Painterly - Photographed with a long exposure of 40 seconds. To increase my exposure time I have two neutral density filters on the lens, a ten stop and a six stop. I have moved the camera and painted in the shapes by lingering on particular elements I would like to have in the final image.

Painterly - Another long exposure with lots of camera movement, streaks the water and sky like brush strokes. Again I have used a neutral density filter to slow down my exposure.

Painterly Another photograph created on our Abstract Photography Workshop that I teach with @Shirley Steel this time we were at Port Stephens. I spent the afternoon playing with multiple exposures in camera. I took one photograph of the rock cliff I was standing next to. I really liked the patterns in stone. I then turned around and photographed the ocean view, that was behind me. I love how the colours come through and give this painterly photograph a chalk or pastel drawing look.

Painterly - This is a multiple exposure photograph. The first photograph is one with some camera movement taken at South West Rocks on our Abstract Photography Workshop, and the second photograph is taken of a read painting that has lots of brush strokes in it. I put the two photographs together in my phone with Snapseed, which is a free photo editing app.

Painterly. Here the painterly effect is created with multiple exposures. One of the exposures I have held the camera still, in the second I have moved the camera and adjusted the exposure to give that softer streaky look.

Painterly - An eight exposure multiple exposure photograph. Created on the beach at the Fitzgerald River National Park in Western Australia. I was standing on the beach and used sand, rocks, sticks and the sky to mix together in this multiple exposure. I wish I could remember more clearly what I did, and I also wish I had taken many more at the time. It was a hot sunny day. I was using the high resolution mode in my camera, with a one second delay between each photograph. This forces me to work quickly.