Hadley-While it is not unusual for parents to encourage and inspire their children to pursue their talent, Kelly Vohs will tell you it was her children that made an artist of her.
Creative photography and image editing ‘started with the joy of my kids,? said Vohs, a village resident who was recently selected as one of the winners of the Great Detroit Photo Contest.
According to www.greatdetroitphotos.com, photos for the contest’sponsored by several Detroit area news outlets? had to be fit into one of the following categories: Michigan landscapes; people having fun in Michigan; Michigan landmarks; or creative use of the WWJ logo in Michigan.
Vohs? winning photo features a miniaturized image of 2-year-old daughter, Madeline, dressed as a fairy playing in the morning dew on the grass beside a web.
‘I call those ‘fairy blankets? to my girls,? says Vohs, pointing to the sparkling web in the photograph.
Vohs decided to enter the picture, along with several others, in the contest after being told about the competition by her mother.
‘I thought, ‘why not??? says Vohs. She admits to being a bit surprised to find out she was one of the winners selected in the category of ‘people having fun.? Vohs was awarded with a six megapixel Panasonic luminex DMC-T21 camera and some gift certificates for her photo, in addition to becoming eligible to become the grand prize winner in the final round, which is still being judged.
Vohs says her appreciation for photography came with the birth of her first child, Tara, following years of infertility issues.
‘There was a point where I really thought I just wasn’t going to be able to have children, that just wasn’t in the plans for me,? says Vohs. So when Tara was born, moments seemed more inspiring and worth capturing, Vohs explained. Photography naturally followed, though the stay -at- home mom had no formal training.
‘I was all self taught,? says Vohs. ‘It was a hobby. I just enjoyed doing it.?
Eventually Vohs began experimenting with different digital editing techniques, allowing her to put her girls in magical worlds and impossible settings in her photographs.
Vohs says the creative photos were such a hit, she began making them for family and friends. Then the idea of turning the hobby into a business came up and this summer, ‘Imagine it Photo Editing? was born.
‘I can take any snapshot and turn it into a creation,? says Vohs.
In addition to inserting people and animals into a variety of imaginative backgrounds, Vohs says she is able to edit photos with: vintage tint; photo restoration; soft focus; spot color; removal of unwanted images or people; an effect that makes photos look like paintings and, Vohs? personal favorite, a digital make-over that can erase fine lines and wrinkles, as well as imperfections such as yellowed teeth or under-eye circles.
Vohs has chronicled her progress in her blog: imaginationcreations.blogstream.com. A website is under construction.