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*Are my photographs real, or manipulated? It seems these days, that the general public believes that all digital photographs have been manipulated. Although this is may be true of some photographs, ultimately, it's the artist’s (the photographer’s) art and creation. This could be argued however that it’s basically telling lie. In this photograph, a single eagle flew into the frame and then in the same repetition of images, another eagle followed. So, I blended the two images together so they appeared in one frame; this is now what's called a "composite". A composite photograph is an image that has been manipulated; they can include (but not limited to), the blending of two photos, adding an element or swapping out a sky. *So why do digital images have to be processed in the first place? The snapshots that you take with your smartphone, are all JPEG files; which basically means that your smartphone camera did all the adjustments for you (yay!). Sure, the convenience is great but the downside is that the files are small, and lack pixel detail. I on the other hand, I take what’s called “RAW” images, which offers a large amount of pixel detail. That said, the upside of a RAW image is that you don’t lose too much of the original detail when you blow it up. The downside however is that (out of camera) they look flat and lack vibrancy. So, a RAW image requires post processing to restore them.... and time! *So, what are my thoughts on digital alteration? I like to edit my digital files to represent what I saw (using highlights, contrast and tones to draw my viewer’s attention to the subject or overall scene), and if it’s a composite it had better be from the same scene, taken at the same time (like this image). *In conclusion: The argument remains, “Is manipulating an image a lie, or a piece of art”? The debate continues..... *A side note: It was pouring when I took this photograph (in Ucluelet, BC), and with the wind, I had to constantly wipe off my lens. Arlo went with me on this photos shoot; he wasn’t impressed 😊
On Thanksgiving Day, 2017, we ventured out on our ATV’s for what was a truly adventurous and rewarding day. With my dear friends Ray and Karen we ventured out to Pettipeace Lake, a lake we had tried to get to a before but with each attempt we ran into obstacles; including knee deep snow, the disappearing daylight and a bridge washout. This time however we were prepared and set early with great anticipation of the day that lie before us! As we approached the bridge washout we were disappointed to see that, although it was still under repair, a huge mound of boulders blocked our way. So, what to do? With excited determination we pulled up our sleeves and went to work, moving the boulders one by one until finally, we made a path for the ATV's. “Yay!”, we were elated to be on our way, to the “elusive” Pettapeace Lake. As we gained altitude, we entered a fog bank and the dampness could be felt with every breath; it had grown bitterly cold. Soon, snow began to fall and stick to the road; "If the snow gets much deeper", we agreed, "we'll have to turn around". We pressed on and as we approached this lake, we were all in awe; I had never (ever) seen such a beautiful winter scene. "Wow!", we all commented, “unbelievable!” were the words that came out of our mouths. The spiritual serenity of this alpine view was majestic; truly Mother Nature at her best. We were so excited by the scenery and really wanted to continue on but we were losing daylight, and fast; it was time to turn around. As we descended, we raced the day's darkness, and we froze as we did! Our original plan was to return to my cabin, wash up, dress up and go to the local community’s Thanksgiving dinner however because we were running late, we chose to drive directly there. We arrived, wet, cold and dressed in our winter gear and we all had helmet hair; lol ..you can imagine the looks we got when we walked it.... Too funny !:-) That said however, being an off-grid community, everyone was more interested in our travels than our attire! Such fun! Such GREAT, great welcoming and embracing community! Our Thanksgiving dinner was the perfect ending to a perfect day! I'll never, ever forget this adventurous day we shared. Pettipiece Lake is a lake located just 19.7 north-east of Seymour Arm via logging/forestry roads; in the province of British Columbia, Canada.
"Calling Me" - “The mountains are calling and I must go.” ~ John Muir For those of you who feel the mountains speak to you, this photo and the words of John Muir (above), need little explanation. I'm truly a mountain girl; IT'S THERE that I feel the very essence of "Romi": IT'S THERE, while surrounded by it's beauty, that I can be my authentic and human self; at peace with my flaws and in admiration of whom I've become. IT'S THERE, that I turn inwards, in reflection of my many blessings. IT'S THERE, with the help and healing power of Mother Nature, that I find my inspiration (creatively and otherwise) IT'S THERE, that I want my ashes to be strewn; WHERE THE MOUNTAINS CALL TO ME.
