Digital Manipulation Update :Rosemary Taglialatela

Power of the Moonstones. Photomanipulation: Rosemary Taglialatela, Original Photography: Robert Kerr of IMS Photographics, Location:Aberdeenshire Scotland

I believe it is time for a creativity update:

I am very lucky to have met a variety of creative and talented people over the last few years, some in the real world and some through cyberspace. I have found wonderful artists whose work speeks to me and whose skill is apparent. When i find such an artist i let them know that creatively i see them as some what of a kindred spirit (words that could perhaps get me in trouble but are said with truth). What a wonderous thing that we can meet others who have similar interests and creative passions through places like Model Mayhem and Deviant Art (I must create my account)
  One such individual that I got speeking to recently is a lovely lady called Rosemary Taglialatela. I appreciated the romanticism and gentleness of much of her work and there is a real sense of magic and nature throughout her work.
 I was surprised when she decided to do a quick edit of a small image I had on my facebook but pleasantly surprised.
 What i was very surprised by is that Rosemary decided to change the scene from day to night which aptly suited the fact that the image was shot in a stone circle that was based upon the moons cycle rather than the sun or so I believed at the time based upon the direction of the stones (after later investigation it turns out i was right!) Rosemary did not know that this was shot in a moon stone circle yet she decided night and the glow of the moon was more apt. How wonderfully fitting. I feel the image had a real sense of invocation in it, the magic of nature and the unknown. As you may imagine I really rather like it!
 Isnt it wonderous that we can collaborate with creative creatures from across the globe through these simple little boxes sat on the desks in front of us?
 The result is what you see above you.
More of her work and photography may be found here: 
http://www.2daysphotos.com/

Now for some of my photomanipulations, something I have been reinspired to approach again recently thanks to my friends wonderful kids.

I was lucky enough to have a nice wee photoshoot with Brandon and Rowan, my friends wonderful kids who I love as if they were family. Not only are they awesome in general but they are also brilliant wee posers. Here are some of the results from our brief photosession and I am glad to say they loved it though i am not totally happy with my work on Rowan and think i need to add something extra she did a fab job though.
 I am proud to say both are profile photos :D

I am very proud of my work on this image, you would never guess that this started off as a nice photo of a smiling 12yr old lad! I am proud to say that he loves it too having a liking of werewolves:) The background images were local photos I took and even the fur on his face is from my photo of a wolf i worked with. :)

Rowan told me recently that wolves are her favourite animals, yay just like me!, and so I decided to place her atop a mountain (behind my home) next to Luna a wolf I worked with. She adores this image.

I also recently photoshopped an image of myself by Unhinged Photography (Just a few tonal adjustments)

I am more than aware that this blog is falling into disrepair but I suppose such is life....
I found myself with little time to post anything other than imagery, time has been consuming my written words...
As time eventually consumes all things. I wonder how many people find it reasuring to know that we are but a spec but barely that in the apparent infinity that is time and how many find it disconcerting. Then again is time infinite or is time repetative, does it go round in circles, even if time did pass in circles surely it would still be infinite? Just another little pondering on the majesty that is mystery.
 However time works it has been hard to find any of it spare of late between my new job (seasonal museum attendant), being a Viking (I passed my basic combat in April), my viking, medieval and bushcraft school visits, modelling, birthdays etc these posts are long overdue.

Feeling a Craving for Carving

Just my latest wee attempt. A birch teaspoon (not green and spalded) under 13cm long, the handle thin enough to see through when the light is behind (the spoon alas is not as I was running out of time and need to sharpen my crook knife). The snake design is 3d and curves all the way round the spoon and is Koldroised with paprika for the pattern.

I think I may be improving. :)

Crafty Footsteps

 For a fair few months now, since before Christmas, I have been involved in a Viking reenactment organization and a local medieval/viking craft club. I have managed to bring my knowledge of wilderness skills to the group adding a different dimentsion to the whole topic.
 Recently I have even managed to do a couple of School visits thanks to some friends that do viking and Medieval school visits. The last visit was a whole day spent with a group of 60 kids and I spent about two hours talking and demonstrating fire, foraging, herbal medicine and hygiene which they loved. It was so refreshing seeing such enthusiasm (when i demonstrated bowdrill and got it smoking they wanted me to burn down the school). I am glad the lesson went well and after break I was in my stride.
 I personally would have loved to have a couple of medieval warriors and a medieval lass turn up at my school whilst on the run. They also loved the battle scenes of course, as I did myself, as well as the comedy between blacksmith/ fighter and arrogant night and blacksmiths daughter. I look forward to doing more of this work.
 The viking reenactment also led me to a wonderful visit to York where the Jorvik festival is held. A wonderful and well known Viking festival with viking trading, demonstrations, battles and education for the public. I had to get my Viking outfit together for this with little time and it has to be authentic. I would show photos of the finished outfit, which is not very flattering, but alas I left it in York. I do however have some photos of the leather shoes I made, my first ever!

 

The socks however are not authentic

Cosy sheepskin lining.

 On the outside there is no additional Sole

Steampunk Photoshoot With Unhinged Photography

 Among the many photoshoots that I have not had time to update about my shoot in Autumn with Unhinged Photography.
 I came up with a wonderful steampunk outfit and look and chose a wonderful location that contributed nicely to the atmosphere we were trying to obtain.
 Fairly new to model photography I was impressed when I received the images from the days shoot, however these were only a few of the images promised me, I am still waiting on receiving the others which may not happen for various reasons, and I found them to be technically very good with tones and colours wonderfully portreyed, I would never have thought the photographer was as knew to all this as he said. Impressive.
 Here are some of the images which I have received.

Paul Holroyd

 I have recently received some images from my shoot with Paul Holroyd back in September. I have the fortune to be travelling down to West Sussex to work with him next week. I absolutely loved our two day shooting in September, at the most stunning locations, it feels wonderful to be a part of something so artistic and every image has a story.
All images copyright: Paul Holroyd.

 

Dreams Of Autumn

 

The Bowyer

 Growth

 

Where the Wild Ones Live

 

The Stare

 The Martyr

Angelic Nightmare

Guardian of Folly

The Door and The Dagger

Demonic Dreams

Ophelia

Ophelia

 Ophelia

 I am also dreadfully aware that this has not been updated in many months but such is life, it gets in the way. A combination of being very busy modelling, bushcrafting, painting and making things and generally living life with a nasty computer virus resulted in my abscense but now I am back.

Catch Up

A recently edited photo by myself originally taken by Kelt photo many moons ago.

 This would be one of those enteries in which i realise the sheer volume of things i am to cover in order to catch up. Is it not simply the way of life that when interesting things are happening you never have time to let another know of them? Allways the way it would seem.

 Well since my last entry I have been active in both the artistic and modelling side of my life and also in the nature and wilderness skills side (as allways the land is my passion)

 I was very fortunate to be invited back to help out Woodsmoke again as an apprentice on two of their courses that ran back to back.

 The first of these was Marcus' Woodcarving and whitteling course, a new course that went down extremely well, the students producing a wide range of projects and styles most of which were seriously impressive and i tried to hide my earlier efforts as they were put to shame one by one haha. This was nothing compared to what the instructors Willow and Marcus had brought between them, all manner of spoons and bowls, some replica items and some fashioned using ancient techniques. I was very impressed with the course and very happy for Marcus as he wrote it.

 The second of these courses I was helping out on absolutely fascinated me though at first I was unsure what I would make of it and that was the brain tanning and bucksin course provided by a lovely lady named Willow. She went into the ins and outs of the most ancient of hide tanning techniques and even gave me half a skin to work on. The whole process is fascinating and most definately hard work but the results are wonderful and it was such an old site and night to see everyone surrounding the fire, stretching their buckskin in the lantern light. This is a skill I intend to carry on as it is an art that is rare and dying an honour to learn the skills of the ancients and help to use the whole of the animal (in fact i have two skins arriving tomorrow that would otherwise be thrown away)

 As allways I was very happy to help woodsmoke out and instantly settled in to place, having developed a real love for the area and the company and somewhat of a kinship with the staff, I am seriously impressed by all that work there and I could go on but really I shall refrain.

 With regards to the modelling I have had several different shoots and have also been doing life art modelling.

 My modelling saw me travelling up to Aberdeen to spend the weekend with Robert Kerr shooting semi-nudes amidst and on top of a stone circle in the pouring rain and howling wind, some mystical and medieval shots reminiscent of pre raphealites in the stone circle, an old dutch masters inspired gypsy shoot at an old mill and an ophelia shoot in a nearby mountain stream (quite chilly). I enjoyed working with Robert and he certainly took care of me whilst i was there feeding me the most amazing lasagne. I will post images soon.

 I have also had a steampunk inspired shoot with a photographer from ayrshire that is new to all this, Craig of Unhinged Photography did an excellent job and i was quite suprised with the results this was also something which my boyfriend took part in modelling for the first time and realising how difficult it can be, once again images will follow.

 And lastly I had a shoot with Paul Holyrod from West Sussex in which we shot medieval and art nudes out at an old medieval folly near Langholm/ Longtowm. The photographer is an excellent photoshop wizard and we covered a lot in a short space of time, I was angelic, demonic, stoic, sneaky, a temptress and a sacrifice and all manner of things in between. I very much look forward to the images from that shoot.

 Life art modelling has been going well too and in todays class the students excelled themselves, I was so proud and wish I had taken my camera to share their skills. Whilst posing I was visited by a mouse and reminded of the song "mouse and the model" by Amanda Palmer.

 All in all I have been very busy with all this and of course the autumn will harvest, what a wonderful time of year!

The Wild Stare

An old image revisited.
 The image was created within an inspired moment during a winter walk. The forests had been logged and a tree toppled its roots exposed. The setting sun bouncing off the Scots pine cast a beautifull red light that was so earthly it had to be used. So despite the cold weather i stripped off and allowed the passion and anger i felt towards my home being logged shine through...at least i hope it did.
 "The Wild Stare"