About OpusStuf
Who or what is OpusStuf?
It’s a second generation photographer with a BBA in Business, followed by 10 years in retail photo/hifi store management, followed by 35 years in audio and wireless manufacturing running the sales and then the marketing departments. He did the product photography, wrote and published product manuals, data sheets, white papers, print advertising and catalogs for the manufacturer for 30 years. Born in Wyoming. Moved to New Mexico in 1957, and stayed there in a variety of locations since then. Now retired.
Photography has been a hobby and part of his professional work for over 50 years. Born and raised in a family with modest income, his background centered on figuring out how to make a lot of things, because they couldn’t afford to buy them. This was in addition to a sincere interest in understanding of how stuff actually works, instead of just “going through the motions” to make things.
The word Opus refers to a “created work” such as a literary or musical piece. The semi-word “Stuf” refers to anything that results from a serious effort involving refined skills. OpusStuf.com starts with photographic images and enhanced hand-drawn graphics offered as wall art in various sizes and formats. Gadgets, artifacts and eventually clothing and drinkware will be added as time permits. Everything has a “character” of some sort.
About the Dose of Character
It starts with meticulous photography, multi-image integration, optimized dynamic range and carefully crafted special effects. It ends with images that move into a unique realm between photography and illustration. At a distance, they are photographs. As you move in closer, the image becomes more like an illustration as the subtle details and shapes become more visible.
A Story with Every Image
Every image has a backstory. Some are explanations of how the image was made. Others provide info and details about the subject matter. And a few have fanciful characters, like the Stubbles. Just point out some details to start conversations. There is more going here than just some images hanging on the wall.
About Print Size and Detail
It is a bit “traditional” but still true that a large image needs to have lots of detail to be interesting to the viewer. The detail in a large image can be created with multiple objects or from details and textures in an enlarged single subject. Image size is also relative to the size of the space where it is exhibited. A 16×20 inch image on a wall in a 20 x 40 foot room will hardly be noticed. The same image on a 10 x 12 foot bedroom wall will certainly be noticed or even be dominate. Consider a 32×40 image on a 10 x 12 bedroom wall. A large image on a wall in a small space becomes the wall.
An enlarged macro photograph of a small object showing detail not seen with the naked eye is almost always interesting. Print it big so the details show and you are bound to have artwork that will attract attention and usually start a conversation. If you know the story behind the artwork, that’s even better. The conversation could actually move beyond courteous blab.
Fine Art, Fun Art and Meticulous Photography
The term Fine Art Photography is loosely used to describe photographs that are more than cell phone snapshots. It can include moody photographs such as black & white street photography, or images that required advanced skills and effort. AI has created a new category of imaging that can certainly stimulate emotions and thought.
Regardless of how you define Fine Art, the fact is that an image needs to tell a story in order to be interesting. It should stimulate an emotion, memory or further thinking. In essence, there needs to be a story attached to the image. Abstract images will elicit different responses from different people, depending upon whether or not they can relate to an experience of their own when they view the image. The story can also consist of a back story or explanation that provides information. If the image promotes an emotion, memory or deeper thought in the viewer’s mind, it will qualify as Fine Art by most people.
If the image presents a happy or humorous mood, why not call it Fun Art? If it’s enjoyable to look at, place it somewhere that it can readily be viewed. Some images might need a bit of explanation for a first-time viewer, but so what, that just makes it more fun and engaging. Nothing wrong with starting a conversation.
Meticulous is what describes the majority of the images in the opusstuf.com website. The photographs involved a variety of techniques and processes including focus stacking, panoramic image stitching, exposure and dynamic range manipulation, color hue and saturation adjustments, gradient opacity and blending, multi-image compositing, special effects with Photoshop and Topaz Labs software, and a few unique tricks with legacy software. It was typical to take several hours or sometimes even days of manipulation for a single image, followed by later tweaks.