Playing with Photoshop

I still haven’t been able to sit in one position or concentrate fully because of the “pain,” or at least annoyance, from my recent surgery, so I’ve resorted to short breaks at the computer and reading how-to-chapters from a Photoshop book on how to create collages and montages.

Actually much of what I’ve read so far is simply a refresher for things I already “knew,” but I am having fun and one of my long-term goals is to create more collages with Photoshop.

I’m constantly amazed at how easy it is to distort “reality” with Photoshop. I’m reminded of the faked photograph showing Kerry and Jane Fonda at the same peace rally that showed up in some circles last year.

My intent is entirely different. In fact, I really have little interest in what I’m doing here, but doing it gives me some practice for what I really would like to do in the future.

Here are three photographs from last summer’s Colorado trip that shows what can be done without much effort:

This:

plus:

plus:

Equals a photo that I prefer to any of the previous ones:

While I doubt most viewers would suspect that this photograph was a composite of three different photographs, if I were really trying to deceive someone, I would have ensured that all three photos were taken at the same time of day and that the sunlight angle was the same in all three.

I’m not sure how long I’ll continue to spend hours a day learning Photoshop. If I didn’t have this catheter in, I’m sure that I would be outside taking advantage of this beautiful and unusual sunshine. I’m not exactly counting the minutes, but it will be taken out in less than 48 hours, and I’ll no longer being taken a handful of drugs both morning and night.

I’m looking forward to getting back to “normal.”