She’s rocking those NY boots!

One of the key elements I look for in my work is harsh contrast. The dark coat the figure really helps with this. The hardest part of this image was being out with my camera so early in the morning. Which leads me to dedication. Let’s discuss.

I am not a naturally gifted photographer. I do not think anyone is. My ‘talent’ is hyper-focus. Once I decide that I want to do something, I do entirely too much research on that subject and spend MOST of my time trying to perfect that activity. Its part of one of my neuro-divergence.

Growing up, I was told at age 6 that I had ADHD. Most of my teachers told me I would never amount to anything, specifically because I would interrupt the teachers. My mother refused to put me on medication. Those interruptions were because I was bored. Sitting quietly is not for everyone, and forcing children to do so is not helpful.

The above story is not tell you that I am not talented. I am devoted to getting better at this craft. I have spent the better part of 5 years trying to get better at this craft.

If you are an artist reading this, I hope you appreciate what I mean. In any craft, the hours one puts in makes them better. Put in those hours my friends…

To edit this image, I created a mask around the figure in Adobe Lightroom and inverted it. I devalued both texture and clarity. Of course increased the value of the white and decreased values of black throughout the entire image. Finally, I added 7th Ave Express and devalued the grain to get the final effect I was looking for.

Let me know what you think.

Maurice