Disclaimer: All of the following photos were shot and edited by a hopeless rookie using only an iPhone 5s smartphone along with a free photo editing app downloaded from the app store.
To be honest I'm not a photographer (I stick more towards writing and painting) but a few years ago I decided to try my hand at the craft. I suppose I wanted to see how much I could do with what was at my fingertips as I hadn't the money or the inclination to fork out loads of money for a new camera or expensive editing software.
I have a set of katana swords that sit on a shelf in my room. They are only decorative, couldn't be used as a real weapon if you wanted to, but they do make for a good focus for photography. I wanted to see if I could catch the sun glinting off the blade, but the original photos were not very clear as the sun was quite intense that day and so obscured much of the sword. However this one seemed at least workable. So I run it through the app on my phone, messed with the contrasts and lighting, added a filter and gave it better definition Finally I added a frame simply for effect. As I say, I'm not a photographer but I was mostly pleased with what I achieved with "Sun Blade."
As well as a sword set I also have a black 3 piece suit complete with a traditional top hat and cane (I have a facination with the fashion of the Sherlock Holmes era) so I decided to try it out for a photo setup. The first I called Death of a Gentleman which I set against a red carpet, as I thought it helped the black and white stand out more. The biggest challenge here was trying to catch a shot of my own arm at right angle so it didn't look weird ;-) It didn't come out as clear as I would have liked, but for a spontaneous self shot with a smart phone I guess I can't complain.
Lastly there was "Off Duty" which again made use of the hat and cane, but with the addition of my favourite red tie :-) I tried all differnt setups and arrangements of the elements but settled fot his one, as it kind of gives a sense of rest; as if at the end of a long day ready to relax. The frame was also added simply for effect.
Obviously they are only for fun and I've seen enough professional photographers on Steemit to know I have a long way to go if I ever did decide to take up photography. But I offer them up simply as a matter of artistic value.
Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and view my content, I am most honoured indeed and hope you have a really great day :)
Best wishes
Westley xx
#thoughtsofsteel
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