My Beautiful Art!
by Edmond Chan
In 2013, I believed that my still photographs could allow me to grow so that my energy would surge back from the struggle of my stroke life.
Previously, I had been so tired, heavy & weak but now I strolled on the avenues.
Roaming with my camera
With my cane, I walked through the streets in the casual manner and I would stop frequently.
From my jacket pocket, I had to pick up my small camera as light and airy.
I would focus my camera to see the picture that was interesting looking.
I would click from the highest point of the cathedral to the bottom of the sidewalk where I saw the beautiful leaves.
With my thumb curled around the camera, my one eye would aim and move quickly from wide to close up and zoomed from higher angle to lower angle with a freedom I hadn’t reached but the camera could easily find.
But I had an inkling of creativity and imagination.
Getting into 'the motion'
After 2015, as I continued my recovery from the stroke by then I had 70% of my regular self. I next realized I could make various slide shows using pictures from Dennis’s various family gatherings.
I would be able to show from the point view of “motion picture”. I figured out the process and then I found it.
I brought that together with close ups, wide shots, transitions and many more from the slide show.
On my computer I had been working hard to find a film tool called “Movie Maker”. Using my original photo/file, and using my editing skills I discovered that it was easy to follow.
These “motion pictures” that I had lost since the stroke were found again through the slide show. I wanted to show that motion, space and time. All these film ingredients to create and to solve! I would begin the short stories from “Beautiful!” to “The Tree of Life”.
Adapt and renew
But alas, the “primary” tracks of the slide show in this system were “simple” and slow, the short and clumsy tracks of the program wouldn’t budge an inch with no special effect nor palettes.
In 2016, one day my niece’s husband, Vinh sent me a new video program to check out. I had been reading quickly and then through Vinh I ordered the sleek Nero Video program.
Finally, I found a new expensive system with a wonderful range of editing tools. I love it so much! Thank you, Vinh!
I transferred my original photo/file to load into Nero Express Editing.
I imported files of original photos and opened each “Picture” and then dragged it to the Video/Picture as I call it, an “escalator”, with an effect palette including video effects, audio effects, text, transitions, clip boards etc.
And there’s a “transition duration” feature which ties the knot of the “Video/Picture”. It’s an incredibly easy and fast format!
I am grateful for this level of my “Filmmaker” life.
It's never the end...
In April 5th 2020, 87% of my regular self, I realized that the still photograph overlapping another still photograph would create “Art!”
As for example, on the Nero editing tools, I first discovered my still photograph of beautiful autumn leaves and then next step, my second photograph of a pretty girl standing in the church yard could MESH together with a crossfade transition I could see with my one eye. It was extraordinarily lucky that finally, there were surreal images that I never knew about!
And with the special effect, these beautiful scenarios would become intense POETRY!
And then I quickly pointed my camera to snap the bizarre pictures!
These were the rough sketches. But it was a proposal that might have a final rendition in store!
Spectacular! Stupendous!
Eureka!
These beautiful images were unfolding faster and faster…
The beginning not the end!...