My name is Aleks Reba, and I'm a creative director from Germany. On my free time, I used to create different kinds of art (illustrations, photography). I also combine different techniques.
But after taking a lot of beautiful flower macros, I decided I wanted to take a deeper look into our beautiful nature. I thought that using x-rays would be a good idea. Almost all of these cool photos of flowers that I found where black&white or slightly colored. So I wanted to try it on my own.
First problem was finding the equipment that I could use for my x-ray images. After searching and asking a lot of institutions, I found a local medical facility which agreed to help me out by operating the technical stuff (because only medical facilities and trained staff are allowed to use this kind of x-ray equipment).
After several times of trial and error, I got some handy results. The unique art was created by using digital mammography.
With this technology, it was possible to see through all parts of pretty flowers and plants. With the use of digital post-processing, I turned the black&white into vivid images.
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Creating images from start to finish varies. The process starts with the choice of flowers. If they´re too small, details will be lost in the post-processing. And only the x-ray reveals whether a flower is suitable for processing or not. Because not every flower you choose will be good when they´re x-rayed.
Sometimes you have to take multiple x-rays with different settings and combine the individual images in post-processing.
And even when post-processing on the computer, only certain color combinations work, otherwise details are lost or are no longer so clearly visible.
If everything runs fine, a motif can be finished in 4-5 hours. I've also spent a few days completing an image.
And the most challenging part, as mentioned, is the part of getting images itself. You just can´t hit a button to get the perfect images you might expect. There is a lot of trial and error.
The most enjoyable part of this creative technique for me is the processing of the final Images when adding color to the image. That's the experimental part.
But also searching for new visuals, experimenting, and enjoying the process is what keeps me motivated as an artist. Even if it's hard work, sometimes it is satisfying to see the result and receive comments from others.
That´s a Alstroemeria commonly called the Peruvian lily or lily of the Incas.
For the future of this project, I still collect ideas of flowers or plants from around the world that could be used for my series.
Maybe I´ll do something with the cactus. Would be pretty chilling to move them around without being pierced.
If I had to choose my all-time favorite photo it would not be easy. I do have different images in different sizes and color combinations in my house. But if I had to choose only one, it would be the dark blue Rudbeckia or Black-Eyed Susan.
In the end, I would like to add, that if you have a vision but can not convert it to reality, just keep trying, and the right solution will come.
It took me months to figure out how to get everything together so that I´m able to turn small black & white x-ray images into colorful wall art that can reach several meters in size.
This is a Brugmansia or Delivs Trumpet also known as Devil's Apple.
Watch out when trying to grab a tweasle their´re quite itchy ^^
Feel free to do so :-) You can order different motivs and colours over my website in different sizes.
Load More Replies...Thank you so much. More is coming or you can check out my insta feed ;-)
Load More Replies...Hmmm, now I'm sitting here wondering what other flowers plants might look good as x-ray... Hm. Whole crocus, with part of the bulb (the flowers actually start below the ground). Ginko and maple (pretty leaves!). Water lily. Bleeding heart. Zucchini/pumpkin/cucumber. Clematis. I guess apple and cherry flowers would be too delicate to capture? (I hope you're still looking to make new pictures - just realized this post is from 3 years ago)
Did you have to have the plants take up any contrast? Were they as is? Do you know what KVP/MAs was used?
Feel free to do so :-) You can order different motivs and colours over my website in different sizes.
Load More Replies...Thank you so much. More is coming or you can check out my insta feed ;-)
Load More Replies...Hmmm, now I'm sitting here wondering what other flowers plants might look good as x-ray... Hm. Whole crocus, with part of the bulb (the flowers actually start below the ground). Ginko and maple (pretty leaves!). Water lily. Bleeding heart. Zucchini/pumpkin/cucumber. Clematis. I guess apple and cherry flowers would be too delicate to capture? (I hope you're still looking to make new pictures - just realized this post is from 3 years ago)
Did you have to have the plants take up any contrast? Were they as is? Do you know what KVP/MAs was used?