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Creative burnout happens to everyone. If you’re feeling like your photo efforts are getting repetitive, I invite you to strap on your creativity cap and climb onto the playground of mixed media photography.
Photo by Yan L
Mixed media photography is an art discipline that seeks to unify a variety of art forms. This purpose is achieved by creatively combining an array of artistic insights and crafts into one final creative photograph.
The example photo above is a very talented use of mixed media. It combines photography with paper cutting and illustration.
Think about all the different shapes that you could cut out of a piece of paper or cardboard! What type of background would you place behind your cutout to create drama or artistic meaning in your final photo?
To get started, let’s concentrate on four forms of mixed media photography:
- Projection
- Paper and Metal
- Paint
- Print Juxtaposition
A Quick Note on Lighting
Mixed media is one of those fringe areas of photography where virtually anything goes when it comes to lighting.
Once you’ve developed an idea, I suggest using testing lighting scenarios, as this may inspire further thinking and depth into your creative process.
Projection
Photo by Isi Parente
In this technique, you project a light source onto your subject. But, unlike regular photography, you place something in front of the light source to create patterns, color or tone.
Getting Started
Find a few light sources. Here are some suggestions:
- Electronic flash
- Photo lights
- Powerful flashlight
- Household lamps
- Work lights (typically found at hardware stores)
Photo by seagul
Idea: You can find old slide projectors, overhead projectors or video projectors at garage sales and …