Richard Smith explores unexpected interrelationships between everyday images through surrealist photomontage.

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‘A subtle crossroads’ – ©Richard Smith

Although I primarily use a discontinued app, Photoforge2, its functionality exists in others, and my general process involves extensive masking and multiple layers set to different layer modes – the equivalent of Photoshop’s overlay, multiply, and screen are the ones I most frequently use.

‘Be the butterfly’ – ©Richard Smith

I start with a background and gradually work in foreground elements that make sense in moving toward an overall composition. I’ll be in full-color at first, then as I experiment with scaling and position, decrease the saturation on all elements to zero. 

‘City Lights’ – ©Richard Smith

I then selectively hide and reveal various elements I’ve brought in on their own layers, using brushes of varying size, opacity and hardness. I like to think of it as painting with the background or sometimes the foreground.

‘Find what you love’ – ©Richard Smith

My process is like carving a sculpture, with the edges of my fingers forming lines to define shapes and reveal serendipitous relationships — not unlike physically placing individual elements as in a paper collage — except I do this through masking, blending and mimicking established photographic techniques like solarization or vignetting. Each piece is meticulously crafted with these and other ingredients, using direct touch to form a hierarchy of narrative. A final composition is the culmination of fusing disparate elements into a kind of empyrean abstract union.

‘The delicate balance’ – ©Richard Smith

Finally, I add a small copyright and signature in the corner with my handle, "rsmithing," since that’s where I am on the web in pretty much any site you can think of. If you see me there, please check out my stuff, say hi, and follow if you like.