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Cloth Hall – Ypres, Belgium | Forgotten Postcard
The Cloth Hall (or Lakenhal in Dutch) in Ypres Belgium was a warehouse for the prosperous cloth industry during the Middle Ages. These days, it is the home of the In Flanders Fields WWI Museum. I decided to create a Forgotten Postcard of this building because many of the real postcards of Ypres past reflect the devastation of WWI. I wanted … more
Vouliagmeni, Greece – Forgotten Postcard
This Forgotten Postcard from our autumn trip to Vouliagmeni, Greece was actually completed as a client commission. The client was planning a wedding, in the area, and found my original image through a google search. She liked the Forgotten Postcard effect and asked if it would be possible to do something similar with the original Vouliagmeni photo. … more
Rue de Rollebeek, Sablon, Brussels – Forgotten Postcard
Although I’ve been very busy lately, updating the new stock and art print galleries, I have still been creating some new work. Today’s Forgotten Postcard is from here in Brussels. This pedestrian street, Rue de Rollebeek, runs from Grand Sablon to Rue Haute in the Marolles and is lined with restaurants. Although the details are … more
Grand Canyon, Arizona – Forgotten Postcard
I’m back at my computer after a fantastic month in North America. This summer we traveled from coast to coast. One of the highlights of the vacation, for me, was a stop at the Grand Canyon. Although there is photographic evidence that I visited the Grand Canyon as a small child, I don’t really remember … more
Forgotten Postcard, Taj Mahal, Agra, India – Contest Winner Announced
A few weeks ago I ran a contest to promote the Forgotten Postcard Series. Typically, I work with my own images to create the Forgotten Postcards, however the idea was born from an image I created from a friend’s photo. Because I enjoy being inspired by other people’s travel photos, as well as my own, … more
Mont Saint Michel, France – Forgotten Postcard
If you’ve ever visited Mont Saint Michel, you know the view of this imposing island fortress on a misty morning is unlike any other. Although these days, Mont Saint Michel spends most of its time as a tourist hotspot, I wanted this image to hearken back to the island’s darker and quieter times. I hope you like … more
Manneken Pis, Brussels – Forgotten Postcard
Manneken Pis, that little statue of a peeing boy, is an odd but iconic symbol of Brussels, Belgium. Tucked in a corner near Grand Place, Manneken Pis is often surrounded by flocks of tourits who come to see his many costumes. When I took this photo, he wasn’t sporting any special clothes, but he was … more
Sacré-Cœur, Paris – Forgotten Postcard
Paris, France has such an iconic skyline, it’s hard to create a piece of art that is original and does the scene justice. I hope this Forgotten Postcard is a step in that direction. The view is Sacré-Cœur, and Montmartre as seen from the roof of the Pompidou Modern Art Gallery.
Basilica of Koekelberg, Brussels, Belgium – Forgotten Postcard
The National Basilica of Koekelberg or Basilica of the Sacred Heart (French: Basilique Nationale du Sacré-Cœur, Dutch: Nationale Basiliek van het Heilig-Hart ) is a Roman Catholic church in Brussels, Belgium. The art-deco church is the 6th largest Roman Catholic church in the world. I love the simplicity of the interior lines of this building. … more
Keukenhof Gardens Forgotten Postcard
It’s no secret that Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, The Netherlands is one of my favourite garden photography locations. Until now, I hadn’t honoured it with a Forgotten Postcard. I hope I’ve done it justice. If you like this and want to see more, check out the entire Forgotten Postcards Series.
Old England Forgotten Postcard – Brussels, Belgium
The Old England building in Brussels, Belgium is one of my favourite examples of architecture in the city and I knew it had to become a Forgotten Postcard. The Old England was once a department store but is now home to the fabulous Musical Instrument Museum. The café on the top floor offers a beautiful view of Grand Place … more
Forgotten Postcard Amsterdam, The Netherlands
It’s been ages since I added some new work to my Forgotten Postcards series. With the next Brussels Accessible Art Fair quickly approaching in June, I’ve buckled down to work on some new pieces which I post over the next few days. Although a few of my early postcards were from Kinderdijk, in the Netherlands, … more
Forgotten Postcards Overview
The Forgotten Postcard series combines many of my favourite things: travel, photography, texture, letter writing, architecture, Photoshop and nostalgia. The most common question I receive about the postcards is ‘What are they?’ Some people believe they are looking at paintings, others think they are scanned reproductions. In fact, the basis for all of the Forgotten … more
Orval, Belgium – Forgotten Postcard
My latest Forgotten Postcard comes from a photo that I posted earlier of the Abbey of Notre Dame d’Orval in Wallonia, Belgium. If you like this image please pay a visit to my Forgotten Postcards Gallery for all of the works in this series.
Japanese Tower, Belgium – Forgotten Postcard
While this looks like a scene straight from Japan, this photo was actually taken here in Belgium. This is the view of the Japanese Tower from the gardens of the Royal Palace in Laeken, Belgium. Léopold II had the tower constructed along with a Chinese pavillion which were inaugurated in 1905. The tower houses a collection … more
Selective Colour in Photoshop
I’ve had a few requests for a tutorial on how to achieve selective colour in Photoshop. As with most things in Photoshop, there are a variety of ways to achieve a similar effect. I will take you through one simple method. I have one caveat. Please use selective colour sparingly. Like most Photoshop effects, it … more
Grand Place, Belgium – Forgotten Postcard
The latest image in my Forgotten Postcards series comes from Brussels’ Grand Place. This is the top of the Maison du Roi (House of the king in French). In Dutch it is known as the Broodhuis(or Bread house) because it stands on the spot of the former 13th century bakers’ market. If you like this image … more
My Favourite Free Texture Resources
Quite a few people have asked where I get all of the texture files I use in my Forgotten Postcard series. While sometimes I shoot my own texture photos, I do have a list of resources in my bookmarks folder. I thought I would share some of my favourites with you. (These are in no particular … more
Valletta, Malta – Forgotten Postcard
It’s been a while since I’ve shared a new Forgotten Postcard with you. I took the photo for this one from a boat in Valletta harbour on the island of Malta. If you like this image please pay a visit to my Forgotten Postcards Gallery for all of the works in this series.
Parc Cinquantenaire, Belgium – Forgotten Postcard
Parc Cinquantenaire, or Jubelpark in Dutch, is one of Brussels, Belgium’s most famous landmarks. The centrepiece triumphal arch was erected in 1905 and it’s age and grandeur certainly lend itself to the Forgotten Postcard treatment. If you like this image please pay a visit to my Forgotten Postcards Gallery for all of the works in … more
Ageing a Photo with Texture – Photo Help Desk #2
I chose today’s photo help desk picture because it was something a bit different. Instead of asking me to fix something, the photographer asked me to distress it. I love the look of this old tricycle, and I’m wondering what techniques you would use to give the photo an “antique” feeling. – A.B.
Colour to Black and White Photos in Photoshop – Control Your Camera #2
A few days ago, a friend asked me about the Black and White setting on her digital camera. Did I think using it and other settings, like sepia, was a good idea. Or was it better to take a colour image and change it later in Photoshop. My simple answer was “Don’t use your black … more
My 22 Favourite Photoshop Shortcuts
I use Photoshop just about every day. However, I’m not someone who has every single shortcut memorised. In fact, in many cases I find it faster to keep my hand on my Wacom tablet, than move back and forth to the keyboard. That said, there are a few Photoshop keyboard shortcuts that I can’t live … more
15 Second Photoshop Tip for Adding Contrast
Here is a really quick Photoshop tip to give your photos a little added contrast boost. This tip is highly flexible and can easily be made into an action. Once you see the difference this quick tip can make to your photos, I’m sure you will use it again and again.
Alison Cornford-Matheson is a Canadian photographer living and working in Brussels, Belgium. She specialises in garden and travel lifestyle stock photography. In addition, she is a Photoshop professional and produces digital artwork as fine art prints. Alison is available for assignment work and commissions on request. 
