Realizing that I had limited myself greatly within my image, I had to make some drastic changes. My original “near reality” image contained a very neat knot garden. I really liked this element, but I didn’t have the complete knot, so it filled nearly a third of the landscape. I could not wrap anything around the side of the knot like a path or a waterway, so I felt very limited in what I could do with. Starting almost from scratch, I decided to use multiple hedges from many garden scenes to recreate my own unique “Alice” garden.
This project has also made me realize what a wonderful resource I have at the library. The internet is a great tool, but when it comes to finding quality images, nothing compares to photographs.
Also, I did a photo shoot with a friend who posed as Alice for me. She was great. We decided to have her pose in ways that little girls might as they run around a new, exciting place. We curled her hair and put her in a great little frock that was not exactly an Alice replica, but close enough to hint at that idea. We had her sit cross legged, she had bad posture, and was very whimsical and lackadaisical. I photographed her in front of a white background in order to be able to cut her out easier. I do not plan on making her the dominant subject within the image. I almost want it to be a “Where’s Waldo” feel. She is going to pop up in random places throughout the image, as if she is searching for something. I am really excited for how this is going to turn out, but I still have a very long way to go.
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