I was getting concerned over the weekend, as too what to shoot for this weeks challenge. I find it quite funny how inspiration can jump out of nowhere, when you least expect it. This weeks image was taken at an annual BBQ held at our local farm shop, but more about that later this week. As soon as I saw the goats head I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. And before you ask, no its not a real goats head. It looked to be a clay molding which hung above one of the sheds on the farm which housed some baby goats and a couple of pot bellied pigs. What interests me most about this image is what it portrays or means to different people. What was your first thought when you looked at it??? For many it might be seen as a satanic or pagan symbol, for others it might be connected to Wicca traditions or the occult. Some may even see it as Baphomet or the goat of Mendes. This just goes to show how an image or symbol can mean many different things to different people. For me I saw a striking image that created atmosphere. Some of you might see some of my images of late becoming more dark in there subject matter. Well you can blame the Penny Dreadful TV show for that. I have always had an interest in Gothic and Victorian Horror as it sometimes merges into my other interests. Rest assured I dont subscribe to either side in life, be it Light or Darkness, Good or Evil, preferring to follow my own path and observe both sides, usually with a camera in hand.
The image itself was processed in my newly acquired version of Photoshop CC. I cropped the shot slightly and used a series of layers to create what I think looks like an old antique plate effect. You know the ones where a light-sensitive emulsion of silver-salts were applied to a glass plate. It took a bit of trial and error, blending the layers to get the end result, but I am extremely happy with this. It looks almost exactly how I envisioned the image in my head before I took the shot. Well thats it for this week, you can as always check out the rest of this weeks MMC images which will go live some time later today over on Leanne Cole’s Blog, depending on your time zone. Each week there are contributions from from photographers around the globe. So whether you are looking for inspiration or have a thing for black & white photography, you know were to find it. 🙂
To see more of these images, why not visit my Website or join me on Facebook or Twitter.
Well it certainly looks real to me! When I think of goats I am reminded of my childhood; we lived in a tiny rural village in Cyprus in what was a converted goat barn. The old brick manger was made into our sofa. My bedroom window didn’t even have glass in it, just a pair of ancient wooden shutters. And every morning we were woken by the tinkling bells around the goats’ necks as the herds were driven out into the hills to graze.
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Wow, that sounds like a very interesting way of life. I bet you could tell some great stories from your childhood 🙂
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I had hippy parents. Unfortunately, I have turned out way more conventional. Dont know how that happened lol!
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Thats always the way, kids always tend to go the opposite of their parents, Although my three are a strange mix, Ryan is afraid of his shadow, Ava is 4 going on 40 and Dylan, I reckon he will either end up in a maximum security prison or end up joining Seal Team 6. 🙂
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Haha! They sound like a great bunch of kids!
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Oh yeah, fancy taking them for a week? 🙂
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Ok swap my 3 for your 3!
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Deal, we shall see which parents survive lol 🙂
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Great bit of processing which worked exceptionally well for this image – glad it is NOT a real head, but had you not mentioned it – the processing would certainly have left the viewer wondering. I like this one very much even though it is a bit of a departure from your usual work. Good job!
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Thanks Robert, I really love how this one turned out. Sometimes you get an idea of how something should look and it does not always turn out like you imagined. Thankfully this was an exception. I managed to make it happen exactly as I saw it 🙂
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Certainly worth the effort it took.
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It looks real to me too. The goat is quite alert, content and seems wise. I almost expect him (her) to give me some advice about life. 😉 Great photo.
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He really does, Thank you Helen 🙂
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Glad you worked it out Ed… Mine was also very last minute… Couldn’t decide either.
Well this is interesting… It does look real and I think your processing suits the content. Great textures too!
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Thank you so much Robyn 🙂
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🙂
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Fantastic shot… I missed this weeks challenge ,.. Internet problems
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LOL, me too, after three hours on the phone I ended up fixing it myself. Just made it in the nick of time 🙂
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You’ve totally nailed the Victorian horror look! Well done. And I like (and share) your philosophy about being an observer….
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Why thank you, I tend to go through these phases 🙂
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Oh for a sec I thought it was a selfie. Just kidding!!!!!!! 😛
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LOL, The morning after the night before 😛
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hahahaha Yikes!!
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Great shot, I love the texture though it does seem to have an unnerving stare! 🙂
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Thank you Lisa, thats what drew me to it in the first place. The original was nothing special, but I saw something beyond that, glad you liked it 🙂
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Nice work.
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Monochrome reminds me of my old film days. There definitely was more definition in the old B/W. luckily now the digital cameras can still do this with many options.
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Thanks Leo, Sadly I missed out on the film days, but it is something I would love to learn 🙂
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Looks like something I saw from a satanic medieval picture, otherwise quite spooky (I am veggie)
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🙂
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