Winfield man edits photo to create 'whimsical' image
When Randy Link sees something unusual or even weird, he gets it on his camera's memory card.
But that's not where he leaves it.
The Winfield photographer says he often uses his prowess with photo editing software to alter his photos to align them with the images he envisions internally.
"There's more to photography than meets the eye. I can see the images in my mind. I kind of see in my mind how I would like the image to look when I'm done," he said.
When he and his wife, Nancy, were vacationing in March in Sun City West, Arizona, the pair came across a display of artwork done by a Clay Club member at a retirement community.
One 5-foot-tall sculpture got Link's attention because it was so different from the rest.
"It just kind of reminded me of something out of this world," he said.
He got down low, near the ground and gazed up at the object, looking for the ideal photographic perspective.
"I took a lower view of it, so it gets the clouds in the background. I saw it against the sky and I thought, 'whoa, it looks like a UFO,'" he said.
Just that week, he had heard that NASA was shipping its InSight spacecraft, which is expected to explore the interior of the Martian planet, to California for its spring launch. So, space exploration was top of mind.
When he got back to his computer, he used the Photoshop Elements cloning tool to add more clouds and subtract the sculpture's stand so that the work appears airborne.
The result, which Link has titled "Mars Launches Ship to Earth," is the May winner of the Daily Herald's Photo Finish contest. As the man behind the winning photo, Link will receive a $50 gift certificate for PJ's Camera in Glen Ellyn.
"It's whimsical. He manipulated the photo, but that's OK. It's a cool effect," said Daily Herald DuPage photo director Bev Horne.
Link said he often manipulates photos to create his desired effect. But not always.
"I like regular shots, too," he said.
Retired from his career working for a Naperville-based electronic security firm, Link said he got his start as a photographer when he was a boy.
"I kind of grew up with my father taking photos all the time," he said. "He had a darkroom and he enjoyed taking photos the old-fashioned way, with the (light) meter."
Even back then, before computerized photo editing was available, his father used filters and simple techniques to modify exposures.
"Everybody knows anybody can take pictures. It's about creating an image," he said. "I like to make sure the image looks appealing to the viewer. The grandkids like it when I can turn their images into cartoons."
He made his winning shot with a Canon G15, a digital camera.
"You don't necessarily need a fancy camera; most of these digital cameras do pretty well these days," he said.
About our contest
If you'd like to submit a photo, email it in .jpg format with at least 300 dpi resolution to dupagecontest@dailyherald.com. Be sure to include your name, address and a phone number, plus a description of where you took the photo and why you like it. The monthly winner will receive a $50 gift certificate from PJ's Camera, Pickwick Place Plaza, 662 Roosevelt Road, Glen Ellyn.