Illustrator

The image needs cropping before printing but...

I think this technique works quite well, I love the effect and the colours but I'm not sure if I will develop this idea further as it would take a lot of time to get really good at it and for the final image to look really good. I might use this image for collages or overlaying over the original to see what that looks like...

Consall Experiments

Here, I started out with changing the image to black and white - changing the levels and contrast, and putting the half tone pattern filter on the figure. There is two layers of the figure on top of each other - the bottom layer blending mode was luminosity and the top was screen.

I added a gaussian blur to the entire image and used a layer mask to "unblur" the building

I decided to try and "unblur" the figure too but decided that I prefer the figure blurred.

I kept the figure blurred and used the burn and dodge tool to make the figure and building lighter and the rest darker to create an eerie ghostly feel. I quite like it although I think it needs neatening it up a little bit.

Winnats Pass Experiments

 Original

HDR Toning

Eerie - Matthias Heiderich

Tim Marrs

I'm not sure what I will end up doing with these images as nothing really stands out to me as "wow I like that"... I think I will try the ink painting technique again.

Consall Pictures

Again, I used my new grad filters to take these photographs - I really like all of these as they make the place feel eerie and quite desolate.

Winnats Pass

Castelton has a classic story concerning the murder in the Winnats Pass of a young couple said to be named Allan and Clara who were believed to be eloping to Peak Forest – the then “Gretna Green of the Peak”. The story has all the ingredients of a modern thriller – tenderness and terror, mystery and murder, villainy and violence, romance and retribution. It happened about the year 1758, and, although the story has been claimed to be apocryphal, there appears to be sufficient evidence to prove its historical accuracy. It has been told and re-told by many different writers, and one clergyman was inspired to present his own particular version in melodramatic – and rather mediocre – verse.

They were hurried into a nearby barn and, after being robbed of their money and valuables, were violently put to death as the attackers attempted to conceal the crime of theft by the more terrible crime of murder. Allan is said to have died as the result of a brutal attack with a pick-axe, but the manner in which Clara met her death is not known.  A thunderstorm added to the confusion and terror of the guilty men who, sobered by the realisation of the consequences of their crime, covered the bodies with straw before sharing the £200 found in the possession of the murdered couple. With the intention of burying their victims the men returned to the scene of the crime at midnight, but hurriedly retreated as they imagined hearing shrieks of terror proceeding from the barn.

A few of my photos from my trip to Winnats Pass...

I used my new grad filters and shot in raw mode to capture the detail and colour. The last one is my favourite as the composition shows off the view of Castelton and the Peak District. It was very cold and windy!

Consall Scout Camp

I have personally heard many stories from around Consall Scout Camp from friends who have been regular visitors for years...

The camp building (Gibson building) is said, along with the rest of the site, to be haunted by the old camp ranger - I shall refer to him as Bob. One of my friends was once staying in the Gibson building on his own and was on his laptop when, Bob came in to have a look to see who was there. My friend knew Bob so he said "it's alright Bob, it's only me", but then he realised that it was a ghost.

One of the smaller camping areas on the site is also said to be haunted - another one of my friends said that he was the only person on camp, but saw a figure holding a light walking along the camping area.

Playing with my new filters and Butterton Moor

I bought some new graduated filters and nd filters off amazon...
I used my grad filters for these images so the sky isn't over-exposed, I think they worked well

Butterton Moor's Headless Horseman

A headless horseman patrols the moors north-east of Leek in the area of Butterton Moor between Onecote and Warslow. In 1930, a villager met this awesome spectre at a crossroads and afterwards announced, ‘it was a man on a white horse without a head on, an awful gory sight.’

He was luckier than a Warslow man on his way to Leek market who was snatched up by the demon rider and rode behind him as they galloped at a fearsome speed across the countryside. They sped over fields and jumped stone walls, and then eventually the man’s battered body was found on his own doorstep. He died shortly afterwards, but whether from his injuries or delayed shock is uncertain.

Options for Book Publishing

Blurb

www.blurb.co.uk

20 pages, Small Square 7x7 inches, premium paper, lustre or matt, softcover, £10.70
Shipping: Priority (8 days) £13.99, Standard (10 days) £4.99
Total: £24.69

Blurb is a good option but the shipping is a bit expensive... It's an option...

Epubli

www.epubli.co.uk

36 pages min., Little Square 15.6x14.8cm, 150gsm white glossy, colour, paperback, £8.27
Shipping: £2.95 (8-10 working days)
Total: £11.22

Epubli is the cheapest option but I don't think I will be able to fill 36 pages as I have not yet started putting the book together...


Vistaprint

www.vistaprint.co.uk

24 pages min., Medium landscape, laser etched on the front cover, glossy paper, £18.72
Shipping: Economy (10 days) £3.99 (ex.vat), express available
Total: £22.71

Having used vistaprint before, I know that they are reliable and good quality. If my book turns out to be 24 pages, I could use vistaprint. However, I don't think I can use a photo on the front cover...


Book Empire

www.bookempire.co.uk

25 pages, A5 landscape, colour, softback, 100gsm white silk, £21.25
Shipping: can't find info

My Photo Book

www.myphotobook.co.uk

12 pages, landscape 20.4x15cm, staple binding £9.95 (plus £4.95 for glossy finish),
24 pages, "", £14.95 (plus £4.95 for glossy finish)
Shipping: £4.95 (8-9 days), £15.95 (6 days)
Total: 12 pages £19.85
24 pages £24.85

My Photo Book isn't the cheapest but the standard delivery is the fastest and the minimum amount of pages is 12. If I only need 12 pages, I will use this website.

I think I will have to wait until I have done my book and all the pages before I decide which company to go with but these are my options.

Photoshop and Ink Paintings Experiments

I tried overlaying the ink paintings over the top of the original photograph in Photoshop using different layer blending modes.

Multiply

Overlay

 Linear Light

Hard Light

Divide

Difference

Overlay Opacity 47%

Multiply Opacity 47%

Linear Light Opacity 47%

Hard Light Opacity 47%

Divide

Difference

Overlay Opacity 55%

Multiply Opacity 55%

Linear Light Opacity 55%

Hard Light Opacity 55%

Divide Opacity 55%

Difference Opacity 55%

Overlay

Multiply

Linear Light

Hard Light

Divide

Difference

I think that overall, the best layer blending mode for all of the images is hard light, as overall, it gives the right amount of contrast and reveals the right amount of the original image underneath. I'm not sure what I could do with these images, I might develop them further and illustrate or manipulate the characters and more of the story into them.