Spoiler Alert!  In my 'Exposed' series of articles I reveal some of the secrets behind how I created my images.  If you don't want to know how I made 'Fish out of Water’ & ‘Three of a Kind' stop reading now!

I love playing around with images. For me, one of the greatest challenges and pleasures is taking a single shot and creating a triptych which embodies an entirely new character and alternative perspective.

‘Fish out of Water’ and ‘Three of a Kind’ share a special relationship as they both incorporate the same original image, but turn out rather differently!

This is the source image for ‘Fish out of Water’ and the middle panel of ‘Three of a Kind’. I was drawn to its dynamic rainbow colours and beautiful expansive curves.

Fish out of Water

‘Fish out of Water’ was the first of the triptychs I began working on. Initially focusing on the collection of colours at the top of the frame, I decided to make a fairly tight crop (the image on the left above) and then mirrored it just to see how it would look. My mind immediately associated this shape with the tail of a fish. After that it was just a matter of finding the long ‘body’ section to go with it (right image above).

You may have spotted that my ‘fish’ has put on a little weight and is somewhat ‘fatter’ than the original cropped body section would suggest. Indeed, he has been partaking from the bounteous sea – this is because I wanted to keep the same aspect ratio for all of the ‘A’ sized print dimensions.

Three of a Kind

I decided I’d done about the best I could with using just the single shot and constructing a triptych. Now I was looking to create a triptych incorporating three different and distinct images. By this time, I’d really come to appreciate the original source image for ‘Fish’, so was fairly determined to see if I could utilise it again somehow. Now the hunt was on to find two other pictures which would work with it.

I finally made my selection, but as they stood, I couldn’t seem to find a way of organising the shots into a triptych which was balanced. Everything felt very one-sided.

I then hit upon the idea of mirroring each image. This gave each panel more stability at the base and a more rounded, complete feel. I was much happier now with my colourful triumvirate.

Musical Curves & Colours

Knowing me, there’s usually a hint of something musical lurking in the background of many of my shots. These two triptychs are no exception. A piano was incorporated in their construction!

The black lacquered finish of my piano is very shiny and great for reflections, so I hung my colourful scarf on the bookcase, knowing that this would be picked up well in the instrument.

Getting in close to the edge, I spotted the colours were wrapping themselves beautifully around the curved surface. Transforming myself into a bit of a contortionist, I then lay on the floor and looked up at the edge of the piano, all the while holding my erstwhile camera and undertaking feats of abdominal strength an aerobics instructor would be proud of!

I decided to use a macro lens and a very narrow depth of field when taking the shots so I could blur out as much of the background as possible, eliminating any suggestion of the scarf’s texture and highlighting the amorphous and indistinct blend of colour.

More Piano and Scarf Fun and Games

My piano and scarf feature prominently in the construction of another image – check out the Exposed blog post for ‘Colour Cathedral’.

And my ever-versatile scarf comes to the fore again in ‘Colour Contours’.

Jane Trotter is an abstract photographer living in Dunedin, New Zealand. Reimagining everyday objects found around the home, Jane transforms them into colourful and dramatic pieces of contemporary art. Her Fine Art Prints are available in sizes A4 to A1.

Spoiler Alert!  In my 'Exposed' series of articles I reveal some of the secrets behind how I created my images.  If you don't want to know how I made 'Prismatic' stop reading now!

It’s amazing what your subconscious can come up with. A shot can be years in the making if you go right back to the very first inklings of the idea and then follow the creative process through to its conclusion. ‘Prismatic’ is one of these shots – a triptych which was a long time coming.

How did it all begin?

‘Prismatic’ didn’t begin as a triptych at all. In fact, the original image, ‘Glass Triangles’ was one which I was very content with for many years.

I loved the vivid colours and angular patterns – I could look at it for ages, finding new areas of interest to delve into and shapes to connect in my imagination.

Improvised Stained-Glass Window

‘Glass Triangles’ came about from playing with this colourfully painted vase.

Reminding me of stained-glass windows, and taking my inspiration from them, I decided the best way to capture and exaggerate the colours was to use strong backlight.

I ventured out onto our deck, and was delighted to see just how well everything ‘spilled’ out onto the white paper and how rich and deep the colours were.

The Next Chapter

That could have been where the story ended, and for a long time it did. But inspiration comes in many shapes and sizes and it was the tiniest of ornaments which propelled me to revisit the image with a new challenge in mind.

This tiny prism graces our kitchen window. I’ve often admired its simple yet intricate design, and taken much pleasure in the dancing lights which tease our kitchen walls as the light shines through.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I made a connection. That image I’d made years before with all of the triangles and rainbow colours – I could transform it into a prism just like the one in the window! I could make a triptych.

I Had a Plan

It was all systems go. I began to experiment with different crops to find areas which would work well together. I knew symmetry would play an important part, so there needed to be continuity of line and shape, as well as a balancing of the many varied colours.

In the end, the top two panels were relatively straightforward to find. With a 180 degrees rotation (and vertical flipping of the left panel) the long edges would now be pointing upwards and form the apex of the prism.

Creating the bottom panel took a lot more work and ingenuity. Not only did I have to incorporate the bottom edges of the prism and provide a sense of stability, but also ensure the colours successfully matched and counterbalanced those on top.

After a lot of trial and error and “that’s still not quite right!” muttered under my breath, I managed to find what I was looking for. As you can see, I’ve mirrored the cropped segment to create one long horizontal panel for the base of the triptych.

Journey’s End

They say ‘good things come to those who wait’. ‘Prismatic’ took a while to gestate, but I’m very happy with the end result. Looking back at all the stages of its evolution (perhaps ‘incubation’ is a more apt description), it’s fascinating to see the interconnections and apparently small observations which can set us off on a new path of creativity.

Jane Trotter is an abstract photographer living in Dunedin, New Zealand. Reimagining everyday objects found around the home, Jane transforms them into colourful and dramatic pieces of contemporary art. Her Fine Art Prints are available in sizes A4 to A1.