Russian Village
Northern Russia 2009
I’ve gotten the idea, from my reading, that villages in old Russia were rather tumbledown affairs. Maybe it was due to the long, harsh winters where any improvements done in the summer were quickly undone by heavy snows. And maybe it was due to the Russian predilection for vodka. And, too, the villagers didn’t own anything. It all belonged to the landowner… so why do any more than absolutely necessary. If you traveled in Russia before the fall of communism, you will know what I am talking about.
I’ve used several types of software to make this village replicate the one in my mind. First, I always prepare the photo in Photoshop then I try Alien Skin’s Exposure and Topaz Impression. The trick is to try the same sequence of software applications several times. That’s how I got these wild grasses and the lowering sky.