I came to this course in September with a basic knowledge of Photoshop from what I had learnt whilst doing my photography A-level. Over the course of the year I have learnt a lot from being around other photographers, looking at their work and seeing how they produced it. I have learnt that Photoshop doesn’t always have to be used to drastically change the entire appearance of a photograph or to correct a poorly taken photograph, even though it can be It can be used to subtly enhance and improve an image. The workshops we had in mm2 with Gary really only covered the technical stuff that I already knew, however, despite already knowing what each Photoshop tool did, I was previously unaware of how to most effectively use them and apply them to my work, which I was taught in the two lessons we had with James. I also learnt about shooting and editing in RAW format and all the benefits that come with that. He also taught me how to use the blending modes on each layer and a technique to ‘airbrush’ effectively.
With the Digital Post Production module I technically brainstormed and experimented with various editing techniques in order to create a varying selection of images that each used Photoshop to different degrees. I will only show one or two images from each section however, choosing the ones that best show my learning journey. Throughout this module I read photography magazines and followed Photoshop tutorials in order to further my ideas and technical skills, evidence of this can be seen on my Digital Post Production blog page: http://rebeccadigital.blogspot.com/
DIGITAL DARKROOM TECHNIQUES.
Experimenting with this technique I demonstrated through my own images the subtleties of Photoshop and its capability of enhancing a photograph.
These two photographs were taken on a sunny evening just as the sun was sitting on a cliff top in Newquay, Cornwall. Both photographs hold happy connotations of the evening spent with my friends and the town were my family have holidayed for 10 years. Taken with a macro lens on my Canon 350D, both photographs have a strong depth of field with the focus lying mainly on the subjects’ eyes. The wind was quite strong and this can be seen in both photographs with the subjects’ hair across their faces. I think this adds needed detail to the images and is an important device in setting the scene of where and when the photographs were taken. The setting sun has created a warm glow on their faces and this, along with the subjects’ wistful expressions, creates a welcoming and relaxing feel the photographs. Using digital darkroom techniques such as a small amount of dodging and burning, using levels and curves and colours and saturation sliders, these digital images have been edited subtly just to enhance the photographs and not change them. I have chosen to present the photographs together even though I think they stand strongly alone, not only because they were taken of two of my good friends at the same time, but also because they are aesthetically similar, with the emphasise on the eyes, hair and expression and with similar crops and lighting.USING LAYERS IN PHOTOSHOP
Layering two or more images over each other is a quick and easy way of creating an entirely different-looking image. Quite often the effect can look amateur and sometimes confusing. The technique is often at its most effective when it is less detectable. For this section of the module I experimented with this technique, using it in different ways to create very different images.
With my first experimentation with layering images I wanted to create an image that was made up of layers of photographs that all related to the same subject. I chose to do an image about my hometown Letchworth Garden City. Letchworth proudly boasts of being the first garden city, a place that supposedly has the best part of the countryside (the green of trees, grass and field) and the best part of the city (community and shops etc) mixed into one town. To convey this I used a photograph of grass that I sourced from the website http://www.graphicfields.com/textures.htm, a photograph that I took of a flower and a photograph that I took of the Letchworth sign. Using the grass photo as the base layer, I then layered the flower photo, I decided to mirror the flower photo and flip upside down as the flower in focus detracted from the Letchworth sign that I layered on top. I selected the Letchworth sign and deleted the remainder of that layer and then played around with opacities and layer blending modes until all components of the image were visible. Although achieving what I had set out to do with this image, I am not pleased with the final image (below), it is messy and distracting, the photographs used do not work together.
Having discovered in the last image that over laying two images with separate focal points, becomes confusing and crowded, with this image I experimented with using one strong image and over laying it with a more textured base image, in this case a macro photograph that I took of fire and the texture of the wood that was burning. Because fire is often associated with death and fear I choose to use one of the images I took for my studio module as the second layer. The photograph is a high key, close up of a girl with scary face paint on. The expanse of white on her right cheek is perfect for showing the texture of the wood in the layer behind and the subjects left eye is looking through the a flame at the viewer which also works well. In order to create this image I simple layered the two images on top of each other and changed the opacities of the two layers until I was happy with the image.
The two original images, shown above, are both taken with my macro lens again, they both have vibrant colours and a close focus. I wanted to have the tongue going towards the sandwich as if to lick it. I first achieved this by trying a technique I learnt in one of the workshops. I layered the tongue image over the sandwich, and rubbed out the rest of the layer. I positioned the tongue where I wanted it using the free transform tool, and then, using different opacities, tried to blend in the tongue so it didn’t look as fake. The result was not very effective; it looks unsmooth and very fake. 
Not being pleased with the final image, I redid the image this time using a different technique. I selected the tongue using a selection tool. I copied the selection over as a new layer and then free transformed the tongue into the right position, this time choosing to make the tongue slightly less wide. In order to blend the two layers together successfully, with the tongue layer selected I selected the perimeter of the tongue, I then applied a small Gaussian blur, this allowed the edge of the tongue to discreetly blur with the background image. I also applied small manipulation of colours and contrast to the sandwich layer to enhance the vibrancy of the image. The resulting image is vibrant, colourful and playful, with two strong focal points and a big depth of field, which a camera would be unable to capture.
DIGITAL HOAXES OR ENHANCEMENTS.
With the next images I was experimenting with using Photoshop to exaggerate the original photographs or to portray them as something they are not.
When taking this photograph of my brother driving his motorbike I moved the camera in time with his bike in order to capture his figure and the bike in focus and show the movement by having the road and bushes blurred. Digitally I then enhanced this by selecting him on the bike as a separate layer. On the base layer I applied a movement blur and lined it with the direction of movement of the bike. I then applied a small black gradient to each side of the photo to draw focus towards the figure. I also enhanced the colours and saturation. In order for the bike not to look too unrealistic I selected the parameter of the bike and figure and used a Gaussian blue in order to get the layer to blend more easily and believably into the background.
HDR IMAGES
I first heard of HDR photography when reading an interview with an amateur photographer in a photography magazine. After reading the magazine I did some further research and stumbled across many photographers on Flickr that employ the technique. It interested me immediately because of the hyper real effect it has on the images. I read an article and tutorial online at http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/high-dynamic-range.htm which was very helpful in understand what HDR is and how it works.
As you can see from the originals above I tried to create this HDR image using only two photographs, one with the exposure correct for the sky and one with the exposure correct for the foreground. The images are of a sunset of the coast of Cornwall. Unfortunately without realising I must have moved the tripod slightly when taking the two images and as you can see from the resulting image I was unable to create a working HDR image from the two photographs. This really demonstrates how precise one has to be when trying to create a HDR image; slight movement can result in the failure of the image.
These are a few of the very impressive HDR images I have found on Flickr.
I ran out of time within this module to look further into HDR photography and perfect it. It still interests me greatly though and I will definitely continue to look at and experiment with it over the summer and in my modules next year. Even though I have not been able to produce my own successful HDR image I have learnt a great deal about the technicality behind it through researching into it.
CLONING/ MULTIPLICITY.
Many photographers, since well before the invention of digital photography, have used the technique of multiple exposures to layer two photographs over each other to create a new image. Now the digital evolution of this technique means images can be produced with 2 or more figures of the same person, which is what I have experimented with in this part of my project.
These images are by a young photographer who calls her self Miss Aniela. She bases most of her photography on ‘Multiplicity’ or ‘Cloning’ shots and they are all self-portraits. These are just two of about 100 images she has upload to Flickr and her home page, http://missaniela.com/. The photograph in which she is climbing on the kitchen work surfaces is what most closely influenced my cloning attempt below.
For this image I tried to stick to the technique that most closely resembles double exposure. Using a tripod I photographed the model in two places within the shot and then layered them upon each other in Photoshop and changed the opacity of the two layers. I used only the available light here and I struggled to create the bold image I wanted to.
Leaving the double exposure method of layering the two photographs over each other, with this image I selected one of the figures and copied and pasted it as a new layer on top of the photograph containing the other figure. At the back of the photograph, a big open textbook is visible on the desk whilst Microsoft Word is open on the computer, with this photograph I was trying to portray procrastination from work. The model is looking at a book and doing her make up. One of the figures is transparent, I decided to do this to show the passage of time, a technique sometimes used in films. With this image I have used the cloning or multiplicity technique to present the model as the same character twice within the same image but at different times, not, as it is sometimes used, to show the same model as clones or different characters.I am not entirely pleased with this photograph, after editing the photograph a number of times and in different ways, I still find the colours bland and uninteresting. With such a limiting space and with only the room’s lighting available the photograph has come out looking unprofessional.
For this image I continued to look both at the passage of time and work. My first year at university is nearly over and to me it feels like its been no time at all. The year has flown by in a flurry of work and fun. This image is to demonstrate this. I have used a model in this image but it is supposed to reflect me – my work and my year.To create this image I have positioned the camera on a tripod above the workspace. The model is copying an essay I wrote for our critical studies module on documentary photography with the prop of Graham Clarke’s book, ‘The Photograph’ to demonstrate the subject of the essay and to relate the photograph back to my work. I took lots of photographs throughout the writing of the essay and finally just used 3, with the position of that hand in different places on the page. In order to create this image it was vital that the book and all the other props were constant and didn’t move and the only thing that did move was the models arm. Ensuring this allowed me to layer the three photographs over each other and not have to cut out each arm separately. I changed the opacity of each layer, choosing to have the hand that is writing the beginning of the essay strongest to show that I wished I were back at the beginning of the year. When I was happy with the image I flattened the layers. applied a lightening effect and changed the colours slightly.
With this multiplicity image I have dropped the idea of the passage of time instead presenting each figure as a different person. The model is presenting different characters through her use of different poses and interacting with ‘herself’. I chose to use quite a wide depth of field, focusing on the figure in the foreground, in hindsight this may not have been a brilliant idea as two of the figures are looking at the figure in at the back, the most out of focus figure, this ambiguity of where the viewer should focus causes some confusion and might be seen to detract from the overall image.To achieve this image I used the photograph containing the foreground figure as the base layer, I then selected the other figures and copied and pasted them as separate layers on top of the base layer. I used the technique I mentioned earlier of selecting the parameter of each figure and blurring it using a Gaussian blur to blend the layers together. I then also applied a flash light lighting effect and I added a hint of blue to enhance the blue in the model’s t-shirt and the banisters. I am very pleased with this image, it has ended up looking exactly as I had intended it.
GRAPHIC POST PRODUCTION
With this section of my project I have experimented with highly edited photographs
To create this image, I have combined a photograph I have taken of some electricity cables running alongside a road at the edge of a rapeseed field with another image of a man walking down a road. To create this other worldly looking image I created four layers, the sky, the road, the field and the cables and I applied the torn edges filter to all of the layers but altered the colours differently on each. The blue and the yellow combination work well as they are close to the yellow of the rapeseed and the blue of the sky. I then selected the man and his shadow from a separate photograph using the magnetic lasso tool and added him to this image as another layer. Using the free transform tool I then resized the man and placed him on the road to make it look as though is walking down the road. I kept the man looking real whilst heavily editing his surroundings in order to create an Alice in Wonderland type feel to the photograph. I was inspired to try and create this fantastical atmosphere by the potential for the road to resemble The Wizard of Oz’s yellow brick road.
The Parkinson building was again edited using the torn edges filter, but this time I inverted the colours in able to retain the blue sky and the detail in the building. The sea gulls are from 3 different images and I have positioned and free transformed them in order to look like they are swooping down towards the camera. I originally removed the lamppost at the right of the image but eventually chose to keep it in as I felt it added to the composition of the image. Although I prefer this image to the last, it feels a little flat with only 2 elements too it.
With this image I changed the arrangement of the two buildings and also included a windmill that I used in previously in the module. I wanted to demonstrate that, especially living in a city, the buildings that surround us are very imposing. I again applied different texture layers and colour gradients and overlays. On the image on the right I included a brick texture layer to emphasise the presence of the buildings
Literally just playing with photoshop and the new techniques I have learnt during this module I created this image of my cat. To the cat I applied a blue colour overlay and colour burn blend mode, to the background there are several texture layers and colours gradients. The cat’s hair was very hard to select and looks poor. The image reminded me of the new ipod adverts, which lead me on to my next area of research and experimentation.ADVERTISMENT
I did some research into the advertisement industry, its history, style and how it has evolved, I then created a series of my own adverts advertising existing products.
This was originally a photograph of my brother shouting at the camera, his exaggerated pose suits the style of the iPod adverts perfectly. My brother listens to a varied selection of music, including metal and drum and base, which are both very loud and aggressive, which is reflected here in his confrontational stance. To soften this I chose to use a bright pink background. Wanting to create my own version of the adverts I loosely followed the tutorial I mentioned earlier, and used some of my own editing techniques. I selected and created 2 new layers for the figure, one retaining the same detail and one I rasterized. To the normal layer I adjusted the levels and contrasts. To the rasterized layer I applied a blue colour overlay with a burn blend mode set to 90% opacity, I also applied a gradient overlay which creates the difference in colour from the lighter blue head to the darker torso. To the background I created a layer with a pink fill and another layer with blue texture that had a soft light blend mode applied. From found iPod adverts I copied and pasted the iPod logo, iPod and headphones, adjusting them to fit the figure correctly. I also had to adjust the figures hand in order for it to look like he was holding the iPod. I did this by erasing finger shapes from the iPod, which revealed the figure layer below. I am very pleased with this image, I think I have created a very similar image to the iPod adverts but still retaining some of my own style. I added this image to my flickr photostream and within a week was contacted by an online magazine which asked to feature my image along side an article about iPods.
Following on with creating my own adverts for existing products I photographed a trainer and created this Nike advert. Because Nike have a whole range of produce and I wanted to just advertise this particular model of trainer I decided not to include a subject and just have a photo of the trainer itself. To create a bold and eye catching advert I created a bright blue background with a slight gradient going from the bottom left corner to the top right. I also added a texture layer and the white splash layer that draws further attention to the focus of the image the trainer. To the trainer I selected it and created its own layer, I used the sketch filter and used a slight gradient from left to right creating the small amount of shadow at the back of the trainer. I also copied the Nike logo and slogan from an advert that I found online. I am pleased with this image, as an advert I think it works well. With a company as successful as Nike I think a bold yet plain advert like this works, the company, the slogan and the trainers are very well known and an advert like this serves to just keep the company in the public eye. I imagine it could be used in magazines or on the advert spaces in tube stations.
Choosing to advertise another globally known brand and product, this image is advertising coca cola, or more specifically diet coke. Diet coke’s target audience is women. Women over men are most often portrayed as being concerned with their weight and as normal coke is very high in sugar, diet coke was brought out as an equivalent for weight watching women. For this reason I choose to use a female model for both of my diet coke adverts. Coca cola have had lots of very successful advertising campaigns, including the Father Christmas adverts for children at Christmas and the diet coke breaks for working women. This advert and the following one are aimed at my age group. I achieved this by using a model aged 19 and creating bright and bold images. Knowing when photographing this image that I would block colour the figure I asked the model to stand and drink in such a way that didn’t hide any of her body and her pose would lend easily to becoming a silhouette. I used very similar editing techniques to the last two images, with bright textured backgrounds and a colour fill on the figure. This time however I kept the product being advertised, in this case the diet coke can, looking real. In fact I did modify the colours and slightly posterize the can layer but against the rest of the image the can looks unedited. I again got the coca-cola logo from an advert off the Internet.
With this image I again used bright red colours as this is the colour most associated with the brand coca-cola. I also kept the can looking real, again using colour modification and posterizing it slightly. Graffiti is hugely popular with people my age group, the age group that I am aiming my adverts at, because of this I decided to create an image that looked as if it had been spray painted on a wall. The figure I created most closely resembles a stencilled graffiti figure, which mimics the work of one of the most popular graffiti artists at the moment, Banksy. (Research on Banksy can be seen below). To create this image I photographed the model presenting the can with a low aperture to create a very strong depth of field, with the focus on the can. This was not only to draw the attention of the viewer to the product but also because an out of focus figure most easily lends it self to this editing technique. I also used a wide-angle lens which helped to distort the image slightly, making the can look larger than it would do with a standard lens. To create this image I selected the figure as a separate layer, the can as a separate layer and then created a red filled background layer. I rasterized the figure layer and used the colour dodge tool setting the fuzziness to 100. This picked out the shadows of the figure and allowed the highlights such as the forehead and left cheek to fade to the background, enhancing the feeling that the image is a spray-painted stencil. I also darkened the layer significantly. The four fingers on the left of the can had to be edited separately and darkened a lot more, also heightening the contrasts, as they were fading into the background too much. I then added a layer with the image of the bricks (which again I got from the ‘free textures website’) above the background and figure layer. I applied a soft light blend mode to the layer which allowed the red background to show through and allowed most of the figure to come through, I then erased areas of the brick layer that covered up too much of the figure. I placed the bricks below the can layer so that the can was not covered up and the attention was not distracted from the product. I again added the coca-cola logo from the last image in the top right hand corner.
Here I have used Photoshop to replace adverts on a billboard and on a bus stop with two of my own. This demonstrates yet another use of Photoshop and helps my images to be presented as they might be if they were to be used commercially.
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