Brainstorm
Ageing portrait
Bobby Neel AdamsBobby Neel Adams is a an American photographer born in Black Mountain, North Carolina. After he graduated from Goddard college in Vermont, he decided to move to San Francisco where he worked for 18 years. Bobby Neel Adams' most famous work is the 'ageing' portrait. He managed to create these images from the photo montage technique
The pictures below are my responses to his work and I successfully produced it by following the steps in the video. I wanted to see if I could follow the process. At first, I imagined that it is going to be a very complicated process with Photoshop, but after watching the video it was quite easy. |
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Evolution of Man
For this task, I had to edit some images that looks like that I'm floating in the air. Instead of jumping in the local environment, I wanted to take the process to a higher level. I've already responded my work to Natsumi Hayashi and I wanted to try something a little bit different.
Airplane steps:
1. open up the airplane image. 2. open up the portrait
3. adjust the size of the portrait image by free transform. 4. use the eraser to rub out the unnecessary the subject picture. 5. position the subject and lower the eraser level to make it look like its blending with the plane
Sky steps:
1. open the image. 2. open up the portrait
3. use the eraser the white part out of the portrait. 4. adjust the size of the subject.
5 lower the eraser opacity level to make it look like its blending with the background image.
1. open up the airplane image. 2. open up the portrait
3. adjust the size of the portrait image by free transform. 4. use the eraser to rub out the unnecessary the subject picture. 5. position the subject and lower the eraser level to make it look like its blending with the plane
Sky steps:
1. open the image. 2. open up the portrait
3. use the eraser the white part out of the portrait. 4. adjust the size of the subject.
5 lower the eraser opacity level to make it look like its blending with the background image.
Growth of nature in the man made environment
For this task of the unit, I was set to take pictures of collapse natural environment. Areas such the rain forest being destroyed to make way for man's ever increasing desire for space and habitat.Also, I could captures images that represent natures growth into man made environment.
Starter
Before I do any research on photographers, I wanted to take pictures of desolated plants around my house. I was inspired by a former A level student called Lydia Frances. I have taken these images because I wanted to look like it looks like a post apocalyptic scenery. You'll see plants, rotten object and messes around the area. I even use my camera in the garden because there are plants that are ruined as well.
Jin LeeJin Lee is an Korean photographer born in 1961. She studied at Wellesley College in 1983 and continued her education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1988. She is currently living Chicago. Her photographic work forms a deeper relationship through a close examination of landscape, the man made environment and nature. One of her most notable works is a series called "Weed". This series contains images of plants that are growing from a man made grounds. I think she wanted to represent growth of the natural environment and how it attempts to reclaim the man made structures that we build.
In her own words, she said “I am interested in working with heroic and sublime subjects of landscape art, such as mountains and oceans, but exploring them within everyday situations and seen with a subjective and intimate view. My goal is to develop a sustained relationship and a connection to the place I live by paying attention to and photographing particular things over and over again.” |
My response
Evolution of camera
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In the task, I was to experience 3 differents types of camera. As you can see, the first top left is the pinhole camera. The pinhole camera was a trail and error process because the the images keeps getting overexposed and I managed to did it successfully.
The second one on the bottom is for the film camera. The film camera process was a lot more convenient that the pinhole camera. I was managed to control the the seconds and the exposure manually. Furthermore, both of the cameras have a similiar picture development such the three chemicals in the dark room develop, stop and fix. finally, the last picture is the digital DSLR camera. The digital camera is the easiest technology to capture the shot because it not like the pinhole and the film camera. It doesn't have the complex process like them, the system just does it for the you. Also, it features colour to show the exactly details of the subjects. |
David bailey exhibition
For unit 4, we had to go to an exhibition at the national portrait gallery in Trafalgar Square. The exhibition is called "Bailey's stardust" and it presents David Bailey's photographic work. In the gallery, it shows the images of what he has taken in his life and the camera technology is being developed.He uses pin, film and digital in his career.
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Three strands
The next stage of this unit, I am going to develop three different strand for preparation of the exam. First, I am going to research photographers that are related to the theme before I even start processing them.
my response
Jasper JamesJasper James is a English photographer based in Beijing. In the early 90s. he had attended and graduated a photography course at the London college of printing. Jasper james is famous for is multiple exposure portrait images. He been editing the portrait pictures with nature and the urban environment for advertisements.
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my response
Jiang ZhiJiang zhi is a chinese photographer born in 1971 Yuanjiang China. He is best known for photographic work of burning flowers. He called this sets of images called "Love Letter". JIang Zhi didn't use photoshop to create these pictures, he literately uses fluid to burn the plant and capture the shot.
The photographer said "Beautiful things and objects themselves will ultimately disappear, but the beauty itself will live on, as well as love. Perhaps this is what I am trying to express. This series of works is actually just that, a series of "Love Letters". Beauty, pain, transience and eternity, blossoming and wilting, passion and grace, dedication, giving and sacrifice ……These are all about love.” |
my response
Instead of using fluid of actually burning the plant, I used photoshop for it. I used this video from youtube to guide me of producing my own burning flower images.
Paul smithPaul Smith is a photographer from England. He is best for his photographic work series called Heroes. He took a bunch portrait and edit them with photoshop. Most of the images are all set in a construction building and real life enviroment. He even use a the multiplicity technique as well. So, I will use his idea with the fire element of development as well.
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Development set 1
For this set, I want to create a fireball power effect. In the first two image, I used a basic a basic paint brush tool to create whereas the last picture, I found a fireball image and make it blend.
Development set 2
For Development set 2, I wanted to try and use the element of water. I used the video tutorial to guide me through, but it didn't work. I would of been better if I plan a location and the clothing.
Development set 3
I wanted to look like my hand has the power of ice. I didn't do anything special, I just used the paint brush to look up its blending in.
Development set 4
I tried to do something a-bit like a comic book character. I wanted to look like Wolverine like the X-men series, but I felt I was going out of my theme.
Development set 5
I revisited the fire notion and tried to modify it. I recently found another video tutorial on how to refine the fire hand technique with Photoshop. I followed the clear instructions and it worked pretty well.
Development set 6
Before I set out to do some more fire portrait effect, I wanted to create it at my house for a starter and it went really well.
Development set 7
In set 7, I took some self portrait in central London and edit them with photoshop. I thought these images gives out a brilliant result because it's set a daily life area where normal walk around.
Development set 8
In development set 8, I wanted to create a portrait on fire to see what result I will ended up will and I think it went okay.
Development set 9
I attempted to revisited the same skills from development set 8 and I wasn't happy with it. the white background was very distracting because I can't the see the flames in the self portraits clearly.
Development set 10
I wanted to correct the same mistake from set 9 in this development set. The fire on the subject is clear to see because I've have taken it from the dark background.
Development set 11
After experiencing water and fire, I wanted to do something different. i wanted to try and used plasma superpowers to see of how it will look like. I think it's a pretty decent fresh new start for development.
exam preparation
for the exam, I will develop images that represents superpowers. I am going to use all my photoshop techniques to produced related image at the bottom. the pictures will be a self portrait in the urban environment.
The final pieces
For the exam work, I had to kept reshooting the self portrait in the studio to get the results right. I had to adjust the light studio to make sure the the portrait pictures will blend really well with the landscape images. In Photoshop, I didn't do anything specific, I just used a small soft paint bush to rub out the unwanted areas and I was editing the colour balance to give out the perfect results. I wore a onesie for the lighting portraits and I used the same technique with the fire one.
Conclusion
Overall, I was pleased with the project as a whole. I managed to create a piece that came from my imagination and It took a me a while producing them. Before, I attempted to create these images, I needed to start developing and I've experience new techniques in photoshop and I'm glad that I have gained new knowledge in it. Some of the final pieces are dramatic like the one of me in the onesie in the street it looks beautiful from my own point of view. Some of the lighting are so bright and strong, I had to lower down the opacity so that I could myself more clearer in the picture.