Lynne Shackleton Ford

Bending Reality

Artist Statement

Bending Reality: Digital Composite Artistry

 As a fine art digital artist my goal is to “bend reality” by combining multiple images into a unique finished piece that can only exist through the artist’s effort.

Digital compositing shares similarities with traditional photography, however there are no rules limiting how much an artist can alter a piece. It also resembles mixed media, however it is a totally digital process from image capture through post‐processing in software to final printed output. 

My process starts with one or more images that I choose to blend into a single image either “in camera” or “in software”.  I use a variety of tools to distort reality when making the initial digital captures including Lensbaby lenses and wands, photography studio props, infrared converted cameras and even a large lightbox for shooting transparent subjects. Additional post‐processing takes place in Photoshop to create composites, paintings and the final fine art prints.  

This exhibit includes many examples of the real world being altered through Infrared, digital painting, lightbox transparency and studio photography.  While I still enjoy traditional landscape, flower and nature photography, I am drawn to the possibilities compositing offers to simply “create” and explore conceptual themes, environments and emotion. 

Please visit my website to see more of my work: www.lynneford.com 

Lynne Shackleton Ford – Artist Biography

My family’s chase of the “Kodak moment” in amateur photography started with my grandfather who documented his emigration to America in 1904 with his bellows camera and glass plates and continued with my father setting an example of creative “snapshots” as he actively documented our lives and travels well into his 90’s.

My own journey started at age 8 with a Girl Scout edition of a Kodak Brownie. This interest later morphed into a B.A in Art from the University of New Hampshire where I concentrated in two-dimensional art, including traditional photography. A series of jobs at newspapers and color print shops as a layout artist led to a 35+ year career in Retail Advertising/Marketing with a major retailer. There I supervised and trained a large art staff on digital tools (such as Photoshop) and helped steward our weekly color print production for 700 stores from an analog to digital world. 

In my personal work I was an early adopter of digital photography, digital painting and digital compositing and I have continually embraced new technology and skills as the tools have improved. 

Over the last 20 years I have had over 80 images juried into local and regional shows and have received over 25 awards ranging from Honorable Mention to Best in Show. I am a member of the Duxbury Camera Club and the Duxbury Art Association.

Please visit my website at www.lynneford.com.