Every artwork on our site has a story stitched into it, and The Colours of Liverpool is no exception. In fact, this one comes with a healthy dose of history, chaos, and a slightly stubborn camera.
On the Dockside – Where It All Began
Like countless others, we’ve spent many hours wandering Liverpool’s iconic dockside, soaking up the city’s culture, humour, and heritage. The Museum of Liverpool was buzzing that day — people everywhere, reflections bouncing off glass, the sort of environment that makes photographers mutter quietly under their breath.
To make things even more interesting, I was armed with my old Panasonic E500 and a 14–55mm lens. A lovely little CCD camera — emotional, characterful, and gloriously awkward in low light. Perfect for atmosphere, less perfect for dim museum interiors. But that’s half the fun.
Why the Panasonic E500 Matters
The E500 is a CCD camera, and CCD sensors render light differently to modern CMOS. I’m not saying you can’t make magic with a phone or a mirrorless monster, but CCD has a way of handling light — especially contre‑jour — that feels almost painterly. Sadly, this trip pre‑dated my obsession with vintage lenses, a topic I’ve rambled about elsewhere with great enthusiasm.
The Shot – A Fleeting Masterpiece
The final photograph was one of those blink‑and‑you‑miss‑it moments. A lone figure stepped into the light, the Liver Building standing proud in the distance, and the museum’s abstract window framing everything with bold, geometric confidence. A second later he was gone. A perfect moment, captured by sheer luck and a slightly confused CCD sensor.
Turning a Photograph into a Painting
Back in the studio, I knew the raw photo wasn’t the final destination. It needed to be reimagined — stylised, abstracted, given room to breathe. So I turned to Dynamic Auto Painter (DAP) and a couple of wonderfully eccentric presets from The Mother of All Presets Pack — a treasure trove created by DAP users over the years.
The preset that became the backbone of this piece was the memorably named x‑splat‑mix‑h‑sq‑outl. Catchy, I know. But DAP is never a “press button, walk away” affair. You have to work with it, guide it, coax it, and then dive into the labyrinth of post‑processing options that can completely transform the final piece — colour, tone, texture, everything.
The result you see is just one of a thousand possible interpretations. It’s the version that matched what I felt in that moment — the version that insisted on being made.
The Creative Camera Ethos
We create art because we love it — the process, the craft, the storytelling. And the idea that our work ends up on your walls — in your lounge, your dining room, your office — is what keeps us creating.
We’ve also learned that the story behind the artwork matters to you. It matters to us too. That’s why every product now includes a full artist back story. When you buy from The Creative Camera, you’re not buying mass‑produced décor from a chain store. You’re buying artisanal, small‑batch, hand‑produced prints, whether open edition or limited edition.
Each piece is made with care, intention, and a genuine love for the craft. And this one — The Colours of Liverpool — is yours to enjoy.
Charles David
