I don’t buy too many new books these days; there seems to be a lot of the same old stuff regurgitated in many different ways and after a while it all starts to look the same. However from time to time I find a book that is both informational and inspirational. Photo Craft is surprisingly one of those books.
I say surprisingly because somehow the cover image looks quite dreary, and while browsing through Amazon I must have glanced at this book a hundred times and never bothered to stop and take a better look at it because it just didn’t seem like it would be very interesting.
However this is one instance when you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and once you take a peak inside you’ll discover that there is lots of great information for photographers and those who love to use images in their artwork using digital and/or mixed media processes.
I personally love books that take you on an adventure with interesting detours as this one does. It includes tips and hints for taking and composing better photographs, and then provides ways to enhance or embellish your images in Photoshop Elements using simple techniques. It also includes a number of mixed media projects and offers step-by-step tutorials which allows you to explore different ways of using images in your artwork. There is no prescribed format to this book so it’s one of those books that you can pick up and enjoy over a cup of coffee and then come away inspired to try something new.
If you can’t wait to get hold of a copy, you can find it here on Amazon.
But it’s always helpful to have a flick through right? So take a peak …
Texture Board Project
I’m always looking for interesting ways to create textures that I use to enhance my photos so I tried one of the projects in the book which was to create a texture board using molding paste and paint and I love the way it turned out! It was very easy to do.
I took a photo of the texture plate and saved it as jpg so now I can use it as a photoshop texture overlay for my photos.
I love this one; I plan to use it maybe on a journal cover.
Book Description
You can find more information about Photo Craft here on Amazon, but here is the description from the back cover:
Love combining mixed media and photography? Want to make yours better? Want to use your photography as a springboard for fabulous and diverse mixed media and digital projects?
Photo Craft will help you elevate the average into the extraordinary! Using Adobe’s Photoshop Elements and following thorough, easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions, you’ll learn to make basic adjustments to your photographs that will yield stunning and artistic results. You’ll also learn to use those photographs – along with some everyday mixed-media supplies – to create unique and personal art.
So get to it! Take new pictures today (and every day!), look through those boxes of old and long-forgotten photos, and free those lonely images from your hard drive. Make them better, make them new and make them art. Soon you’ll be seeing things in a whole new way!
Chapters
If you do decide to purchase, I hope you enjoy Photo Craft as much as I do!
