The California International Airshow, Salinas is a yearly event that I always looked forward to with great anticipation. The thrill of acrobatic and precision flying plus the roar of the jet engines jiggling my internal organs are a few things that get me freakishly excited. For a very long time, I have wanted to fly in a F-16 or F/A-18 Hornet (any F-in fast plane, really ;) ) because I honestly believe that I will never be happy unless I'm going Mach 2 with my hair on fire. Not really...I stole that line from Top Gun but I do think it would be an incredible experience to feel those kind of G's!
Today's #vehiclephotography post is centered around this photo I took at the Airshow of a vintage plane engine...isn't it GORGEOUS? It's really a selfie, can you see my reflection there? My vanity knows no boundaries! ;) This one photo inspired several iterations, a few of which I am sharing below. Let's have a look-see.
The original. I love mechanical things...they are their own kind of beautiful!
This was the result of me playing in Photoshop. All those white lines are electric!
Here, I created a simple monoprinted background and then added a overlay of a bitmapped version of my original photo.
WHAT IS A MONOPRINT?
My monoprints are created without a press using a gel printing plate. I roll acrylic paint onto the plate with a brayer. Designs are created by pressing or dragging textured objects or laying stencils on the wet paint. I then lay a piece of paper onto the painted surface and gently rub or roll with a brayer to transfer the design from the plate to the page. When the paper is pulled from the plate, the design is revealed...it's like Christmas morning! One of a kind finished pieces usually include 2 or 3 layers of paint which creates depth and provides interesting results.
WHAT IS A BITMAP?
In simple terms, a bitmap is the result of removing the color from a photo leaving only a black and white image. In Photoshop, this process converts a photo into a hard edged piece of line art.
I find it invigorating when I discover so many possibilities within one photo (my version of going Mach 2 with my hair on fire.) It makes me wonder how many more are out there just waiting for me!
This is my submission for the #vehiclephotography contest sponsored by 
Previously posted at:
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