Tuesday 19 May 2015

Edited photos

My overall thoughts 
My favourite technique to apply was either overlaying textures or solarisation. Both techniques create unique, appealing, stunning and creative outcomes for the photographs. For all the images I altered the contrast, brightness and levels, this was to make the image look the way I wanted it to and improve the quality of the image. When editing the photographs I tried many techniques to apply and see which worked best.  Each technique was easy to apply to the photographs and was done in Photoshop; it was also a very fun process as I love editing images. The technique I applied the most is solarisation as I like the effect it has on an image, it makes the object become the main focus changes the entire look of the image.  The solarisation technique when used for photos of old buildings it makes the buildings more detailed and old-fashioned which is something I want to achieve when I apply it to the photos I pick out. One of my final images has been created by using this technique, I have written more about the image below.  I also created many pinhole photos as I like the effect it has on the photos, again I have written more below.  The angle I preferred to photograph with was a low angle as most of the buildings I photographed were tall and towering above me, a low angle helped me to frame and showcase the objects and buildings in the most effective and creative way.  When photographing in Bradford I noticed that there was a majority of old buildings and only a few new buildings, this sort of limited my options of which buildings I photographed. This was the same for Leeds as the type of building I saw the most was new buildings, this meant I photographed the most of my new photos in Leeds and I photographed most of my old photos in Bradford.  I liked this as my favourite type of building are old buildings as more thought went in to the design and what the building would be used for. I also do like new buildings as they have a more creative layout and use more glass however I still prefer old buildings for there quality in structure.  My favourite part of this project was using the film cameras as this is my second time and I knew more and believe this affected my photos, I felt more confident and less constricted when using the camera. We also used a colour film camera which allowed me to focus on objects with bright vibrant colours that would stand out to the viewers.  We used the colour film camera in Leeds and which was great as it has more new buildings which now include colour into their design.   


This photo was taken in Bradford city centre as there are many old buildings that I wanted to photograph. The colors of the building attracted my attention as the buildings stands out and when light is on the building the colors become more vibrant and strong. The way I edited was creating a border to frame the building so that’s it the object the audience focus on the most. I also adjusted the contrast and levels to improve the way the photo looked, this also changes the intensity of the color of the building.  Here I used a low angle to photograph with as I believe it is the best angle to use when photographing buildings.  The reason I focused on this part of the building is because I believe it’s the most interesting part of the building, the windows shown have eye-catching panes in them as to me they look visually appealing. The brick detail is also something that attracts attention; there is also the feature near the top of the building which looks interesting to look at. I have incorporated the ideas of Alexander Jacques as in his work he has leading lines that lead the attention of the viewer. 

I edited this photo in two ways however there is some similar things, such as the border that I created at the bottom of the image. I did this to frame the photo in a creative way which would add a creative flair to the image so that it wasn’t just like the rest of my images. On the second image I have added a filter which also helps achieve the creative flair I wanted, I found this filter in the filter gallery, I was experimenting with the filters until I found something that worked and improved the photo. The key aspects of this photo I want the viewer to focus on are: the person, the car and the building. The building because they are the subject matter of this project, that is why the building is central in the image. The person as she represents ever day life and how this street is still in use. The car because it also represents everything the human does and also leads the viewer into the photo. One thing that I don’t like about the second edit is that added the filter makes the detail of the building become blurred and messy which makes the building look merged which means it becomes less of a main focus for the audience.  I used a mid angle when photographing to showcase the building and the foreground so that I could include the person and the car. 


Using the technique of burning negatives was something I want to apply to this photo but using Photoshop instead of burning an actual image.  I believe the technique can be applied using Photoshop as shown above, to apply the technique you have to use the burn tool and go over the image with the tool. This darkens the image and affects the sky as shown above in this photo. My favorite part of this image is the sky as using this technique makes it look more detailed and colorful and more attention grabbing.  There is one thing that irritates me about the side of the image, the two rings are distracting and divert attention as they are clearly visible.  I am again using a low angle to photograph, this is because of the reason stated before, while researching I found out that Alexander Jacques uses low angle for his images and I wanted to create the same effect he has in his work.  As the sky surrounding the building is lighter then the building itself it makes the building stand out, which diverts the attention of the viewer to the desired location that I wanted. I occurred with a problem while using the burn tool, when it’s applied to an area if you go over the same area it goes darker; this meant on the building some areas were darker than other areas. The way I combated this was select the area I wanted to go over with the burn tool and cover the area once then cover until I have the desired result. 

This image was created in the by using a technique that has similar result to solarization however it has a different method to achieve the result shown above.  The method is very simple to use on images, it requires you to reduce the saturation and then create a v in the curve menu, which can done using the draw tool, and this is just two steps to creating this type of image. I applied this technique on this photo as I wanted to highlight the branches so that they created lines that attracted the viewer, diverted the attention of the viewer and was the main focus for the viewer. I understand the subject is not a building and why I photographed a tree as I saw the branches and thought it would look good when overlaid over another image, I was going to use this for the technique of overlaying textures.  I used a low angle for this photo so that I could get the section of branches I wanted, going under the tree allowed me to do this as I could readjust myself to the best place to achieve this photograph. 

This is my personal favorite image that I have created; this is because when I applied the technique I fell in love with the result. As the object is defined in the image and the building is the main focus for the audience as its positioned central and detailed which attracts the attention of the viewer. The way the sky looks also helps the building stand out as its lighter shade then the building, this highlights the building. The technique I used is the same one I wrote about above. Changing the contrast and levels was a major factor in this end result, as they had an excellent effect on this image. This photograph was inspired by the work of Alexander Jacques as the patterns shown move the viewer across the image. I think this photo has a faint 3d effect as it looks like the building is coming out of the photo which I think is very unique and makes this photo arty and interesting. The detail of the building is clearly visible which improves the photo, also this helps keep the attention of the viewer. In this image the central focus is the near top of the building, there are many lines leading to this central point. I photographed this building because when looking at it I was fascinated by the shape and the detail the building has so I used a low angle when taking the photo.      

I was very creative as I painted on this image; this was done in Photoshop using the paint tool. I wanted the paint to not cover the entire page so I created lines that are shown on the image above.  I chose the colours blue, pink and white as these are already in the image however I altered the shade and intensity of the colour so that it would show and stand out in the image. The colours give it a creative twist as this something you don’t normally see on images edited in Photoshop, as it’s more used practically on actual physical photographs. I matched the colours to the section of the photograph; I did this by highlighting the desired area and picking out the colours to paint onto the image. Altering the type of line the paint brush left was a difficult decision as I experimented and some I like and some I didn’t, however I went for this one, which is crayon, to give the image a rough and sketchy look to it, making it look like I physically painted the paint on. My favorite section is the sky as it’s messy and uncoordinated, just like me, I did this to represent myself in my work and paint with all the colours of the wind, on this photograph. 

This is one of my examples of a photo that has the overlaying texture technique applied to it, I chose this two images as I thought they worked well together.  Both were taken in Bradford and were taken with a digital camera in the centre of Bradford. The image of the outline of the human is the image I wanted to be the main focus, as it’s something you don’t see every day while in the streets of Bradford.  I didn’t want the overlaying texture to be stronger in intensity then the main image, as I didn’t want any focus or vibrancy to be lost from the main image that I wanted the viewer to look at. What I like about this image is the colours on the side as they create a kind of frame for the image and also are inviting and appealing to look at. The photo of the outline was shot at a eye level angle as when looking at the object it was eye level to me. The second image was shot using a low angle as I wanted a landscape building photo with just the tops of the buildings.   

This another photo with the technique of overlaying textures applied to it, However for this photo I do believe I isn’t more successful than the previous example.  Although you can see both images there isn’t really anywhere to focus on as the image is a bit all over the place and does not include a main point for the viewer to look at. As there is bright, vibrant and eye catching colours this makes the second more visual and the photo that attracts the most attention.  These images have a lot of blue included in them; this was done because I wanted a theme colour in this edited photo.  Both were taken at eye level while I was on the streets of Bradford.  The way I apply an overlaying texture technique to photo is by place two images in Photoshop and reducing the opacity of one of the images, this creates this effect.  


This is my first attempt at soalarsation and I wish I had a better result as the only part of this image I like is the banner as it’s the appealing factor of the photo. One thing that lets this photo down is the background as it’s too distracting as fussy and cluttered which diverts attention from the banner, which I wanted to be the main focus. If the background was either black or simple I believe the fence would have framed the banner very well and make the photo look effective.  This technique was created by reducing the saturation and then inverting the photograph, this is the result however I do have more successful photos shown below.  While photographing I experimented with angles and framing, I wanted to showcase this in this image, It is also shown in my set of abstract photo selection.  

This is using the same effect as the above photo however here you only have one thing to focus on, which makes it a more successful image. This effect makes the object look like it’s been placed onto paper and not that’s it’s a 3D object which I think is unusual but interesting. The lines go in and out of the image and this makes the attention of the viewer back to the centre and the to either side. I wanted the object to be the only thing in view and the only thing the audience focuses on.     




These are my examples of photo weaving; this is a technique that I found a bit difficult to create in Photoshop. This may be due to the fact I picked photos that had many lines going in different directions. If I were to recreate I would do it with a physical photo to have more creative quality control. 


Tuesday 12 May 2015

Pinhole photos I've created











Proam Photoshop screen shots ( adjusting the size of the image)


To make sure a photo can be printed correctly with the company Pro-am, there are adjustments and alterations needed to be made in Photoshop. Doing this is very simple and easy and allows the image to be printed effectively and in the correct way. The first step to this is to change the image size, this is done by selecting, image then selecting image size. This will make a menu appear on the screen, the menu allows you to alter and change the dimensions and document size, basically the size and fundamentals of the image. The settings to make the image printing are as follows, under document size centimeters should be inches, the number should be 7 and the height should be 5. These apply to landscape photographs, if the photograph was portrait the numbers should be swapped around. 



The next step is to convert the profile of the image, the profile you need may not be on your Photoshop however its is available to download off the Pro-am site, there is even a step by step guide on how to add it to Photoshop. When the profile has been added the next thing to click on is edit, this brings down a drop menu where the next thing to click is convert to profile.  This will then show a menu of the screen which allows different profiles to be set for the photo. The profile you need to set to be compatible with pro-am is Fuji_DP2_ProAm.icm. 

There is another way, which is to crop the image 5 by 7 and then converting the profile.  












Monday 11 May 2015

Exhibition Research

Exhibition summary 
A exhibition is a chance to display work to a group of people, the place where a exhibition mainly occurs is a gallery that is well lit and has a space people can walk around and look at the examples of work. Exhibitions can be used to raise money for a charity or just simply showcase work done by the people running the exhibition. The main two things to be used in a exhibition are art and photographs, this is why art exhibitions are very common. In some exhibitions the pieces of work can be sold to the public that attends. During there can be food available for consumption by the people attending. In major exhibitions there can be a varied amount of people submitting work to display.
Image result for exhibition artImage result for exhibition photography

What is include in a Exhibition 
The most important aspect of a exhibition is the work that will be displayed, without any to showcase there is no exhibition. Advertisement stuff, like leaflets and posters, are also a key aspect of a exhibition as there are the reason people find all the information they need so that they can attend, this is so people actually see the work and its not just an empty room, these two things are equally important and without either there wont be a successful exhibition. There are other things that can be included like food and raffles, which could help raise money, if the exhibition was supporting a charity. Power point presentations can also be included, which could give more information to the people attending, this could also be incorporated with the raffle or the selling of the work.

What I'm including in the Exhibition 
For our exhibition I am working on the charity part, this means I will create leaflets and think of ways I can raise money. I already have come up with some ideas, like having collection buckets that people can put money in,

This is what I created for the Exhibition I will use this on the buckets to make them look more professorial and inviting.


Tuesday 5 May 2015

Creating a pinhole photo in Photoshop

Creating a pinhole image in Photoshop, the first step is to place the image in the program Photoshop. Looking at my selection of photos I picked the ones that most appealed to me, these were ones that caught my attention and ones I believed would look good with the technique used on them. My images came from a varied amount of photo shoots I have done, some were selected from my  film photos and some are from my digital selection of photos.  When selecting I focused on the centre of the image as this is what the viewer will be focusing on, after the technique is applied. 


When the image has been placed Photoshop and is ready for editing the first thing to do is select filter and then select filter gallery. This will bring up the menu shown below, this menu allows you to apply filters on the images your editing. For this technique to look effective and make the photo look like a pinhole image the filter you have to apply is film grain. When applying this filter make sure to overdo the filter and make sure it looks appealing and improves the photo. Adjusting the sliders in this menu effects the look of the technique and this is the way you can make sure to not go overboard with the filter. As soon as your happy with how the filter has made the image look then press OK and the filter will be placed onto the image. The next step is alter the hue/saturation by lowering the saturation, this is done by selecting image then go on to select adjustments. In the adjustments menu there is a tab named hue/saturation. The menu below will pop up and this where you can make the alterations you want.
    


When applying the technique it may make the image looked drained and lacking in contrast, there are two ways to combat this. You can either adjust the levels or adjust the brightest and contrast, either helps improve the image. When editing I prefer to change the levels as this way allow me to have more control over the effect this has on the image. Either method has the desired effect on the photograph and it is possible to apply both. Whereabouts you find the tabs you press to bring these menus is under the tab image then under the tab adjustments, there are the first options in the menu.  



There is also other ways of editing and changing a photo, one way to change the look of an image is by using the tool of transforming the image. The transform tool has many ways to effect the image, the one I mainly use is the warp tool as it can make the image look inventive and creative to the viewer. This effect allows the photographed to be warped and changed the way I want, this allowed me creative freedom,

After applying the effects, you want to apply the next step is to select filter then add a radical blur to the photograph. This will make the edges of the image blurry and disoriented and highlights the centre of the image to the viewer. When photographing I made sure to frame a interesting item or building, so that the photo included a eye catching subject as the main focus. This works effectively when the amount of radial blur is set to 3, the method is set to zoom and the quality is set to either good or best, either one helps create the desired effect.      

If the radical blur has been effectively added to the image the next step is to modify the border, this tab is found under the select menu then under the modify sub menu. When this tab is clicked on it brings up a menu ( this menu is shown below), the menu allows you to change the amount of pixels the border will be. As the aim is to create a pinhole image the amount of pixels it should be is one, this allows a later technique to work effectively, this is the next step in the process.  


Next you have to select modify then select feather, which creates a inside semi circle which when set right cuts off parts of the edge. This allows me to just edit the highlighted areas. I can change and alter these areas any way I want, which helps me make the photo look the way I want it too.When I was Feathering the edges I experimented with the radius I used on the image. On different photos the radius that worked well could differ, this is why I has to see which number worked. Most commonly the range of numbers was between 50 - 100 and sometimes the radius could be 200 +. This part of the process is very simple and is a key part of making a pinhole photo in Photoshop, as its the main reason the images appears as pinhole photograph.  The two images below showcase what is shown when feathering is applied to the photograph, 

Mainly the reason feathering is used to create a pinhole photo is so that the corners of the image can be darkened. To do this you have to select hue/ saturation, which can be found under the image menu then the adjustments menu, A previously shown menu will then pop up on the screen however when using the menu now the thing to do is lower the lightness. This darkens the corner and blend the darkness into the image and makes the photograph look like pinhole image, which is what you want to achieve with this process. The final image is one of my examples, I used this image because the central focus is the building and the sky is very eye catching and draws the viewer towards the main focus of the photograph. 



Internet examples 
Image result for pinhole photoshopImage result for pinhole photoshop  My examples can be found on another blog post I've created.These are examples I took from the internet, I like the final photo the most as it uses colour to its advantage and this makes the image bold and creative, which attracts my attention. This is why in most of my pinhole images I've created colour is constant and used to improve the photograph, this was to make sure my images were noticed and showcased the creativity I used for my images
Image result for pinhole photoshop

Image result for pinhole photoshop