BrickishThis is one photo believe it or not! One version was turned into black and white, then rotated 180. Painted through to the darker original photo to give it some depth and that M.C. Escher feel.

I'm always experimenting with photography.  It's probably because there are so many creative people doing amazing things out there, it just kind of seeps into your being to be inquisitive and playful.  This photo (yes it's just one photo in two different perspectives and a little Photoshop magic) was created after spending some time wandering around the beautiful campus of Cornell College in Mount Vernon, IA.  Textures, angles, shadows and colors all float around the buildings, and depending on the light, the campus can transform into some amazing scenes.

So for this abstract, I captured the corner of a building with all the wonderful brick, making sure to keep a small aperture so the brick was in focus all the way to the top.  Once it was being processed at home, the whole MC Escher vibe jumped out and struck a chord.  The original photo was looking up at the corner of a tall building.  That photo was then converted to black and white and rotated 180 degrees so the angles of the lines and brick were running in different directions.  Now there were two photos of the same scene.  I then loaded them both up in Photoshop and "painted" through the black and white layer into the brick layer to bring out the contrasting lines and color.

The rich colors seem to give it depth and perspective, while the black and white keeps everything bleak and harsh.  So if you have a couple of photos you really like, or even one that can be rotated, try painting through one or the other to see if you can get a unique look.  Of course, having the right software is imperative, and that's why early on I invested in a copy of Photoshop.  If you're serious about creating art, it's highly recommended!

Let me know what you think...would be interested in your thoughts on this one!