1 Staunton, Virginia (2011) Hand painted texture (page 49) 2 Spice up your photos Creative and experimental photography techniques to put a spark in your photos 3 Spice up your photos. Copyright © 2012 by Nitsa Malik. Ideas suggestions and techniques discussed in this book are free to use but no part of this book may reproduced in any form or means except by a reviewer who can quote some text in review. Parts of this book were published in previous books by Nitsa (I am Not an Artist & So Much More than Photography) as well as on More than Photography Experimental and Creative Photography blog MuchMorethanPhotography.com Copyediting: David Morgan and Ryan Malone. Photo editorial and layout advice: George Kleiman Photos,images,Text,methods,layout and design: Nitsa Malik Email: [email protected] Special thanks and lots of love to Amit, Sivan and Noa. Also many thanks to David Morgan, George Kleiman, Steve Moulton, John Lowen and Bentzi Kalush for your support and advice. And thanks to Amit for lending her hands. Cover design: Nitsa Malik Published in December 2012 4 5 Sky Meadows, Virginia. Salt print on Strathmore Bristol paper. (page 84) Contents Introduction 8 Chapter 1: Image and photo transfers 11 Basic image transfer (inkjet) 12 Transferring with transparencies 16 Xerox (photocopy) image transfer 17 Test transfer 18 Packing tape transfer 19 Paint transfer 20 Mixed media transfer 22 Simple mixed media transfer 24 Advanced mixed media transfer 26 Photo transfer to tile, mirror or glass 30 Wall art series 31 Gel layer transfer 32 Aluminium foil transfer 35 Transfer to Polaroid 36 Paint a transfer 38 More transfer ideas 40 Simple inkjet transfer 42 Photo transfer to Mod Podge 44 Transfer to mirror using transparencies 45 Image transfer gallery 46 Chapter 2: Texture and Layers 49 Canvas background layer 52 Aging color photo with coffee 54 Adding texture to a photo 56 Quick Photoshop texture tutorial 58 Make your own textures 60 Texture from a book cover 60 Texture from mixed media collage I 61 Texture from mixed media collage II 62 Working with textures and layers 64 Textures gallery 65 Chapter 3: Hand-coloring photos 67 Watercolor painting 68 Oils on photo paper 70 Oils on canvas 71 6 Colroing with pencils 72 Gouache paints 74 Inks 74 Acrylic paints 75 Freestyling 76 Distressed /Modified prints 78 Chapter 4: Alternative photography 81 Paper negatives 82 Salted paper printing 84 Cyanotypes (sun prints) 95 Final thoughts 102 By the Shenandoah river. Berryville, Virginia (2009) Texture layer (page 56) 7 How did you do it? Quite often I am asked to explain how I made a certain image, and quite often I say “oh it’s really simple! This is a salt print from paper negative on watercolor paper that I exposed by the window for couple of hours and….” For some reason at this point the listener turns away and leaves. Hey you asked me! This book contains numerous photographic processes I learned, discovered and developed over the last few years. The collection of methods presented here employs the use of digital photos, easy computer processing and some fun hands-on practices. With the help of a few easy to obtain materials you will be able to turn your favorite photos into works of art and even have fun while you’re making the magic happen. What do you need to know about the author of this book? ok, so before going any further, I ought to give you a fair warning so you know what you’re getting here: I am not a professional photographer, I didn’t learn photography in a school or any other structured training program, I don’t like gallery openings, I refuse to work as a photographer, and I still feel uncomfortable selling my photographic prints. (Phew, it feels real good to come clean!) Everything (or the little) I did learn is through some observation and mostly as a result of a good deal of practice which truly means lots of trials and countless errors. However, one of the most important things I found out along the way is that I DIDN’T HAVE to study photography and I definitely DIDN’T HAVE to learn the rules or guidelines of good photography in order to truly enjoy discovering the art of photography and even come up with some nice looking photos every now and then. And one more thing This book is not going to teach you how to take better photos or how to use your digital camera. It is not going to teach you any photoshop skills either. The goal of the book is to share numerous ways to present your photos artistically. You will see how easy it is to take your ordinary pictures to the next level and you don’t need to attend an art school or have any special skills to utilize these creative techniques. Opposite page: Couple. Santa Monica 2002 8 Modified print (page 78) 9 Hopefully you’re now ready (and excited) to get your hands dirty. As you’ll find out here, photography does not have to be limited to the camera or the darkroom. One of the best things about the methods in this chapter is the opportunity to have direct contact with the artwork. And again, no exceptional talent or skill is required, although a bit of enthusiasm is definitely a must. Venice Beach, California Inkjet transfer (page 42) 10 IMAGE AND PHOTO TRANSFERS Traditionally when people talked about image transfers they were really talking about Polaroid image transfers. Now, as Polaroid discontinued production of film in 2007, image transfers are often done using digital photos and various transfer materials. The term image transfer refers to the process of removing an image from one surface and placing it onto another. Other than the obvious value of this process which allows transferring an image from an inkjet printer into any surface, also the effect it has on the final image can be quite pleasing. All the photo transfer processes here are the product of many experiments, endless trial and error, So even though these techniques are not difficult they might take some practice to master. So don't be discouraged if your first transfers do not turn out the way you envisioned them. 11 Basic IMAGE TRANSFER (inkjet) What you need: • Inkjet Printer • Standard weight printer paper • Transfer medium • Receiving surface • UV-resistant clear finish This is one the most basic methods of transferring inkjet printouts from one surface to another and so a good place to start. It is fairly Inkjet printer straightforward and quite enjoyable to do. For this process you will need the following supplies: an inkjet printer, standard weight paper, a transfer medium, and a surface to transfer the image to. You don’t need a fancy printer and any low end printer will do. The images you are going to be Standard printing don’t need to be of high resolution and inkjet paper are going to be printed onto a standard printer paper. Image transfers can be done using different transfer mediums such as Mod Podge, Gesso, Gel Medium, wintergreen oil, acrylic caulk, acrylic paint and so on. Each one of these methods will provide you with a different appearance to your Mod Podge final transfer. After you experiment with different products you will be able to determine which one to use for a specific project depending on the end result you’re after. I often choose to make my transfers using Mod Podge though that’s entirely a matter of personal preference. Photo paper 12 Mod Podge is a water based all-in-one medium; sealer, glue and finish. It is available in gloss or matte and is most commonly used in decoupage applications. If you want to learn everything possible about Mod Podge check out Amy’s Mod Podge Rocks blog at: modpodgerocksblog.com/ The receiving surface can be anything from card stock, photo paper, canvas, watercolor, wood panel, ceramic tile, mirror etc. Experimenting with different surfaces can be one of the most enjoyable things about image transfer. After your transfer is done, it’s a good idea to protect it with UV-resistant clear coating or a product called Preserve It! (Krylon), so that your transfer has a longer, happier life span. 13 Now on to the details: 1. Set your printer to normal or standard settings. Next, print a mirror image of your photo onto a standard weight printer paper (it is very important that you Cover your printout with the don’t print your image on photo transfer medium paper,or it is just not going to work!) 2. Brush a good amount (but not too much) of Mod Podge on the printout photo. You can substitute the Mod Podge with any other transfer medium like gel medium or gesso. 3. Place the wet printout face-down Place the printout face-down onto the photo paper you want to onto the receiving surface. transfer your image to (or any other surface of your choice), press down on it with your fingers, When the transfer is dry begin 4. Some people use a brayer to peeling off the paper. smooth the paper and get rid of the air bubbles, but you can just use your fingers or any other similar tool. 5. At this point you can place a heavy book on top of your transfer to flatten and Moisten the back of the image strengthen the bond between the and rub off the excess paper. printout and the background surface (and you thought you’d never pick up that book off the shelf! Ha!).