Finishing photo-bashed jungle composition.

I came to the task of making a final composition of the temple I started previously to create a final design proposal. I was given the advice to rethink the elements in the background to make the scene more engaging for the viewer. The intention was to create an atmosphere of steep mountains surrounding the temple, perhaps this place being at the top of a mountain. The lake that is now surrounding the ruins of the temple works as visual support for the composition, to create a sense of fantasy or a surreal quality. The idea that water is surrounding the ruins of the temple creates the impression that we have found a place that is rare to find nowadays. Perhaps if we were to find ruins like these, the surrounding water would be drained to preserve the remaining architecture as best as possible. I find it interesting that sometimes the final decision is for example to keep vegetation like trees that have grown through architectural spaces, because if they were removed, the entire structure would colapse with nothing left to keep supporting it.

In terms of reference I think the bits and pieces I have selected work together in creating a cohesive image. I think that the overall impression of the image is realistic, although probably there are elements to still work with and change to create more integration as a whole. For instance to create more differentiation between the foreground, mid ground and background, I have changed the levels in Photoshop so that some elements appear darker and some lighter in relation to each other. For example the large slab of rock that runs along vertically to the left is very dark, creating the impression that it is very close to the viewer. When comparing that rock element to the mid ground of the lake and the waterfall, those are lighter in relation to the frame that this vertical shape is creating.

All the images I used for this scene were taken by me at different locations. The main temple architecture is from Cambodia, and the waterfall as well as the mountains in the background are from the Huangshan area in China. I was honestly very impressed to find that these types of mountain ranges that have been depicted in Chinese Ink paintings actually exist. Since this mountain range in Huangshan left an impression on me, I guess I unconsciously was looking for an opportunity to use these images for some kind of creative project.

As for the water effects I think I struggled a little in finding the right combination of effects that kept it looking realistic. The elements I knew I wanted to keep are the reflective quality of the water, not muddy or filled with water plants. This idea of very clean water I thought would increase the impression of sacredness, this purifying experience that crystalline water offers. I think I am likely going to keep working on the reflection effects of the water, perhaps by adding more textures or simply going by hand and adding a few more brushstrokes to separate the water from the architectural elements above.