I've been asked a few times how or why I pick particular photos for use on the Falling Leaf products. While choosing the most beautiful or evocative images will always be the main goal, there are a few other details to consider.
I found out the hard way that, despite my love for Scottish lochs and seas, they don't always come across as well on a printed garment. One of the first samples I created was for my Dad, who particularly liked a photo I'd taken of Loch Tay when staying in Killin, but while the original has a serene beauty I could look at for hours, the version printed on the sweatshirt I gifted him didn't have the Falling Leaf appeal, and had lost a lot of the value of the photo.
I had a similar experience with an image of Lochan Dubh near Aviemore in the Cairngorms - a location I've always loved and wanted dearly to feature in my collection. Typically, for a photo of a place name that translates as "little black loch", the image is simply too dark to be well-represented in print, as I discovered when I received the printed t-shirt sample.
Back to the drawing board I went, developing an understanding of the extent of influence the garment colour and material, along with the print process, contrast within the photograph and a thousand other small but far from insignificant details had on the finished result. To be honest it's mainly a case of trial and error, liaising with the print experts, and gradually building my abilities with Photoshop that have brought the Falling Leaf collection to life, and I'm sure it'll be much of the same for some time to come.
Another consideration for image selection is the location of the subject. I want to make sure I cover as much of Scotland as possible, offering garments printed with landscapes and points of interest across the country. I want to represent all the beauty of Scotland, from the rugged West to the windblown East, from the pastoral South to the wild and sparsely populated North.
Should you have any feedback on the designs, or any ideas of particular places you'd like to see showcased in a future Falling Leaf item, let me know at info@fallingleafclothing.com. I'd love to hear your suggestions on which images to choose for print - any excuse for another motorbike ride!