Today I’m sharing edits of MoPOP displays I saw in Seattle, Washington. The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The displays feature music, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and more.
My first image shows a still from a video playing on a dragonfly’s eyes. The sculpture itself is beautiful, and seeing a screen on its eyes was unexpected.
For this edit, I cropped out the people at the bottom and used a warming filter to enhance the color.
The next picture is of a Borg costume. These part humanoid, part robot beings are first introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation. They are known for their tagline, “Resistance is futile.”
For this edit of MoPOP displays, I cropped the photo, eliminated reflections, changed it to black and white, and added a dark vignette effect. I didn’t like the dark frame over the head, so I lightened it.
The next image is of the reluctant guard and the cowardly lion costumes from The Wizard of Oz.
The first thing I did in the edit was a perspective correction. It makes the edges you select turn into a square. I cropped the picture and eliminated most of the reflections. This one had a LOT of reflections so I used a scratch remover, cloning tool, and a paintbrush tool. I used a light vignette tool on this image.
I took the next picture in the horror section of MoPOP. The Chucky doll from Child’s Play is in the upper right of the picture. I imagined him waiting patiently for the visitors nearby to get close to him.
For this edit, I cropped the picture, eliminated reflections, and added a red filter. Then I lightened Chucky’s face just a little to highlight his gruesome grin.
Edits of MoPOP iconic sculpture
The last picture is of the massive IF VI WAS IX sculpture. When I decided to feature edits of MoPOP displays, I knew I’d have to include this iconic piece. The museum first opened in 2000, and it was called the Experience Music Project. This sculpture was its centerpiece. Exhibit designer Neal Potter conceived IF VI WAS IX, and sound sculptor Trimpin brought it to life. It includes 500 musical instruments and 30 computers.
I straightened and cropped the photo. Then I eliminated some of the lights and a big sign and dulled the brightness of several spotlights. I decided to leave a couple of visitors in the finished image to show the scale.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – #154/410 – One Photo Edited
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Siobhan, thanks for sharing these astonishing photos. I also appreciate your detailed explanations of your editing process. What a great gallery!
Thank you, Egidio! I think of editing photos as a form of art.
I look at it that way, too. It is where I add my vision to what I saw.
I think the dragonfly’s eyes piece is super cool!
Yes, I thought so too! 😀
I appreciate your detailed explanations of your editing process Siobhan, it is well done and most of it is unseen to the viewer as you illustrate so well to us. And as for cropping is is a great tool when done well, many times in places like these it is hard to get it image straight from the camera. A great post on editing!
Great examples! I really like the dragonfly eye as well!
Thanks! I never would have thought of putting video on eyes.
The efforts you’ve got to with these photos really pay off – all the exhibits look clearer and more interesting with fewer distractions. And thanks for taking me back to MoPOP – we spent a great morning there!
Thanks, Sarah! It’s fun when they turn out well after editing. 🙂
Superb post Siobhan! Your choices are perfect and each of your edits has created an improvement without ruining the initial image and its message.The borg and the cowardly lion are my favorites but all are terrific.
Thank you, Tina! The lion was the most challenging with all those reflections.
What a cool museum and a great choice as a source of photos for this challenge. Your edits are fantastic, they really focus on to what is important.
Thank you, Sofia! Yes, there are lots of opportunities for taking pictures there.
Cool, Hugh the Borg. We met the actor at a Star Trek conference last year!
Wow, cool! The Borgs are one of the most memorable parts of Star Trek to me.