This imaginary landscape — an image produced by manipulating photographic materials — riffs on the subject of playa mud. Here the semi-circular forms in the lower 2/3 of the frame interested me, obviously along with the shapes and textures of the dried mud.
As I worked on (a.k.a. “played with”) this image, I ended up retaining a version of the original colors of the playa, though greatly intensified and shifted a bit. The color and texture almost suggests leather to me. (Recently a viewer of a similar image said it reminded him of macro photographs of leaves.) While the playa mud retained colors not too far removed from those in the original, other elements were transformed as I worked — shadows became highlights and bits of other material and plantlife interrupted the smoother texture of the mud.
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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email
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