Imagination is a wildly personal thing. Used by creatives to dream up vivid, awe-invoking creations, it has the capacity to set cultural tones and inspire others. With this in mind, Adobe has looked to some of the front-runners in the creative industry to envision “Destination Imagination”.

Using the masterful tools that lie at the heart of Adobe Photoshop, artists Ron Timehin and David Fadd are the visionaries taking on Adobe’s challenge of dreaming up an alternative reality, and the results were inspired. Whether it is the vibrant scenes of David’s grassy wonderland or the view of London’s electric skyline featuring some of the most coveted wonders of the natural world through Ron’s lens, the artist’s have utilised Adobe Photoshop to its full potential.

When speaking on the project, David stated, “my artwork was inspired by journey, symbolism and escapism. Lockdown and quarantine were really tough on a lot of people, and as a creative, it affected my motivation to create. The “Destination Imagination” brief was about really digging deep and pushing past the boundaries in order to create a utopia without limitation, almost like a wonderland and Adobe Photoshop really helped me bring that world to life. I like to see my design piece as visual encouragement for other creators to try something new and really take a trip into a world of new discovery.”

Now, as the “Destination Imagination” series is unveiled, artists David and Ron sat down with Wonderland to discuss the inspiration behind their imagery and how they utilised Adobe Photoshop to dream up their creations. Head below to read the interviews now…

Talk us through the inspiration behind your artwork. What does ‘Destination Imagination’ mean to you and how did you go about interpreting this fantastical theme?
David: My artwork was inspired by journey, symbolism and escapism. Lockdown and quarantine were really tough on a lot of people, and as a creative, it affected my motivation to create. The “Destination Imagination” brief was about really digging deep and pushing past the boundaries in order to create a utopia without limitation, almost like a wonderland and Adobe Photoshop really helped me bring that world to life. I like to see my design piece as visual encouragement for other creators to try something new and really take a trip into a world of new discovery.

Ron: When I was given the theme “Destination Imagination” to work with, my mind instantly wandered to some of the most beautiful otherworldly sights I had witnessed. In the year prior to the first UK lockdown, I had been fortunate enough to visit both Finland to see the Northern Lights and the Sahara Desert in Morocco to see the Milky Way. As with every photographer who loves to travel, being isolated in my home city of London had me craving exploration. Although London is an incredible city, due to its geographical location and the amount of light pollution it has, seeing the Northern lights or the Milky Way is impossible. That got me thinking, ‘what if it were possible? What would that look like?’ This is where my interpretation of “Destination Imagination” was born.

How did Adobe Photoshop help bring your ultimate fantasy to life and push your imagination as an artist?
David: Adobe Photoshop helped bring my vision to life. There are so many symbolic references in my artwork that could not have come together without Adobe Photoshop. It really allowed me to experiment again and get inspired by shape, form and colour. Adobe Photoshop is the bridge from the world right now into a new one.

Ron: Adobe Photoshop has been a part of my photographic workflow for years and, with the continual improvements to their software, it is easier than ever to implement your ideas, making them a reality. One of the most recent feature updates was the “Sky Replacement Tool” which gave users the ability to change the sky in their images with ease. This is primarily what I used to merge my London cityscape images with my travel imagery.

What most surprised you about Adobe Photoshop’s ability to help visualise your wildest dreams?
David: I’d say my biggest surprise was in the actual design process; how there are so many different ways to accomplish the same visual outcome. In that way, Adobe Photoshop is limitless. It is amazing to be able to use this limitless tool to create a limitless world.

Ron: Previously, this would take a lengthy period of time, separating the foreground from the sky and matching the colours and tones to make the new sky look authentic. This new feature does all the heavy lifting for you, which put way more fun back into creating! I was expecting to do a lot more work with masking and tweaking to get my desired outcome, however, it was as if Adobe knew exactly what I wanted.

How has Covid-19 impacted your creativity? What have you learnt about yourself and your art during this difficult time?
David: I have a very love-hate perspective with the impact Covid has had on my creativity. On the one hand, I feel like Covid put me through a dry spell when it came to innovation and motivation. On the other hand, it really made me push through and realise that there’s so much I can do. So whilst the process was hard, I’m really grateful for the outcome.

What do you hope viewers take away from your artwork?
Ron: I often relate my visual artwork to another passion of mine, music. I grew up playing the trumpet and was especially fond of jazz and blues. These genres of music are often melancholic, but also beautiful and evocative. That is what I like to try and achieve with my photography. Even though they may feature themes that are often perceived as dark or moody, like rain or fog, there is something I find beautiful about it. So hopefully, when people view my artwork they can feel some of that emotion coming through.

What would be your word of advice to young creators starting out?
David: Don’t shy away from pushing the boundaries of your creativity. Try to be consistent in creating and coming up with new ideas. Look back on old ideas and concepts and build off of them too, don’t allow yourself to be limited.

Ron: Practice, practice and practice some more. That is the only way to really improve at something. It is in the process of practising that you make mistakes, learn from them, and begin to find your own voice. I would also say connect with as many people as possible with similar interests and push you to go further. The people I have been fortunate enough to connect with over the years have helped me take my work to the next level and it has been a pleasure to see them evolve through their work too.