"Photolifting" from Award-Winning Photographer Elizabeth Messina (D197)

“Photolifting” from Award-Winning Photographer Elizabeth Messina (D197)

I’ve been inspired. Big surprise, right?

Seriously though, it started last night while browsing through the website and blog of famed, award-winning photographer Elizabeth Messina. Her work is AH-mazing and has such a distinct style, texture and feeling to it. Just look at the studio images she has on her site of prints with wax on them. That is like the ultimate photography and scrapbooking combination. I met Elizabeth last year at WPPI and reconnected with her again at WPPI this year. She is truly brilliant and humble… a striking combination.

Then today as I was visiting fellow tasra365-ers for Twitter Tuesday, I ran across a gorgeous texturized image on Michelle’s site at My Two Seasons.

PHOTOGRAPHER ENVY & “PHOTOLIFTING”
After enough photographer envy, I decided to take action and “photolift” (also known as scraplifting in the scrapbooking world and shoplifting in the fashion world). I know “lifting” anything from another creative artist can be considered a negative and I fully agree that lifting or copying another person’s work for personal gain or business is BAD on so many levels. What I’m talking about here is lifting an element, a feeling, a texture or something similar to test or challenge your creative muscles. If nothing is new under the sun, aren’t we all photolifting at some level? What do you think about that?

I shot some images in the backyard, then went to work. Here is what I created…

I love the way this dried flower looks like it’s suspended in mid air by a single branch.
That’s how I found it, hanging on for dear life, dried right on the stem.The detailed veins in these leaves are spectacular. I wanted to emulate that in the texture of the image.

GET THE COMPLETE LIGHTROOM PRESET & PHOTOSHOP ACTION RECIPE
As I was processing these image creations in Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS3, I thought it might be helpful to share with you the recipe I used for each of the images.

So… check back tomorrow for the straight out of the camera raw image, as well as the complete recipe for how I got these creations.

Manual: Page 182
Images: See above.

March 16, 2010

http://www.mytwoseasons.com/ My Two Seasons

These are gorgeous!! Wow! Isn't it amazing the tiny details in nature? I've been on a macro photography kick lately and I'm in awe of the amount of details that aren't easily seen!

I'm glad I was able to inspire you today! Thanks for being an inspiration to me everyday! ~Michelle
susansee

Thanks for introducing me to yet another “new” term in this digital world. *lol* Love the overall colour tone, great contrast.
http://tasra365.com tasra

Thanks Michelle – for the encouragement and inspiration! What lens do you mostly use for your macro photography?
http://tasra365.com tasra

I don't know if it's an official term in the industry, but it definitely works.
papris

fantastic article! I've been “guilty” of photolifting! I'm beginning to realise the benefits of being in a community of photogs. It makes what I do seem “normal”, or rather, they are normal. Thanks for sharing your very open thoughts! I'm blessed.
http://tasra365.com tasra

It's a new normal we're creating here… creative normalcy. Works for me. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
http://www.mytwoseasons.com/ My Two Seasons

These are gorgeous!! Wow! Isn't it amazing the tiny details in nature? I've been on a macro photography kick lately and I'm in awe of the amount of details that aren't easily seen!

I'm glad I was able to inspire you today! Thanks for being an inspiration to me everyday! ~Michelle
susansee

Thanks for introducing me to yet another “new” term in this digital world. *lol* Love the overall colour tone, great contrast.
http://tasra365.com tasra

Thanks Michelle – for the encouragement and inspiration! What lens do you mostly use for your macro photography?
http://tasra365.com tasra

I don't know if it's an official term in the industry, but it definitely works.
http://paprisphotography.posterous.com/ paul

fantastic article! I've been “guilty” of photolifting! I'm beginning to realise the benefits of being in a community of photogs. It makes what I do seem “normal”, or rather, they are normal. Thanks for sharing your very open thoughts! I'm blessed.
http://tasra365.com tasra

It's a new normal we're creating here… creative normalcy. Works for me. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
http://tasramar.com/2010/03/improve-your-photography-workflow-with-presets-actions-198/ Improve Your Photography Workflow with Presets & Actions | tasra mar | transform — your images, your albums, your life ™

[...] I shot the image with my 50 mm lens in a dark room with one light shining to the left of the couple so the background was completely black. From there, I took it into Lightroom to sharpen. Then it was into Photoshop to apply the recipe I create yesterday for my texturized images. [...]
http://tasramar.com/2010/03/lightroom-preset-photoshop-action-recipe-for-high-texture-photographs/ Lightroom Preset & Photoshop Action Recipe for High Texture Photographs | tasra mar | transform — your images, your albums, your life ™

[...] Alright serious and aspiring photographers, today we’re getting down to the nitty gritty details of using Lightroom presets and Photoshop actions to create highly texturized images. [...]