Magic from my Backyard
A couple of you had been asking about my photo manipulations and just want to show you some before and afters of my work.
The daily idea usually is done in my backyard and then the magic all happens in photoshop.
I have a collection of stock photographs from my old and recent travels. Now, whenever I see a scene I would view, it in a way, on how I can tell a story then would capture it to use for later.
I don't have time to go out and shoot every day, so somehow my work had evolved into this. If I had the freedom to explore on a daily basis maybe I'd end up doing different things too.
Isn't it fascinating that whatever point we've started, we always end up at a different place?
Katrina Yu Thank you so much, Pawel, for the lovely words!! It's been quite a journey and by doing a 365 I've documented and see how I've evolved.
I'm also really happy to be here. It's one of my first community and everyone here is just so genuine.
tania Bravo bravo bravo ! Amazing job indeed. And a pleasure to discover a little your world....
Katrina Yu Thank you so much, Tania!!
craig Absolutely amazing to see how you create these wonderful stories!
Katrina Yu Aww thank you so much, Craig. Sometimes, I wonder if seeing the “before” removes the magic from them.
craig I know what you mean, like a magician revealing his magic! They will always be magical even though some secrets have been revealed.
Magda Korzewska Great to see how you create your pieces of art and happy to see your work featured at Boredpanda.com. I am a big fan of your photography from the very beginning.
Katrina Yu Thank you so much, Magda! I'll try to show you more complicated pieces next time, like my dragon. They take around 6 reptiles to form a single entity!
Katrina Yu Thank you so much, Kamil! ✌🏼 I'll try to share them more. I never thought people would love to see those.
Marta Wow! I thought that you are taking photos on plain background :D
Katrina Yu Thanks, Marta. Plain background works as well if you have light system to match the photo but I since i don't, I do natural light. I try to shoot in the same light condition as much as the background. Sometimes, it's hard if it's extra sunny or extra gloomy. hehe
Viola Kuniej I saw it on your FB fanpage - it's absolutely amazing, Kat! love your creativity, ideas and work! I'm happy to see your photos everyday :)
Katrina Yu Thank you so much, Viola!! Your support means a lot to me, it helps keep me going! 🙏🏼
Gogi Golzman
Yes yes yes yes yes! So good to see that your art is spreading
Great job katrina ;)
Darlene K Omg absolutely awesome Katrina! Had no idea you were standing or sitting on the stool this whole time! It’s really neat and such a good time saving strategy. Sourcing out new locations can be such a hassle.
Rafal Dear all,
For a long time I was wondering whether to write about it (I even wanted to raise this issue in a separate subject) but the author himself decided to present his workshop.
Unfortunately, I have a different opinion to your admiration. All great, but where is the real photo here. If I read the terms of the website well, the pictures should be photographs and not photo manipulations glued with stock photos and own photos taken at home or in the backyard. Where is the idea of tookapic here? Take the picture (even streak photo), do some action in basic developing and send to the website. How was the time of taking such picture - picking few photos from a photostock, taking a photo in the backyard or maybe making the final version in PS and flattening the layers before saving as the final composition?
Go outside your backyard, take double exposure of the bird and the glowing moon on one frame in the camera (not in the PS) and put it here...
The pictures are beautiful and ingenious but it's just great mastering of the Photoshop on the real advanced level, which is actually computer graphics. I am sorry, but despite the artist's great craftsmanship, I do not buy it. Most people, however, take pictures here every day, perform basic processing and then send it on the day when the photo was taken, or a few days later, and does not sit for a dozen days without publishing and then throws ten photos at once. This is not compatible with the idea of the website and I do not understand that even the administrator does not notice it.
You can deny it, but it is simply in my opinion inconsistent with the regulations, or change it to the possibility of allowing computer graphics, photomanipulations or collages.
I have seen the works of @Ron with Tintin Adventures and as i remember he was asked to remove photos due to overt photomanipulation. And now He is doing it differently which i like very much (picture in picture idea).
For me, the master in the field of creating real pictures, which may resemble those unreal worlds a bit, is @Satoshi, who uses models of trains, tracks or small figures of cats, but he does it in one shot and does not stick few photos together.
Katrina, You are really great artist and I love your works, but for me it is not a good place to show it. Most of the people here are (just) photographers not skilled graphic designers. Next time send the picture of You in the backyard (the one from the raw pictures which are the part of Your future collage).
Maybe you, members of this community, disagree with me, you can stop liking my ordinary photos, which I prepare only using Lightroom or Snapseed, but I do it for myself, because I run a photographic journal her and not a gallery of modern photocollage.
I managed to finish the project 365 with one picture banned by the administrator (because it was a screenshot), which I then exchanged for a picture taken of the monitor and I have one collage made of six photos (trees) glued in PS. Or maybe you will organise the topic of the week - Photocollage? Everything is allowed...
Then I will throw a tiger who comes to my office for examination (I'm a vet) or I watch the giraffe's throat on a ladder, but I'm not well trained in working with PS
Paweł Kadysz I totally understand how you may feel about it, but...
"§6.5.3. Pictorial works which not constitute photography or photo montage will be excluded" - which means that photo montage is allowed.
From what I understand - @Katrina composes her images from the photos she took, not from stock photos available on the web, which makes her work as much HERS as possible.
Again - I understand the issue you're raising here. However - many of us here use Photoshop to "fix" our images. It is part of the process in the modern photography. And I don't think there's anything wrong about that. Just the contrary - it helps you learn new skills.
As for @Ron case. I went to Switzerland and apologized in person :)
Rafal But still this is not idea of this community. One picture taken that day and sent that day....I am sorry but I feel it differently. It is not Deviant art website.
Paweł Kadysz This is a topic about Katrina’s work. I don’t think it’s appropriate to discuss the above issue here. I will send you a private message and we can discuss it further privately. If anyone else has something to say about that, please send me your suggestions either in a private message or at support@tookapic.com
I take pictures EVERY DAY. The photos of myself as the subject those are the EVERY DAY photographs. The backgrounds might be old photos (old here means week ago? Lately just using really new ones) but the photographs of the subject are taken everyday.
Maybe you think a single picture in the backyard is easy but...before shooting I have to calculate light, angles, movement, shadows, EVERYTHING so that my image would blend well. I practice daily on how to photograph a subject that can blend in a background AND how to photoshop it together.
You are asking how much time it take me from shooting to PS and flattening the final layers??? AT LEAST 4 HRS. EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Every one has their own reason why they are doing a 365 project. Some do it to improve a certain technique and some just do it as a journal. I don’t need a photo of me in my backyard for my journal because I document my day differently (in video form).
Again, just want to point it out I TAKE PICTURES OF MYSELF EVERYDAY. I don’t timebend (tookapic rule) because my subject’s EXIF data is from that day.
Do you want a screenshot of my exif data?
I don’t have a lot of chance to go out shoot trees that is why I shoot in my backyard and this is how my project evolve.
Just like how @Ron Tintin adventure evolves because of barriers.
My imagination evolve that way too because I don’t really go to the park or piers on a daily basis or even on a monthly basis.
I TAKE PICTURES EVERY DAY but might post in bulk on Tookapic nowadays because I spend all my free time editing that I cannot handle so many social media accounts. That doesn’t mean I take 10 pictures of me in one day and then edit 10 ideas.
That sounds cool and might work on the first 50 days but I don’t have 10 ideas floating on a daily basis especially 640+ days deep.
I think of ideas 24/7 too it is nonstop that it is obsessive. I have 5 notebooks full of sketches but I still haven’t execute everything because the idea is incomplete. It could mean I am still missing something or that I need to go to the zoo again to shoot some lizards for my dragon.
I take photos every day just like everybody here.
I lose sleep too because of this project.
I also have busy days where I need to make a streak pic, just so happen my streak pic here means a quick photoshoot of 5 mins and 30 mins photoshop. I choose to lose sleep rather than post a white wall photo because I need my photoshop practice. I am that hard on myself.
Just because some people photograph train models, or really beautiful bokeh of their garden daily doesn’t mean that I have to do that too. I had those photos too (might not just be as beautiful) I had double exposure photographs too (I am a portrait photographer) but my 365 project is where I do this. I stick to one main thing and that’s to sharpen my craft. And this is my craft.
I just don’t understand why people here are saying it is unfair for others. Sighhhhh
I TAKE PICTURES EVERY DAY AND EDIT THEM JUST LIKE YOU. It just so happen that mine is a complicated composite.
Rafal Please, @Katrina, don't shout at me. I didn't wrote that You are cheating us. I have just pointed some things from my point of view. I disagree with this idea of a definition of a single photograph, but this is my private opinion about your beautiful graphics. As I can see after my disagreement @Paweł shot down this discussion.
Katrina Yu
I am not shouting at you, sorry if it seems that way. Just capitalizing it for emphasis for you and for others. I understand your concern and this is not the first time someone said it to me here. I use to receive comments like yours a handful of times.
I find it funny because a lot of people post manipultion works as well but I just happen to do that on a daily basis and because of that some think that I don’t take pictures daily.
I am so focused on this project (for a lot of reason) that my social life is almost as close to zero. I am that one person among my friends and family who needs to disappear for a few minutes to go take a picture at a certain time because the sunlight would lit perfectly and it would be so beautiful for my idea. I pay way more attention in my surrounding actually, not just quick snaps.
Anyways, if it bothers you, feel free to ignore my account. I don’t post in weekly themes so chances of you encountering my work is close to zero as well.
Rafal I like your work (as i was mentioned few times) but i am not voting for them. That is a difference. Few time I have run through your portfolio trying to understand your imagination. I have seen few nice pictures, the normal ones and I also like them. Anyway thanks for your comments and explanations.
Krzysztof Baczyński
I fully understand, and I agree with @Rafał @Rafal (?????) . Tookapic has created groups of mutually supporting personalities who delight and enjoy their work in their own company. Nobody appreciates "ordinary" photography.However, photos that are not photos have great recognition. Because I do not understand it but I'm still talking about Photoshop. I do not use and I have already decided not to put pictures. I finished the project and the number of grades on Instagram is similar with incomparably more people who will see my picture. Bravo Rafał !!
W pełni rozumiem popieram, i zgadzam się z Rafałem. Tookapic stworzyło grupy wzajemnie się wspierających osobowości/osobliwości które we własnym gronie zachwycają i lubią swoje prace. Nikt nie docenia "zwykłej" fotografii. Za to zdjęcia nie będące zdjęciami mają spore uznanie. Bo nie rozumiem tego ale ciągle jest mowa o Photoshop.? Ja nie używam i juz zrezygnowałem z umieszczenia zdjęć. Skończyłem projekt a ilość ocen na Instagramie jest podobna przy nieporównywalnie większej ilości osób które zobaczą moje zdjęcie. Brawo Rafał!!
Paweł Kadysz @Rafal @Krzysztof This is *not the place* to discuss this. If you want to talk about this issue - feel free to start a separate topic on Talks, or resolve this in private. I'm also available at support@tookapic.com if you want to talk about this with me. But please, DO NOT go off topic here.
The comments will now be deleted.
vera Katrina, thank you for sharing your work with us! you have an admirable creativity, and your work is amazing! You use the camera as a true artist, with the aim to create an artwork!
craig Well said Vera!
Bruce Katrina, you already know my thoughts on your images :-). For those of us who know and use the technology on a daily basis, understand the level of effort required to make compelling images. Keep up your amazing work, the sky is the limit :-).
craig Well said Bruce!
Satoshi T I am glad to see how you create your fantastic world ! and I am surprised again about you have so many ideas and you've realized them!
tigg I am in awe ... such processing skills!
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Paweł Kadysz This is amazing. I've been a fan of your work and am always looking forward to seeing your next image. It made me sad (not only me) whenyou disappeared for few weeks. I'm glad you're back.
Everything is so good about your work. The color correction, the choice of images to combine and how well they work together, the attention to detail, and above all - the story each photo tells. I'm proud you're part of our community.
Keep up the great work. Keep inspiring us.