I have been thinking quite a bit about my photography lately, particularly about instilling more into my photos. By that I mean more of me, something beyond just recording sights that are beautiful. One of the things I have been experimenting with (among several) is making images with a bit of mystery to them. Why this building? What happens here? Why are we here?

This particular photo was taken with a Lensbaby Velvet that I was experimenting with, and the air of mystery obviously comes not so much from the subject, but from the appearance of the subject. In this case there is an overall blur and cold tones on the front of the building, as well as the closed doors and the unusual ‘altar’ in the front.

This was the first time I shot with the Velvet and, though I like the results, the ‘jury is still out’ in my mind. I say that not because of the results, but because I believe I can achieve similar results (and with greater control) using Photoshop along with several plug ins. Then again, there is something alluring about not having complete control. There is always some uncertainty about exactly what that final image will look like with the Velvet. You can see it on the back of the camera, but the entire effect really isn’t totally apparent until you view the image at a larger size. More experimentation seems warranted.

A Touch Of Mystery

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