Chrysanthemum

Here’s a very similar set-up to my last chrysanthemum post, only today’s image wasn’t back-lit, which changed the feel of things quite a bit (I think).

And Duct Tape is good stuff. Just to reiterate.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Adam Savage: “Having been unable to coax a bird into my snare, I’ve changed direction… and I’m not actually building a Duct Tape spider web here, I’m building a net that will lay across the forest floor, and when a chicken walks across it, I’ll snatch him up… kind of like the Ewoks from Star Wars.”

– MythBusters – Duct Tape Island

About this image: digital photograph, lightly modified

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St. Louis Grunge

I made some wildly colorful versions of the above vector drawing, but… eh. You can scroll down a bit for color. Also, I took serious liberties here, including a fairly impressive civil engineering project – moving the Mississippi River – because that’s how I roll float.

Alright already, we’ll all float on…
No don’t you worry… We’ll all float on...
Alright, already… We’ll all float on...
Alright, don’t worry… We’ll all float on…

– Float On – Modest Mouse

About this image: digital media – vector art created with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop

Bamboo

Originally I airbrushed out this guy’s ‘blemishes’ (because I can relate), but it felt… too ‘perfect’. Sorry, bamboo. But hey, it’s almost Friday… if that helps. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Derek Zoolander: “If there is anything that this horrible tragedy can teach us, it’s that a male model’s life is a precious, precious commodity. Just because we have chiseled abs and stunning features, it doesn’t mean that we too can’t not die in a freak gasoline fight accident.”

– Ben Stiller – Zoolander

About this image: digital photograph, lightly modified

Anna No. 2 (faux wet plate collodion)

More digital smoke and mirrors… because that Petzval hasn’t shown up on my doorstep yet.

Sally Sitwell: “Still doing your little tricks?”

Gob Bluth: “Do you consider this to be a little trick?”
[Gob tries to create a fireball, but sprays Sally with lighter fluid instead]

Sally Sitwell: “Did you just… squirt me with something?”

Gob Bluth: “It’s lighter fluid. Didn’t put in a new flint… but still… where did the lighter fluid come from?”

– Christine Taylor & Will Arnett – Arrested Development

About this image: digital photograph heavily modified to replicate wet plate collodion

Translucent Green

Playing with opacity today. Because I’m usually in a bit of a fog anyway. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tony Giardino: “How the h**l do you even know if you’re going in the right direction?”

Pilot: “Instruments, instruments!”

Tony Giardino *pointing at instrument*: “Oh yeah? Yeah? What’s that?”

Pilot: “That’s the artificial horizon, which is better than the actual horizon.”

– Anthony LaPaglia and Steven Wright – So I Married an Axe Murderer

About this image: digital photograph, lightly modified

A First Draft

More birds today…  of the ‘hunting and pecking’ variety. If this dude looks a little familiar it’s probably because he also posed for ‘ A Spot of Tea ‘. Although this time I drew him perched on a typewriter. So… there is that.

Grady Tripp (narrating): “So there it was. Somewhere in the night, a Manhattan book editor was prowling the streets of Pittsburgh; best-selling author at his side, dead dog in his trunk.”

– Michael Douglas – Wonderboys

About this image: digital media – vector art created with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop

Collaboration with Giuliano Saade

It makes me nervous to modify other photographers’ work – it’s like I’m tap-dancing all over their vision. But when the kind and talented  Giuliano Saade offered to collaborate on a project I was far too excited to decline. Mr. Saade let me choose a stunning photograph to edit in any manner I wished (more specifics about that below) – a very generous offer, indeed! Not only that, but he even took the time to answer the following interview questions which provide insight into his creative process.

Q – Mr. S, would you like to tell any readers who haven’t had the opportunity to meet you before a little bit about yourself?

A- I live in São Paulo, Brazil and I do film direction for a living and my bread comes from advertising. 
I love everything related to art and life as a subject and actually not much else.
I started blogging about a couple years ago so I could unload some ideas I had to share with others. And by others I don’t mean my family and friends. I mean people that doesn’t know me. People that knows what is written there in my blog and nothing else.
So it started out as essays and a lot of writing. But photography is something that accompany me since always so it started to take some space from the blog. As always in my life image grew bigger than words and today my blog is almost totally visual.
I guess i have more to show then tell… lol
Q – Would you tell us when you start taking photographs and why?
A – I started photographing since ever i guess. Really. I remember myself with a camera at the beach 6 years old.
Why? It’s a need. I always had the need to express myself. Photograph, painting, music, writing. It’s all I love to do.
That’s why I direct. It kinda mixes it all.
Q – What do you enjoy the most about photography (in process and/or the ‘world of photography’ as a whole)?
A – The old tale says that photographs can imprison one’s soul. I’ve been in an expo in the Guggenheim called Haunted

The idea behind it is that we have these ghosts living in our time. Moments registered in photographs that can bring back moments and
people long gone. I’m saying all this to help explain my joy about photography. And it’s about capturing. That’s it. When you can capture a
moment that is awesome enough you can show it around and relive it and make it immortal. This possibility of making these moments immortal
is what excites me about photography.
Q – Is there anything about photography you dislike (in process and/or the ‘world of photography’ as a whole)?
A – So what i really dislike is the fact that i lost so many of these amazing moments that will never be repeated…
Q – If you could be given any set-up you wanted (equipment, props, models, etc.) what / where / when would you choose to shoot first?
A – I would choose to keep the camera, dismiss the rest and start chasing things to photograph…lol
Q – Any other final thoughts related to photography and/or your creative process?
A – No rules applied.
My thanks again to Mr. Saade for working with me on this wonderful project!
Don’t miss Giuliano Saade’s blog: ‘The eternal solitude of the restless Mind‘ and his Flickr stream here.
About this image: *digital photograph by Giuliano Saade*. Digitally edited, printed and re-photographed through wet glass (partially under red light), and then re-edited by me.

Bearman Cartoons Charity Challenge 2012

Cartoon legend Bearman is once again holding his famous charity challenge. Basically, in exchange for other folks posting about his challenge, etc. Bearman donates his very own hard earned cash to some wonderful charities (such as the Cincinnati FreeStore Foodbank, the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati and Crayons to Computers).

You’ve likely been entertained by Bearman for years and will recognize my cryptic reference to his work in the above photo. If not, I bet you’d like to take a look at his pop-culture / political cartoons while you find out (hint hint)!? Either way, you’ll be entertained by a very generous and talented dude.

Finally… I have known Bearman for a several years now, and he is nothing but supportive of folks all over the web (even if they’ve implemented major content changes – which doesn’t always happen, but is always very appreciated)!

And now he can’t say I never do anything for him (you should see the looks a guy like me gets when buying wheat grass)!

About this image: digital photograph, lightly modified

Delmar-Loop Trolley

Why, it’s the former Delmar Loop Trolley on display at the Missouri History Museum (it’s moving slowly enough these days that even I managed to grab a shot). And, if any of that sounded familiar, you are probably from the STL. Or you’ve visited. Or you’re a Nelly fan. Have a great weekend, everyone!

You can find me, in St. Louis rollin’ on dubs
Smoking on dubs in clubs, blowin’ up like cocoa puffs…

– Nelly – Country Grammar

About this image: digital photograph, moderately modified