What do you get your college-age nephew,
your sister who’s graduating, or your 20-something running buddy?
A photo gift that makes them look epic. I’m Nancy Gershman, a digital artist with training in the fine arts, and I can make youthe coolest photomontage that your 20-something can frame, make into a fleece blanket or a photo sculpture.
Here’s what I need. Get your hands on our subject’s favorite photos from their last vacation. Have them tell you why they love these photos, and what was happening when the photo was taken. Because the cool factor here is that I’m going to create a fresh story which gets its inspiration from family anecdotes. For example, according to Aunt Cindy, as a little girl 20-year old Constance would sneak out her bedroom window. Her mom would always be on the alert, and then wait underneath the window!
So I started with this head shot of Constance.
Constance loved this vacation photo of herself: tan, with dark sunglasses and a sassy expression. The minute I saw the photo it struck me that I could tilt her head and add the suggestion of a body to give the impression of Constance “flying” over her favorite beach in Antigua.
The other photographs from the same trip to Antigua were a little muddy, like the photo of the Xotic Cafe shack located down the beach. No problem. I did a search for the very same shack, and found another shot at a terrific angle and in sharp, living color!
I even have a collection of clouds that I tap into every once in a while to make my photomontages look more dynamic. Can you tell which clouds were added and which were already in the photograph of this Antigua beach?
The tethered balloon with flags was another image added on to give the feeling of a refreshing Antigua breeze on the beach. It also picks up all the colors from that exuberantly painted shack.
Anybody can throw together photographs side by side in a “photo collage” frame. But if you can transform a vacation photo into a cool poster — that’s exciting. Especially to young people who are proud of having planned their first, unforgettable vacation — without parents!
