Is it a photo? Is it a drawing? It's a photo-drawing!

Here is something new I made as an experiment, I call them photo-drawings. There was an open call for an exhibition in Romania titled "A Photo from Oz" and I really wanted to participate seen as I have spent quite a lot of time in Australia and should therefore have some decent photographs from the place.

Looking through my pictures I realized that I have a tendency to photograph isolated landscapes and abandoned places. I could claim that it is a subconscious influence of Anselm Adams or the Bechers, but really I think it is a comfort zone. As an amateur photographer I find that people often ruin the picture. Maybe it's an aesthetic issue: they are wearing clothes that indicate something very specific and without them the image would have a more timeless feel (it's the same with cars). I'm probably also afraid to disturb people – I know I dislike it when some stranger is pointing their camera at me. Technically, you're not even allowed to photograph people without their consent, especially if the photo is used in any even remotely commercial way such as an exhibition.

Funnily enough I find that pictures are usually more interesting with people in them. Since I love drawing people I decided to do a little experiment and draw the characters into the photos, creating a little narrative, feeding the imagination a little. I still don't know what to think of the result. On the one hand it’s fun creating a whole new scenario for the scene. On the other hand it is disconcerting how the “imaginary” people draw your gaze in like a magnet and take attention off the details of the photograph.What do you think of these? Let me know in the comments!