We are free to roam again. Anna and I headed to where vineyards, farms and goldfield settlements paint an historical tapestry across a stretch starting from Warrandyte and Hurstbridge to Lancefield and Daylesford. I didn’t take my Sony, having no intention of doing more than enjoying the day. And it was a lovely day, with the dazzling Melbourne sun that bakes the ground and sets the sky shimmering, and a hot northerly tugging at the trees. We enjoyed the meandering back roads, and ate at a typical country pub in Daylesford before sauntering along the streets, poking at Art Deco collections and cooing over craft clothing and vintage jewellery. At Daylesford Lake, where we wandered along the encircling path, stopping at all the rights viewing spots to take in the pine shrouded hills and the well-sited houses.
And through all of this, I began snapping shots on my phone. Plenty of the scenery, and of Anna in her dazzling yellow dress. I didn’t intend for more than private memories, but when I came home (and after a long rest and a cool shower to wash away the dirt of the day), I shoved them into my favourite app, Prisma, to see what art I could make. And here you have it: a postcard story.
I actually really like the tone of these images. The blues are diluted almost grey, the colours in general muted except for the deepest greens and brightest yellows, and the sky just a hint below washed out white. I have no idea how Prisma creates this tonal pallet, but now I have a mission. To put these photos into Affinity Photo, figure out the tonal transformations, and then save it as a preset so I can render photos with the same nostalgic quality. So next blog post, you might see the photo equivalent of these pictures.
