BLOG - Irene M Bowers

International Visionography Awards

Jan 19, 2025

I occasionally participate in photographic competitions to challenge myself and remain relevant in my field. It was an incredible honor to receive awards in the International Visionography Competition and to be recognized alongside so many exceptionally talented artists. Among the recognized categories are fine art, restoration, and animal portraiture. Below are the images that were selected during this process, published by the IV Awards. I hope that you are inspired to create ...

Baby Steps

Jan 05, 2025

Let's be honest.....sometimes the most engaging images of your baby happen when it just, well, you and the baby! Not everyone has an expensive, state-of-the-art camera charged and ready to go at the exact moment your "little" decides to expressive themselves. Fortunately, with today's technology and smart phones with incredible resolution, creating the basis for an artistic painting has never been easier. Serving as the inspiration of the final painting, I started with a simple cell ...

Evolution of an Image

Dec 30, 2024

I absolutely love my Canon camera! My photographic equipment plays a big role in what I do, but it’s not the foundation of what I create. One of my greatest joys is spending time with my beautiful grandbaby, Hazel, who keeps me on my toes with her delightful energy. However, coordinating a formal session with my daughter’s busy family schedule proved to be a challenge. Photographing a lively sixteen-month-old without her parents’ involvement to help capture those fleeting ...

How This Cell Phone Image Became a Painting

Apr 03, 2024

From Cell Phone to Objet d'Art! The Process.... Never has there been a better time to create stunning images for clients. The tools at our fingertips endless. The trick is to have a vision and to master the skills to implement it! My goal in this post is to breakdown the process in this particular painting. Each image I am blessed to work with requires its own set of adjustments and edits. When I take the image personally, the process is easier as I am in control of the ...

Croquettes the Dutch Way!

Nov 22, 2023

Croquettes the Dutch Way Dipping into the Dutch culture around Christmas time will inevitably bring you festive gathering where, almost without questions, one can expect certain holiday treats, including one of the most anticipated: the croquettes. These treats, often called "bitterballen" are a meat-based snack, covered with a breaded coating, and deep fried (because, well, why not?). In the Netherlands, you can find these pretty much anywhere, any season. It's ...

The Artistry of Creating Custom Backgrounds

Sep 08, 2023

From Mini Canvas to Maxi Background Armed with a spirit of experimentation, I decided to flex a few creative muscles and create a new background, using a mini piece of canvas as the inspiration. So, I gathered my supplies, which also included my brushes, an old pie tin for mixing colors, and my small box of Marie Water Mixable Oil Colors (easily found on Amazon), and started off creating my miniature masterpiece. Okay, maybe not masterpiece. I literally began ...

Posing in Paris....

Jul 08, 2023

Posing in Paris Dipping your toes into unfamiliar territory is a little like, well, performing an Arabesque or Penche without point shoes. Before attending a lovely workshop presented by Jennifer Curry Wingrove, I didn't know the difference between an "Attitude Derriere" or a "Tendu". However, in this illuminating workshop, she not only covered the essentials of lighting these powerful athletes, but presented a crash course on terminology. And she can, because, as a ...

Prancing with Poodles

Apr 13, 2023

Okay, maybe it's not a poodle. But I needed a creative title and Lyra, as a labradoodle, is "poodle-esque" enough, so I'm sticking with that in this blog post title.There is a beautiful field near my home, a rare find in a city, but we're blessed with lots of little countryside type cutouts. Let's face it, for photoshoot featuring a dog (or small family, for that matter), one doesn't necessarily need a large landscape to create a memorable image. So, I asked a good ...

Cheetah Little

Mar 02, 2023

Cheetah Little No matter the extent of difficulty, creating composite images is akin to a baker creating the perfect croissant with many layers of buttery, flaky dough. (Sorry for the breakfast analogy, but, hey, that's what happens when blogging in the wee hours of the morning. Even the simplest composite contains numerous layers in its development stage. How I create images, and the tools and techniques I implement have a lot to do with intention. Will the piece ...

Summer Lovin'

Sep 02, 2022

Summer Lovin' There is undoubtably no greater source of joy than watching kids frolic on the shore. Those moments are spontaneous and fun! Sometimes those moments suddenly present themselves when, perhaps, the only photographer available is the one behind the cell phone....often the parent. But if you're a photographer, imagine the surprise you can delight your clients with if you could provide them with the opportunity to hang a custom designed piece of art for their ...