Quadio’s Spring Visual Arts Club is now officially over, and given I’ve documented the first three meetings on this blog, I figured I would recap and discuss this last meeting as well.

Our prompt for this last meeting was “Reflection”. As I discussed in a few of my previous posts, this prompt gave me some trouble. I was having difficulty finding inspiration and meaning in my photography, and that ended up causing me to rush for the final product. So, it definitely wasn’t my finest work, but it made me much happier than the other projects I attempted had made me.

For this meeting, all the groups combined into one, which was super awesome, and allowed me to see the work of even more visual artists I hadn’t seen before, especially with graphic artists and illustrators. It was really cool to see their inspiration and the work they had been doing.

I did end up sharing two photos I had worked on using Lightroom and Photoshop, though prefacing they weren’t perfect and I wanted to attempt the shoot again when I wasn’t so rushed, or had a model with me that made the shooting process easier than it had been when I was self-modelling.

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Compared to the original photos, the editing was actually pretty good, though it doesn’t look too edited (which, I guess, is a good thing). The photo on the left I used Photoshop to get some images out of the background as well as to warp the dress as my foot was showing under the skirt and the shoe kind of ruined the image. I’m actually really happy with how successful the edits were on that photo. The photo on the right I used Photoshop to insert my reflection in the water, and though I like how that reflection came out, I overlooked the reflection of my hand, which kind of shatters that illusion and makes Photoshop more apparent. For my first time inserting a reflection and using layer masks, however, not too shabby. Both photos I used Lightroom to edit tone, coloring, contrast– all of those good things.

I got some positive feedback, which was really appreciated, especially after the week I spent doubting myself and my abilities.

While another Visual Arts Club hasn’t been announced yet, the Quadio reps did tell us that they were planning on continuing hosting them along with their musical clubs in the future, so that’s exciting. The response to the club overall was extremely positive, I think, and I’m super excited to join the next one. I’ve been trying to venture out a little more and connect with more creatives, so I’m super thankful for Quadio for allowing me to do that. I’ve met a bunch of great and talented people– and not just visual artists, either. I’ve met some great singers and producers, and I’m excited to continue to meet more.

Overall, I was extremely happy with my experience in the club. I think I grew as a photographer, if only from the struggle I faced in that last week. I also gained confidence and assurance in my craft, which is always a nice thing. I’ll keep you updated– if there’s another Visual Arts Club I’m able to join, you’ll definitely know.

Until next time!