Digital Photography & Imaging // Project 2: A, B & C

28th April 2022 - 5th June 2022 (Week 5 - Week 10)

Emran Tarek Sayed // 0346648
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Digital Photography & Imaging // Project 2: A, B & C

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LECTURES

Week 5 / Lecture 5

     This week's lesson with Mr. Martin taught us about double exposure and how to alter two photographs to make them appear as one. We also completed a double exposure exercise in class to acquire some practice and be ready for our following tasks. 

Double Exposure

     Double exposure merges multiple images to create a surreal, emotional, or humorous outcome. There are six ways to make this effect:

1. Using the Tilt-Shift Effect.
   
   
   
   fig. 5.1.0 Tilt-Shift Effect
   
   
2. Create fake reflection.
   
   
   
   fig. 5.1.1 Fake Reflection
   
   
3. Experiment with simple portraits and details textured.
            
   fig. 5.1.2 Simple portrait with detailed texture
4. Convert your results to Black & White.
   fig. 5.1.3 Black & White Photo

5. Work with a silhouette.

fig. 5.1.4 A silhouette

6. Pick two random photos.

fig. 5.1.5 Two random photos

7. Make simple objects look fascinating.

fig. 5.1.6 Simple objects

             8. Use Shadow.

fig. 5.1.7 Shadow

Week 6 / Lecture 6

     In week 6, we learned about photo manipulation. First, we learned that photo manipulation, by using specific methods and techniques, we can transform a photo. However, we also understand that it requires creativity to create an illusion. 

fig. 6.1.0 Photo Manipulation

Week 7 / Lecture 7

     In this week's lecture, we touch on digital photography. Mr. Martin brought us to the studio shoot, so he could teach us the basic stuff on how to use a camera. Along the way, we had a few photoshoots where I was the model. I was pretty shy, but it was a fun photoshoot. Here is one of the photos from the photo shoot.

Picture

fig. 7.1.0 photoshoot of me 

Digital Photography

Exposure Setting

     - The amount of light that comes into the camera sensor or film.

fig .7.1.1 Exposure setting

     - There are three settings, Iris, Shutter speed, and Iso.

fig. 7.1.2 exposure Setting 2

Aperture

     - Control the flow of light entering the lens.

fig. 7.1.3 Iris / Aperture 

     - The lower the f-number, the larger the lens opening.

fig. 7.1.4 Iris /  Aperture 2

Shutter speed 

     - Measured in seconds.

fig. 7.1.5 Shutter Speed

ISO

     - The lower the number of ISO, the less sensitive your camera is to light and the finer the grain.

fig. 7.1.6 ISO

Standard Lens 

     - People, portrait.

Wide Angle Lens 

     - Landscape, architecture.

Focal Length 

     - The shorter the focal length, the wider the angle of view and vice-versa. 

fig. 7.1.7 Lens perspective

     - The smaller the aperture, the greater the Depth of field.

fig. 7.1.8 Depth of field

 

Week 8 / Lecture 8

     No class this week due to the holiday

Week 9 / Lecture 9

     Mr. Martin taught us digital surrealism this week. What is surrealism? Surrealism is a cultural movement focused on the type of art to express the artist's ideas themselves. It is one of the top digital art styles in the current modern era.

Realism vs Surrealism

Realism

- Takes subject matters of the ordinary and everyday world, which we call 'reality.' 

fig. 9.1.0 Realism

Surrealism

     - A twist on Realism. It explores the subconscious mind, with subject matters concentrating on dream images and often aims to distort the ordinary and what we call reality.

fig. 9.1.1 Surrealism

Dadaism

     - An anti-war art movement with artworks that is satirical and nonsensical in nature.

fig. 9.1.2 Daidasm 

Digital Surrealism

     - It is a cultural movement focused on the type of arts to express the artist's ideas. 

fig, 9.1.3 Digital Surrealism

Week 10 / Lecture 10

     In this week's class, we were taught by Mr. Martin how to use After Effects which are used for compositing animation, visual effects, and motion pictures. Because we would have to use it for our final projects.

fig. 10.10 After Effects

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INSTRUCTION

<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GuJPeIvL_SJ3s0-vT-m0EEx1nC5humqT/preview" width="640" height="480" allow="autoplay"></iframe>

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TASKS

Project 2A: Double Exposure

Week 5 / Double Exposure Part 1

     As for part 1 of the double exposure, we were given an exercise to do using the tutorial created by Mr. Martin. So, by following the tutorial, here is the result I get from it.

fig. 5.1.8 Final Double Exposure

Week 6 / Double Exposure Part Final

     After finishing the exercise of Double Exposure last week, we would then have to create our own Double Exposure with the knowledge attained in the Double Exposure exercise last week. 

     First, I used a photo of myself from a few months back.

fig. 6.1.1 Portrait of me

     Then I proceed by putting the photo in Adobe Photoshop to edit it. Then, I selected and masked my picture, where I would refine the edges using a brush tool. And lastly, I added a solid background color to it.

fig, 6.1.2 Selected, Masked, Refined with added background-color

     Next up, I would use the fried potatoes image found on the internet to create a clipping mask with my portrait. Along the line, I had adjusted the curve to my portrait.

fig. 6.1.3 Added a clipping mask and adjusted the curve

     Furthermore, I adjusted my portrait's brightness, contrast, and exposure.

fig. 6.1.4 Adjusted the brightness, contrast, and exposure of my portrait

     Finally, I added one last image, the sauce. And at the same time, I added a gradient to finish things up.

fig. 6.1.5 Added sauce and gradient to the portrait

fig. 6.1.6 Final Own Double Exposure

Final Own Double Exposure

<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x0ZKMSn0QQ89m3bbvqrZE-Vca5BMfgC4/preview" width="640" height="480" allow="autoplay"></iframe>

Project 2B: Hearst Mansion & Recoloring Black and White

Week 7 / Hearst Mansion 

     Project 2B is split into two parts, Hearst Mansion & Recoloring Black and White. But as for this week, we were taught Hearst Mansion. First, Mr. Martin showed us how to do it step by step, then we would have to do it ourselves. 

     First is the exercise; we would use the Shazam picture to add to the Hearst Mansion.

fig. 7.1.9 Final Hearst Mansion

     Secondly, we have to use our own picture, this time in the Hearst Mansion. So I started by picking a picture to add to the Hearst Mansion. 

fig. 7.1.10 Picture of myself

     I selected and masked the image while refining the edges of the image at the same time. Then I paste it into the Hearst Mansion in a suitable place.

fig. 7.1.11 Pasted a selected, masked, and 

refined image of mine into the Hearst Mansion

                I lowered the opacity and added a shadow to my image.

fig. 7.1.12 Added shadow to the image

     And for the final step, I added a reflection of my image on the water to create a realistic look.

fig. 7.1.13 Added reflection to the image

fig. 7.1.14 Final Own Hearst Mansion

Final Own Hearst Mansion

<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1663AhO6uX-CBsPf_XcqYcuYxx-tJ3Pbm/preview" width="640" height="480" allow="autoplay"></iframe>

Week 8 / Recoloring Black and White

     No class this week, but we have been given a task to do. The second part of Project 2B, recoloring black and white. As usual, we would complete the tutorial Mr. Martin provided and proceed with doing it on our own for the exercise after that.

     I finished the tutorial, and here is the result:

fig. 8.1.0 Final Recoloring Black and White

     The following exercise we would have to do is to pick one image among a few provided by Mr. Martini and recolor those with the knowledge from the tutorial we just did. So here is the picture I chose.

fig. 8.1.1 Chosen picture

     Fundamentally, I started by masking the image and coloring the skin.

fig. 8.1.2 Masked and recolored skin

      Moreover, I would color the hair next.

fig. 8.1.3 Recolored hair

     Furthermore, I started touching up on the guy's eyes and lips.

fig. 8.1.4 Recolored eyes and lips

     Before the final step, I started coloring the guy's clothing.

fig. 8.1.5 Recolored the guy's clothes

     And for the final step, I colored the image's background, and along the way, I changed the guy's hair color to add a little twist to mine.

fig. 8.1.6 Changed hair color and added background-color

fig. 8.1.7 Final Own Recoloring Black and White

Final Own Recoloring Black and White

<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EDYVgP3Z6ODpWGxfzkZ508WCG_R_Pi2q/preview" width="640" height="480" allow="autoplay"></iframe>

Project 2C: Photo Manipulation 

Week 9: Photo Manipulation Part 1

     I planned to keep my photo manipulation as simple and minimalist as possible; I didn't want to put so many details as it wouldn't look realistic. So I started visualizing what I should make to get some inspiration. I found a few inspirations through Pinterest mostly.

Visual Research

fig. 9.1.4 Orange Juice

fig. 9.1.5 Earth Flavored Ice Cream

fig. 9.1.6 Any Ideas?

     After doing the visual research, I started sketching a few ideas.

Sketch

fig. 9.1.7 Sketches

     After some thought, I decided to do the top sketch as I like that one the most. Which proceed to the next step, gathering materials. I took a picture of four things exactly. One is Rempeyek Kacang Tanah (a deep-fried cracker orginate in Indonesia - Javanese). Furthermore, I took pictures of crushed Rempeyek on a tissue and in a glass. Lastly, I took a picture of my perfume.

fig. 9.1.8 Rempeyek Kacang Tanah

fig. 9.1.9 Crush Rempeyek In a Glass

fig. 9.1.10 Crush Rempeyek on a Tissue

fig. 9.1.11 My Perfume

Week 10: Photo Manipulation Part Final 

     As for the final step, I would manipulate the photo in Adobe Photoshop.

Photo Manipulation Progress

     I selected and masked each of the photos I took last week.

fig. 9.1.12 Selected and Masked 1

fig. 9.1.13 Selected and Masked 2

fig. 9.1.14 Selected and Masked 3

fig. 9.1.15 Selected and Masked 4

     I combined all those together afterward, putting a solid background color along the way.

fig. 9.1.16 Pasted together with added background-color

     Then finally, I adjusted the curves, and contrast of the images pasted together to make them look more realistic.

fig. 9.1.17 Adjusted curves and contrast

     Adding one last detail, a gradient, to this pasted image.

fig. 9.1.18 Added gradient

fig. 9.1.19 Final Photo Manipulation

Final Photo Manipulation

<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ENVFflaMTOclSIc6ERkqBo_oE031obDi/preview" width="640" height="480" allow="autoplay"></iframe>

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FEEDBACKS

Project 2A: Double Exposure

Feedback: I feel I put in a cool concept: clothes made from food. Come on! Who doesn't like that?

Project 2B: Part 1 Hearst Mansion 

Feedback: The shadow and reflection feel legit. No distortion. Great.

Project 2B: Part 2 Recoloring Black and White

Feedback: Nice color choice. Green hair is lovely.

Project 2C: Photo Manipulation

Feedback: I feel it looks decent at least.

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REFLECTION

Experience: Project 2 has been a fun experience; I got to learn how to use Adobe Photoshop more. I made a few mistakes along the way, and it was initially confusing. But I got through it with the help of Mr. Martin's tutorial. Project 2C was particularly challenging to me as there was no tutorial beforehand; we had to use the knowledge we acquired before starting this project. But it turned out great after a while, and I was surprised I could do it. Since I am a beginner at this and had no experience using Adobe Photoshop. 

Observations: It's essential to pay attention to tiny details as they could affect your whole editing. And not to skip any step as all of it is equally important. This is probably why it was initially confusing, and I made mistakes.

Findings of the task: Even as a person without experience in Adobe Photoshop, you can learn how to. It seems hard in the eyes of those who have never done it before, but as you start learning how to do it yourself, you will be able to do it; it is easier than you think.