Digital Photography and Imaging / Project 1

23.8.2021- 13.9.2021 (Week 1 - Week 4)
Cheryl Voo Yie Qi / 0349878
Digital Photography and Imaging / Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
Project 1

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LECTURES

Week 1 (23/8/2021) - Introduction to Digital Photography and Imaging

In the beginning, Mr. Martin told us about what we need to do in this class and what should we prepare for this class. Then, Mr. Martin gave us a lecture about photoshop and the importance of Photoshop for the graphic designer such as:

• Express your creativity 
  
  
  Fig 1, thinking idea, https://www.liveplan.com/blog/4-ways-to-cultivate-workplace-creativity-a-liveplan-guide/
  
  
• Create graphic design
  
  
  
  Fig 2, Poster design, https://www.cgtn.com/special/museums-and-exhibitions.html
  
  
• Restoration of old images
  
  
  Fig 3, Restore old image ,https://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/latest/photo-news/restore-old-prints-photoshop-elements-126159
  
  
• Integrate graphics with text artistically
  
  
  

  Fig 4, Integrate graphics with text example, https://www.admecindia.co.in/graphic-design/know-why-learning-photoshop-good-you/
  
  
• Make use of brushes
  
  
  Fig 5, Photoshop brushes, https://blog.breathingcolor.com/photoshop-brush-tool/
  
  
• Change photo color
  
  
  Fig 6, change photo color, https://www.psdstack.com/photoshop-tutorials/basic/selective-coloring-photoshop/
  
  
  
  
• Rectify mistakes in photographs

Fig 7, Photo rectifying, https://www.admecindia.co.in/graphic-design/know-why-learning-photoshop-good-you/

Next, Mr. Martin gave us top 10 tips on how to become a successful graphic designer :

1. Follow the tutorials
2. Experiment
3. Memorize all keyboard shortcuts
4. Try to replicate others work
5. Do participate in design competitions
6. Subscribe to online galleries
7. Smart objects for smart designers
8. Scaling artworks and proportions
9. Use actions to personalize work
10. Organize the files properly 

Week 2 (30/8/2021) - Introduction to Composition
This week, Mr. Martin gave us a lecture about composition, start from basic composition:

• Focal point
  - It helps your viewers’ eyes naturally settle on the important pieces of your design first.

Fig 8, Example of focal point,
 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kw2LjNBT8ZMNXZaAv04u3SqZCQd_wLWmcKk0NmusZQw/edit#slide=id.gce74760b0e_0_36

• Scale and Hierarchy
  - Scale is often used to help communicate hierarchy by drawing attention toward and away from certain elements, thus signifying their importance to the communication.
  
  
  

  Fig 9, Example of  Scale and Hierarchy, 
  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kw2LjNBT8ZMNXZaAv04u3SqZCQd_wLWmcKk0NmusZQw/edit#slide=id.gce74760b0e_0_26
  
  
• Balance the elements 
  - Smaller objects might ‘weigh’ less than larger objects, and heavily textured elements might ‘weigh’ more than flatly colored elements.

Fig 10, Example of balance the elements,
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kw2LjNBT8ZMNXZaAv04u3SqZCQd_wLWmcKk0NmusZQw/edit#slide=id.gce74760b0e_0_47

• White space
  -White space is mostly known as “empty space” to balance up the main focus of a composition.

Fig 11, White space example, https://www.behance.net/gallery/79995095/Catalogue-Design-for-the-IKEA

Then, Mr. Martin taught us about Rule of thirds and Golden Ratio :

Rule of Thirds
- is the process of dividing an image into thirds, using two horizontal and two vertical lines. This imaginary grid yields nine parts with four intersection points. 

• The Rule of Thirds is a way to:
  - Use composition techniques that are in line with what’s naturally pleasing to the eye.
  - Creatively use negative space.
  - Create a conversation between the subject and background.
  
  
  
  Fig 12, Rule of thirds, 
  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kw2LjNBT8ZMNXZaAv04u3SqZCQd_wLWmcKk0NmusZQw/edit#slide=id.gce74760b0e_0_84

  
Fig 13, Rule of thirds example, 
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kw2LjNBT8ZMNXZaAv04u3SqZCQd_wLWmcKk0NmusZQw/edit#slide=id.gce74760b0e_0_84

Fig 14, Video of composition tips, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZVyNjKSr0M

Golden ratio

• Is a mathematical ratio.
• It is commonly found in nature, and when used in a design, it fosters organic and natural-looking compositions that are aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Fig 15, Golden ratio, https://www.canva.com/learn/what-is-the-golden-ratio/


• Creating and appreciating a sense of beauty through harmony and proportion. When applied to design, the Golden Ratio provides a sense of artistry.
• One very simple way to apply the Golden Ratio is to set your dimensions to 1:1.618
  
  
  
  Fig 16, Golden ratio example on roses, https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/golden-ratio-designers/
  
  
  Fig 17, golden ratio example, 
  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kw2LjNBT8ZMNXZaAv04u3SqZCQd_wLWmcKk0NmusZQw/edit#slide=id.gcecf14fd65_9_3

Week 3 (6/9/2021) - Introduction to Photoshop 2

This week, Mr. Martin gave us a further lecture about photoshop and let us try to use photoshop at the same time when he was lecturing so that we can start using photoshop and ask questions while we were trying on it. The first thing Mr. Martin introduced was photoshop tools :

• Lasso Tool
  -Lasso
  -Polygonal Lasso
  -Magnetic Lasso
  
  
  
  Fig 18, Lasso tools, https://www.colorexpertsbd.com/blog/remove-background-using-photoshop-lasso-tools/

  
  
  
  
• Pen Tool 
  - The fewer points, the smoother a path will be.
  
  
  

  Fig 19, Pen tool, https://enviragallery.com/a-beginners-guide-to-photoshops-pen-tool/
  
  
  Fig 20, Pen tool, https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ieD5ozkxw8FjuT5QeAtxT71uXQ-pfaWwk10yP2AyksY/edit#slide=id.gd08f0b128a_0_58
  
  
  
• Layering
  
  
  
  Fig 21, Layering in photoshop, https://www.photoshopessentials.com/basics/open-multiple-images-as-layers-in-photoshop/

  
  
• Toolbox
  
  
  
  Fig 22, Toolbox in photoshop, https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ieD5ozkxw8FjuT5QeAtxT71uXQ-pfaWwk10yP2AyksY/edit#slide=id.ged7d141479_1_6
  
  
  
• Marquee Selection Tools
  - Select and Mask
  
  
  
  Fig 23, Marquee selection tools in Photoshop, https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ieD5ozkxw8FjuT5QeAtxT71uXQ-pfaWwk10yP2AyksY/edit#slide=id.ged7d141479_1_12
  
  

Week 4 (13/9/2021) - Introduction to Photoshop 3

Today, Mr. Martin lectured us about Photoshop's Adjustment Layer and Filters. We also tried it at the same time while Mr. Martin was showing us how to do it. With the adjustment layers, we can edit and discard our adjustments or restore our original image at any time.

Adjustment layers

Fig 24, Adjustment layer in photoshop, https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1z0mNzaUjbi1W13Lk0jjRiTCQi8qNJpblrv3jz_0f-Ro/edit#slide=id.p3

• Brightness / Contrast
  - The brightness slider is for adjusting the highlights in your image and the Contrast slider is for adjusting the shadows in your image.
  
  
  
  
• Level
  - Levels modify the tonal values in an image by adjusting the levels of the shadows, midtones, and highlights. 
  
  
• Curves
  -  Adjust as many points as you want throughout the entire tonal range of your image.
• Exposure - Adjust exposure levels with three sliders: Exposure, Offset and Gamma. 
  - Exposure will adjust only the highlights of the image, Offset adjusts the mid tones and Gamma will adjust the dark tones only.
  
  
• Selective colour
  - Selectively modifies the amount of a primary color without modifying the other primary colors in your image.
  
  

Filters

• There are filters to change colour, add blur or create completely new image effects. Photoshop offers a virtually unlimited variety of filters for this purpose.

Fig 25 , Photo filter trick in Photoshop, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDSbfx67MLg

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INSTRUCTION

Week 2 (30/8/2021)
Project 1A 

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.
3. Take 3 photo of your collage pre-composition and turn in.

Week 3 (6/9/2021)
Project 1B

1. Download all of the images that are given.
2. Follow the tutorial demo as a reference to create your digital collage.
3. Create 3 different composition digital collages from the images that you’ve downloaded.
4. Create A4 canvas size  (vertical) in Photoshop and start to do the compositions.
5. Insert 3 photo of your digital collage compositions and turn in.

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Project 1A
Week 2 (30/8/2021) 
Physical Collage 

• Pre-composition  #1

  
Fig 30, First attempt for physical collage

This is my first attempt at this project. I have tried to use two different colors for the background to make the background not look monotonous. The words I'm using are "confident" and "success". I used the two words to fill in some space to balance the picture. I'm also using a sculpture's picture and an Instagram frame to make it look more modern as nowadays people use social media to post their picture or their artworks. As for the ring thing on the girl's head was actually an angel halo and I wanted to create an angel image at this point.

• Pre-composition #2

Fig 31, Second attempt for physical collage

This is my second attempt. After the first attempt, I wanted to try it more simple, so I changed the background colour to plain white. This time I put one of the words on the girl's eyes to create an arrogant image. And this time I removed Instagram's frame to keep the picture simple. I also added two stripes of z-shaped stripes to fill in the space and balance the entire picture.

• Pre-composition #3
  
  
  
  Fig 32, Third attempt for physical collage

At last, I'm still using the plain white background and the two z-shaped stripes. But this time I placed the Instagram's frame to half of the girl's face making it look like people only post their glamorous faces to their social media but they are actually not in real life. And I think it turns out great at this one. Thus, I have added the sculpture's picture and the word confident at the bottom to echoed the picture on top of it. 

Fig 33, Final outcome 

At first, I wanted to use my third attempt but Mr. Martin suggested me to use my first attempt that has more layers, my third attempt was a bit simple compared to the first one. So I used my first attempt and adjust the ring on her head to make it more looks like an angel halo. 

Project 1B
Week 3 (6/9/2021)
Digital Collage

• Composition #1

Fig 34, composition 1

The first composition is about time goes really fast like they attacked us silently and goes away. 

• Composition #2

Fig 35, composition 2

The second composition is about the beauty of words because words can be beautiful like those fishes. Those fishes are like the words swimming out from the typewriter. I wanted to express that words can be beautiful like those fishes if you use them well.

• Composition #3
  
  

Fig 36, composition 3

The last composition is a married couple climbed to a tall building to admire the sunrise or sunset but they saw two fish fighting in the sky. So this "bad weather" lead to they can only see two big shadows instead of sunrise or sunset.

Fig 37, added adjustment layers and filters (final)

The beauty of words is a kind of metaphor and an imaginative image. So I put a blue and pink gradient fill for the background to create a more illusion background. And I used selective colour to make the leaves a little touch of purple to match the background, I like how the leaves still remain green colour in some parts. I also decreased the opacity of the white lines in the background to make it looks like smoke. For the fishes, I adjust the hue and saturation of the bluefish to make the colour lighter.

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FEEDBACK

Week 2 (30/8/2021) 

• Preferred to use the first attempt, but if using the third attempt need to add more layers to it.

Week 3 (6/9/2021)

• All of the first attempts is too simple need to do it again.

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REFLECTION

• Experience: At first, it is quite fun to make a physical collage. After that, it is my first time using photoshop, it is not as difficult as I thought but sometimes I still not familiar with it, need to practice more to be familiar with it.

• Observation: Every little thing can make the design looks different. Need to think more and be more adventurous to get more ideas, if not my design will look too simple.
  
  
• Founding: In the digital collage exercise, I found out that i get more familiar to photoshop but still lack some new ideas.