Digital Photography and Imaging: Project 1A - Collage & Digital Imaging (WEEK 1 - WEEK 4)

26/9/2023 - 3/10/2023 / (Week 1 -  Week 4)

Aisya Diva Anwagodsa (0365505)

Digital Photography and Imaging / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media

Project 1 : Collage & Digital Imaging

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JUMPLINK

1. Lecture

    - Week 1

    - Week 2

    - Week 3

    - Week 4

    - Week 5

2. Instruction

3. TASK 1

4. TASK 2

    - Final Result

5. TASK 3

    - Final Result

6. TASK 4

    - Final Result

7. Reflection

8. Quick Links 

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LECTURE

WEEK 1: Introduction to Photoshop

Photoshop is a editing software that helps designers to do their work, especially in graphic design.  Other than that, Photoshop also can do:

1. Create graphic design

2. Restoration of old image

3. Integrate graphics with text artistically

4. Make use of brushes

5. Change photo color

6. Rectify mistakes in photographs

Photograph manipulation in 1850s: The combination of multiple images on one negative.  photograph manipulation involves the transformation of alternation of a photograph using various methods and techniques to achieve desired result.

Here is one of the example of photograph manipulation:

Fig. 1.1 Goebbels Family Portrait

In the portrait, the uniformed Herald was actually away on military duties, his picture was inserted and retouched.

Digital Imaging: Converts the printed text, artwork, and photographs into digital images using a digital scanner or another imaging device.

WEEK 2: Introduction To Basic Composition

1. Focal Point: A key element to any good composition is a strong focal point, as it helps your viewers’ eyes naturally settle on the important pieces of your design first.

2. Scale & Hierarchy: Used to help communicate the hierarchy by drawing attention toward and away from certain elements.

3. Balance The Elements: A technique that could help us to mastering symmetrical balance is to think that every element as having a weight to it. Smaller object lighter than bigger object; textured element is heavier than flatly colored element.

4. White Space: To balance up the main focus of a composition.

5. Rule of Thirds: Process of dividing an image into thirds, using two horizontal and two vertical lines.

Fig. 1.2 Basic Composition

WEEK 3: Introduction to Photoshop

1. Lasso Tool: Lasso tool is used for drawing and pinpoint specific areas of a document. 

2. Pen Tool: To creating a path from scratch, the pen tool is common option.

3. Layering: Different images stacked on top of each layer.

Fig. 1.3 Photoshop Feature

WEEK 4: Intro to Photoshop - Adjustment Layer & Filters

Adjustment Layers in Photoshop are a group of a super useful, non-destructive image editing tools that add color and tonal adjustments to your image without permanently changing its pixels. With this, we can edit and discard the adjustments or restore the picture anytime. There are five features of adjustment:

1. Brightness

2. Level

3. Curves

4. Exposure

5. Selective Color

WEEK 5: Double Exposure

In photography, exposure is the amount of light which reaches your camera sensor of film.

- The main body parts of camera DSLR are: Shutter, image censor, and LCD screen.

- Camera lens: Aperture/iris.

1. Iris: Controlling the flow of light entering the lens.

2. Shutter: Small plastic sheet that opens and close to allow light onto the film or prevent light from reaching the film.  Shutter speed is measured in seconds (1/100; 1/500; 1/250; etc)

3. ISO: Referred to the sensitivity of film.  The lower the number of ISO the less sensitive your camera is to light and the finer the grain.

- Type of lenses: Wide angle, standard, telephoto, and super telephoto.

Fig. 1.4 Double Exposure

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INSTRUCTION 

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PROJECT 1A: COLLAGE (PHYSICAL & DIGITAL) 

TASK 1 : CREATING E-PORTFOLIO (26/9/2023)

List down your 3 favorite graphic design composition work from Pinterest.  Explain it on your E-portfolio blog, why do you like the designs?

- Design 1 

Fig.  2.1 Week 1  (26/9/2023) 

(https://pin.it/1zbgQ1i)

Description: I saw this poster and was amazed by its concept that embraced someone’s journey throughout their life.

This poster expressed : The dark background makes the picture highlighted, and the color consistency brings the memorable vibes into this poster.  The quotes that are written on this poster also describe the strong belief of god’s power and family support can make a person become stronger.  The quotes indicate the basis of the main character in this poster (Micah Crowell) as if it’s his strength.  The concept of this poster is simply for describing someone’s valuable thing in their life.

- Design 2

Fig. 2.2 Week 1  (26/9/2023) 

(https://pin.it/4aAV0hq)

Description:This poster brightened my vision, the font combinations are stunning.  The elements in this poster formed a strange composition but satisfying at the same time.

This Poster expressed : Weird and catchy, these two things captured the poster very well.  Earth is centered in this poster just on point, it seems that the tentacles are holding the earth and the whole thing is just like an outer space.

- Design 3

Fig. 2.3 Week 1  (26/9/2023) 

(https://pin.it/5StTluL)

Description:The poster attracted me and successfully delivered the message

This Poster expressed : It’s simple and has few ornaments, so people could easily see the point of this design.  It’s actually the melting ice cream, but they made it look like our earth is melting because of global warming, they convinced people to join the saving earth campaign.

TASK 2 : COLLAGE DESIGN ELEMENTS (3/10/2023)

1. Choose and identify your collage's design elements to be cut out and compose it into your own concept & story.
2. Pre compositing your collage's design elements into a composition.

PRE-COMPOSITION 1

Fig 3.1 Pre-composition 1 

Week 2 (3/10/2023)

Concept & Story 

The idea of this collage is about bringing the feel of a brand new vibe.  Those elements represents the transition from being sad (left) into being happy (right) and feeling awesome.  I decide to use a man holding a bag because I want to show the contrast between sadness and happiness.  The suitcase that is usually known for travelling normally contains a lot of stuff that makes it heavy, same as sadness that invites bad vibes and gives our life pressure.  While happiness is when our life feels lighter like we do not have to carry a lot of stuff and just bring our handy bag.

PRE-COMPOSITION 2 

Fig 3.2 Pre-composition 2

Week 2 (3/10/2023)

Concept & Story :

Second idea came up similar to the first concept.  I want to show that sometimes we have to try something new and get out of our comfort zone.  In this collage I want to picture a character that is daring himself  by changing his look, from comfortable (right) to more bold and out of his style (left) and turned out to feel awesome again because he feels like a new person. 

PRE-COMPOSITION 3

Fig 3.3 Pre-composition 3

Week 2 (3/10/2023)

Concept & Story :

In the third concept, I want to show that no matter what happens and how cruel the world is, we can always find comfort and safety in our home.  The liquid is a form of a problem that we have to face everyday and home is the place where we can breathe and feel safe, this is represented by the expanse of a grass that we can see from the doorway.  Home is a safe place where we keep our heart and protect what matters for us  

FINAL RESULT PHYSICAL COLLAGE

Fig 3.4 Final Outcome

Week 2 (3/10/2023)

This collage turned out to be the chosen collage, this was my favorite collage after all.  Because this collage perfectly describe the story of the collage itself 'Home is where the heart is'.

TASK 3 : COMPOSTING COLLAGE (10/10/2023)

COLLAGE 1

Fig 4.1 Collage 1

(17/10/2023)

This collage represent the point of view of underworld, where the buildings are sinking and the fish could swim freely among them.  But this collage is too simple (less ornaments), I found some difficulties in using photoshop so I make this one as simple as possible.

COLLAGE 2 

Fig. 4.2 Collage 2

(17/10/2023)

A glimpse of life that projected by an old projector.  I started exploring some tools and familiarize myself with Photoshop.

COLLAGE 3

Fig 4.3 Collage 3

(17/10/2023)

The Fish Empire, this was the idea that I've got while thinking about the concept.  The challenge is to only use pictures that are provided on Google Classroom.

THE PROCESS 

Fig 4.4 Editing Collage 1

(17/10/2023)

In this process I mainly use the selection tool for deleting the background.  I also use lasso tool to cut certain part that I want to use in this collage and using layers to arrange the element.

FINAL RESULT DIGITAL COLLAGE

Fig 4.5 Final outcome

(17/10/2023)

TASK 4 : DIGITAL COLLAGE ADJUSTMENT LAYERS & FILTER (17/10/2023)

In this collage, I don't want to change the look too much.  I add warm filter and adjusting the saturation, color, and the brightness.  I also want to accentuates the red scale of the fish so it's look more colorful.  

Fig 5.1 Adjustment layers & filter editing

Fig 5.2 Before and After

(19/10/2023)

It is a slightly different between the before and after.  I only do some adjustment to some objects that needs to be retouch.

FINAL RESULT

Fig 5.3 Final Result

(19/10/2023)

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REFLECTION

Experience:

During the collage task, I was struggling to operate Photoshop, and having difficulties in arranging the elements.

Observation:

There are so many ways to turn raw images into a piece of artwork, and I found it easy to operate Photoshop (when i watched the tutorial), but it is totally different when I practice it.  I just not used to it yet.  Need a lot of practice.

Findings:

Making a collage is fun and challenge my creative thinking skill.  Beside that I am happy that I can learn and know more about photography, especially about the camera and its body parts.  It is good to know that.

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QUICK LINKS

DPI: WEEK 1 - WEEK 4

DPI: WEEK 5

DPI: WEEK 6

DPI: WEEK 7

DPI: WEEK 9

DPI: SELF TITLED

DPI: FINAL COMPILATION & REFLECTION

HOME

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