Drawing really helps me. With ideas, composition and (of course) the components you need to shoot.
I did a couple of hours linkedIn learning on compositing. The bulk of this one about compositing the man in the bottle. Another Sean Duggan. He's really good and a good explainer. Unlike the last, where it was only compositing, this one goes from conception to finished. I learned: more on blending modes, skies, water and landscape elements for compositing, recognising & photographing symbolic elements, location shooting for composites (landscapes, model & prop), studio shooting for composites, shooting tethered / Light room & studio mocks ups & more on compositing (man trapped in bottle).
I realise There is a lot to learn. My weekend is now a routine of shooting Saturday morning, watching a bit more of learning, then compositing an image Sunday, along with the LinkedIn learning. This pretty much takes all day, but I save all the layers and masks, so I can go back to finesse any work at any time. Here is last weeks image a bit better and 2 versions of the image I plan as the 1st to the series with 2 blending modes.
2. Absence
1. innocence, linear light blending mode. I think I'll start the sky a bit higher up.
Normal blending mode
Lastly, I want this to be a story. A progression. I'm still not locked into a title, but I want to research Grayson Perry's 'TheVanity of Small Differences' - a series of six tapestries. Its a progressive story that charts a mans rise from class to class, to ultimate death. It is the opposite of my story but VERY pertinent. It is not about home...but it is.