What is a Living Photo?

A “Living Photo” is a new art medium that is completely different than posters, paintings and traditional photography. Although “Living Photos” are created with video loops, they differ greatly from Youtube videos or feature films. At first glance, "Living Photos" appear to be traditional framed photography. People are surprised and often delighted, after a few seconds when they realize that what they thought was a photograph, is actually an image in motion.

The idea of “Living Photos” came to me about 20 years ago when I thought  of creating photos that moved. Imagine a picture of a window with the curtain blowing lightly in the breeze. I wanted to create these “Living Photos” and hang them on the wall. I thought it was a great idea, but back then I didn’t have the equipment, the know-how or the resources to make it happen. 

In 2011 I realized that the technology was finally available that would allow me to make my idea of “Living Photos” a reality. My Nikon DSLR camera had video capabilities and I could purchase relatively inexpensive digital photo frames that would display short video loops. I created mixed media boxes to contain and frame these small digital displays and created my first prototype. It wasn’t long before I found myself completely consumed by this new project and I scrambled to create about 12 pieces for an artist showcase in NYC. It was challenging to say the least! But my excitement about the project outweighed the problems.

Never, in my entire career as an artist, had I ever seen people so excited and enthusiastic about my work! They described the work as “mesmerizing”, “relaxing” “innovative” and “unique”. I have continued to exhibit my "Living Photos" in New York and Connecticut over the years and I am now hoping to display them in health care settings where people can benefit from the soothing effect of watching beautiful scenes of nature in motion.

RIVER ANGEL

I announced that I was holding a raffle for one of my Living Photo prototypes, RIVER ANGEL during our last Open Studio Event at Whiting Mills. For a chance to win, I asked people to help build my on-line presence by following and/or liking me on social media.

https://www.instagram.com/debralill/

And thanks to everyone who entered and supported me! There were quite a number of entries and the winner’s name was picked from the “hat” yesterday.

Congratulations to Bob Stern!
Hope you enjoy your new fish!

Image Title: RAIN DANCE

The Question People Always Ask Me At Open Studios

My Studio Wall. Studio #320, Whiting Mills in Winsted CT

While this Blog is meant to serve as a “virtual” open studio, on June 11th & 12th we held our “Actual” Spring Open Studios Event at Whiting Mills. Over 600 people attended and I enjoyed seeing many new faces, as well as old friends who stopped by to say hello and share their support. I have participated in numerous Open Studio Events over the years and I am always asked the same question:

How did I become a book cover artist?

So let me take this opportunity explain…starting with the time that I was an Illustration major at RISD. Back to the day when my life changed forever….

 I was taking a photography course during my senior year, just to appease my mother who kept bugging me about learning photography before I graduated. On this particular day a guest photographer came to our class to demonstrate a variety of alternative photo printing techniques. One such process was a cyanotype method, which involved applying the light sensitive chemicals to watercolor paper and exposing it (along with the large sized negative) to ultra-violet light (aka, the sun). I watched in amazement as a blue photographic image emerged from the watercolor paper when washed in water. She demonstrated a more modern alternative process as well, with something called “Liquid Light” (which I see is still sold at B&H Photo). I found the results of this process to be nothing short of magical. Liquid Light is light sensitive and must be used in the dark room. She spread the thick white liquid onto fine art paper with a brush and then processed in the same way as regular photo paper. The difference was, that with liquid light, the image came out looking like a sketch, due to the brush strokes and the textured paper. Keep in mind, this was well before Photoshop, Instagram and digital photo filters that can create this effect with a simple click of a button.

To say I was excited about the demonstrations that day would be a vast understatement! I immediately abandoned my senior project of mixed media in favor of alternative photography. With only 6 weeks left until graduation, I was strongly urged to reconsider. But I assured my teachers that this is what I wanted to do. HAD TO DO! I had found an art medium I was passionate about, and nobody was going to stop me from pursuing it.

A few different types of Alternative Photo Prints: Bottom Prints are cyanotypes. Top from Left to Right: Palladium, Platinum & Liquid Light

I knew I was going to have to figure out a way to make a living after graduation and I decided that my work would be perfect for book covers. Book publishers needed interesting images for their jackets and my photo-illustrations were the perfect blending of the reality of photography with the unreality of drawing and painting. The final image was a combination of real and unreal, much like a good story.

Some of my early book cover images. Left to right: Early Photoshop Image, Cyanotype & Liquid Light

I knew that the publishers needed my work, but unfortunately they didn’t know it! After years of hard work and persistence I started slowly began to receive book cover assignments and eventually was able to make a decent living as a photo-illustrator working for publishers in New York. I have been creating book cover images for quite some time now and I feel very fortunate to say that my photo-illustrations have graced the covers of books written by many best-selling authors, such as John Grisham, James Patterson, Mary Higgins Clark and Debbie Macomber, just to name a few.  (www.lillimages.com)

I would love to share some of the behind-the-scenes details of my book cover projects with you, so stay tuned….

A few book cover projects I have worked on.

Please Come in.....

I have a beautiful daylight studio located in the historic Whiting Mills building in the Litchfield Hills of Northwestern Connecticut (www.whitingmills.com ). There are over 40 artists & artisans in the building and twice a year, we open our studio doors and invite the public in to see the creative work we do. Visitors seem genuinely interested and curious about our work, and this has inspired me to start a Blog as my virtual “Open Studio”, where visitors can come and see what I’m up to all year long. I currently make my living as a book cover artist ( www.lillimages.com ), but as a visual artist I juggle many different creative projects all at the same time.

In a normal week I might be working on any or all of the following type of creative projects:

PHOTO SHOOTS - Get a behind the scenes look at a book cover in the making as I shoot for a variety book cover projects! 

LIVING PHOTOS • I'm currently building my portfolio of Living Photos. Watch me as I experiment with lot's of new and crazy ideas!

PAINTINGS & MIXED MEDIA • Getting back to my roots as an artist! I hope to find some time to paint and create mixed media pieces in the studio very soon! I promise to share my techniques with you as I work.

PHOTO-RETOUCHING, RESTORING & TINTING  •  I spend a lot of time enhancing photos in a variety of ways. They might be from my own personal collection of vintage photography or for a book cover project, like this image I tinted for the Danielle Steel Novel PRODIGAL SON . Check in as I share a variety of Photoshop techniques with you.

Up until this moment, I have been creating my work alone in my studio. Now I would love to share my work in progress with you each week. I am especially excited about the new creative venture that I am working on…. Living Photos. I’m not sure where this path will lead, but I hope you will join me as I find my way in this new direction.