Jumat, 07 Agustus 2020

Surrealist photographer Todd Cleave brings WA's South West and Kimberley together in stunning images - ABC News

The waves of Western Australia's southern coast and the boab trees of the state's far north are not usually seen together, but a Kimberley artist is changing that.

Photographer Todd Cleave lives between the two, splitting his time between Broome and the South West.

With a passion for photography, he combines images from around the state into one photo, creating stories through surrealist compositions.

It was during lockdown where he says YouTube became his university, learning to use Photoshop and create these images.

"I could just be driving along and see something, a tree, an old building, a letterbox, could be anything and an idea can come from that," he said.

"I don't see what other people see sometimes, I see a little bit more, and I like to add that into my photos."

Lady sitting in cart, in front of old broome cinemas with boab tree on right.
Cleave will often use up to 10 separate photos to create one piece.(Supplied: Todd Cleave)

Heavily inspired by the Kimberley and South West region, Cleave incorporates the two regions together.

"I take photos from down south, and a lot from around Broome, and I incorporate them into one photo," he said.

"I try to create this story. I'm not too big with photos straight out of my camera."

Man taking photo of boab tree, with ocean in background
Cleave says he finds the beauty in the small things.(ABC Kimberley: Tom Forrest)

A new outlet

Cleave is now able to show people how he views the world, and it's all thanks to technology.

"I couldn't create like this before computers, you had to paint or draw it, but I'm just no good at that," he said.

"When the technology came out, I realised I could show people what was in my head."

A camel in bushland next to a boab tree, created in photoshop.
Composites can take hours to make, tweaking light and shadows to make it look realistic.(Supplied: Todd Cleave)

Cleave said it was very hard to explain what you saw creatively, and he was only limited by how good he was on the computer.

"When you try and describe to someone what you see, it's almost impossible, so when I found Photoshop, it was like Christmas," he said.

"Once I learned all the tools, I can just cut loose."

All or nothing

One of the rules Cleave lives by, is that every image used has to be his, and that can mean travelling hundreds of kilometres to find a lighthouse.

"If it's all my work, the reward is great, I try to tell as much of a story as I can with some of them, if not, I scrap the idea," he said

"I could use a boab tree from here, a lighthouse from down south, just different subjects I've taken from around WA."

Todd Cleave taking a photo facing towards the camera
Cleave hard at work behind the camera, an exacting process.(ABC Kimberley: Tom Forrest)

A form of art

Cleave has had a good response to his work from the community, but he does not hold any expectations, as he's just using this as a new creative outlet.

"In a lot of them I use my partner, just of her in the house, in different positions, and I will create a scene around her," he said.

"Once I'm onto something, I won't stop, I don't want to put this stuff in the cupboard," he said.

"As an artist, at the end of the day, you're just doing it for your self."

Camera on rock and man behind on laptop, with ocean in background.
Todd Cleave learned to use editing software over the lockdown period.(ABC Kimberley: Tom Forrest)

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA4LTA4L3RvZGQtY2xlYXZlLXN1cnJlYWwtYXJ0aXN0LWJyaW5nLW91dGJhY2stYW5kLWNpdHktdG9nZXRoZXIvMTI1MDQ1OTjSASdodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTI1MDQ1OTg?oc=5

2020-08-08 00:25:00Z
CAIiEAQ4JH1Sqy5V5Eh3oQlz_uQqFggEKg4IACoGCAow3vI9MPeaCDDc2g4

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