I’m often asked where the inspiration comes from for my photographs and the majority is from life experiences. I wrote over on my Soul & Spirit blog recently about my experiences of being obsessively surveilled and this became the theme for my latest image which I’m calling The Watcher.

I freely admit it’s not an original picture. I remember seeing something similar online, though can’t remember when or by whom, so have used the concept and adapted it. A friend graciously offered to model his eye for me and it literally only took half an hour to both photograph and edit. I created a new file with a black background in Photoshop, added my friend’s face on a new layer, then using a white mask with a black brush painted away the oval shape and the lines to simulate a blind.

It’s tempting to fill the whole space with our image but it isn’t always necessary. The black background, I feel, adds mood and story (the man is lurking in the dark) and although shot in colour the photo was converted to black and white in Photoshop – minimalist photographs like this suit monochrome treatment and this picture wouldn’t be half as effective in colour.

Images don’t have to be complicated to make and we’re surrounded by a whole world and a wealth of experiences from which to draw inspiration. Making an image out of experiences which may be painful, unsettling or confusing can often help me make sense of the situation and is also a good way for me to deal with stress. What are you going to create today?