Experimental Photography

Alan SmithTask 6

First selection of images

Multiple Exposure

Here are a collection of images to demonstrate the use of multiple exposure.

They are based on some of the original images taken and the first thoughts at this early stage.

(Used in slide 11)

Image 1This idea came about when looking at the themes Nature and Fear.

I was trying to merge two ideas as well as using the different experimental photography techniques.

Multiple Exposure is used here because I felt that it would be the best way to show the fear in the piece. Fear is shown through the face being visible through the tree bark, something of which is not seen as the norm.

Having something so surreal will make the person looking at it think and intrigue them more than they would with another piece.

The process was made using Adobe Photoshop. The idea behind multiple exposure is the altering of the layers and merging the two images together.

The two images I took were both imported onto the software. I Then placed the image of the face behind the other picture but above the original background. Then I changed the tool above on the right hand side from ‘Normal’ to ‘Overlay’.

The idea of using an elderly person was brought into light when experimenting and finding out that the wrinkles an older person possesses can be used with the bark of a tree and look very effective.

The taking of the image was premeditated so that the person in question would have a certain facial expression. This is to tie in the theme of fear.

This piece will be considered developed upon even further and I will consider making multiple faces or body parts through the natural objects I find when taking more images.

I feel that I have indeed produced what I had imagined and pictured beforehand in the planning stages of this experimental photography unit. When looking at the mood board and mind map, it is clear that the theme of nature and using that to combine the idea of fear has remained the same throughout.

Jerry Uelsmann’s work was an influence in the making of this particular piece because he demonstrated that Fine Art can come in any forms and using the simplistic of techniques can produce very unique pieces.

The idea beforehand was to produce a set of images to tell a story and link the images, now after I have made this piece, I share that idea but have moved towards having a set human body parts merged into natural subjects.

When comparing both my work and Uelsmann’s it is clear that he has used more older techniques compared to my contemporary ways of production, however, I feel that the themes become clear through the surrealism of the work in both.

My intentions now involve using this idea as a platform to produce much greater advanced pieces and have a set of images with the same style photographs but produced on Photoshop in different ways to multiple exposure.

The idea of using an older person in the work is to try show the idea of fear and that fear of dying at that age in their life.

When looking at the work in an aesthetic way I would consider it to be of a professional piece that focuses on two images and remains to the brief given. The aspects I like about the piece are that of the bold bark, had this been poor image or of a different tree I believe it wouldn’t bring the same effect. Using a tree bark that stands out gives the impression of the work being more life like. I also like the way the eyes and mouth merged well into the other image and did not ruin the composition. To be more specific I like the face itself. The expression on the model used is what makes this piece stand out.

However, I feel that the image could have been developed further and maybe built a full body on a tree instead of just the head.As it was just an experimental stage, should the piece be seen as a good technique and a good use of the equipment then this is an idea that can be explored later. If, after spending a lot of time on developing this idea further and then it was not seen as a good way to portray the theme, then it would have been seen as time and resources that could have been used, exploring further ideas.

Having the original image of the face put in black and white helped bring out the bark and make the image look more realistic.

The technical qualities of the images themselves I believe are up to a good standard for the project. As this topic is all about experimenting with images and all types of media, I took the two photographs for this piece on a phone and therefore did not have to set the shutter speed or aperture. If I was to use these I would make sure that I had a low paced shutter to capture all light in the picture and make sure the facial features were clear.

I felt that I did not need to use a DSLR on this particular piece because there was going to be a lot of post production and as long as the images were not out of focus and relevant then it would work for developing upon.

In the planning stages I did mention I was to use a camera of that type, however for the purposes of the first experimental stage, I felt that the resources were not needed. Should this piece be a success then I would have to use a much more professional camera.

This unit is all about understanding photography and looking into all the realms hat are involved. Experimenting is about producing some bad images and learning from them to understand and get a grasp of how the camera works. Making abstract pieces can make the viewers think as it is so different to what they are used to seeing.

The ways in which I could improve the work would be using the piece as a slight platform to work upon. I could make a collection of images with human body parts merging into natural surroundings. Such as I have looked into before in the images (Slide 3). I have started developing a human hand but using the same multiple exposure technique to make it look very peculiar.

To advance from this, I would explore further by taking more images and also brainstorming more ideas of how I can merge the two themes together.

When Looking at the other pieces I made I believe that I can produce much more then the minimum of three final pieces in the brief. I can produce a Surreal Nature/Fear collection of work that is of a professional style.

All the work made share some of the same ideas, and many are just developments from each other, such as the hand turning the page of the two images being worked upon since the first post production on the hand.

I believe that not only does the work have a hidden meaning, it uses shapes and patterns to entice the viewer more. With the image (Slide 4) it includes the pattern of the bark to merge in with the elderly persons face and their facial appearance. It also produces lines coming across the work in an almost life like manner. The images can suggest (The Face on the bark) that there is a fear towards life and nature. With the world always changing, the wildlife changes and alters, the same can be said to people and the pieces are trying to portray the fear behind getting older and dying.

The pattern remains similar in all the multiple exposure pieces that involve the bark of a tree and a human body part, that of a grainy type style that works well and blends in the skin due the wrinkles and the veins.

I found that using a black and white shade for the images with the face work better because it is more realistic and therefore produce more of a reaction when seen. The developed hand however is better to be in a light contrast so it can show all the detail behind the double exposure.

Should a collection of pieces be made of these then I would produce both black and white and coloured versions of both. When talking about composition I believe that the image of the hand turning the page would be the best image to explore.

Not only does this use a variety of techniques, but it explores into the surreal way of thinking again. (A pattern starting to emerge for all the work I produce).

Using the multiple exposure hand to turn the ‘Turned page effect’ page is a good idea. This turned page of the image was made through using the free transform tool and pulling the bottom right of the page forward. I then used another image I had taken to place underneath that layer to give the impression of a book and again telling a story (Another pattern throughout my work)

The images I produced, in my eyes met the requirements on the brief. My work in fact went above and beyond what was asked, It did not mention that two of the themes could be picked instead of one so thinking outside of the box should be commended. The images therefore did meet the theme and are all starting to produce a similar style. Saying that two of the themes were going to be used was easy, however making sure they worked together and finding appropriate images to correspond with it was another aspect. An aspect, in believe I made work.

I believe that they are experimental because they are taken using a different type of camera to what is usually used, altered using different methods on Photoshop and of different objects with still keeping one theme throughout.

Here I am starting to explore the technique of 3D.

I took some further images, uploaded them to Adobe Photoshop and then applied the effect that I learnt for this technique.

The effect involves moving layers and having both cyan and red to go in opposite directions in order to create the visual technique.

The images are in relation to the themes fear and nature. The picture of the grave is to represent both, however leans more towards the fear aspect.

The image on the right of it is the total opposite and holds no fear to it whatsoever.

The image on the right is one I feel I can use as a potential final piece.

This is because I have already added work from the previous set of ideas (The hand) and feel the pre production was done well.

The last image here in the collection is exploring the use of the camera angle and the opposite to the top right image. Rather than a high angle close up it has a wider view and looking up with a low angle.

Here is an image from the original set of photographs I took. This image was taken before I had a clear vision on what I was planning to create. I imported the image into Photoshop and then used the 3D effect to create the same image but in a much more unique fashion.

I was experimenting to show that the most normal looking of images can be edited to look more life like and appropriate to your theme(s).

I will use this idea of 3D imaging and merge it together with the fear aspect in later experiments. I will not use this image as a final piece, however I feel that it is important to experiment with the technique before going into more complex imagery and related to the actual themes.

The second image here is the one adjusted by the ‘3D effect’ from a first glance you cannot see much difference and that is the look some aspects of my work will have. Subtlety creates the best pieces in my opinion, making sure that work has the detail and appropriate techniques are vital but it is how to portray them which I believe has as much importance. Giving the viewer the chance to spot the work is a great idea as it allows them more time to enjoy the piece and explore the theme you are trying to create.

Alter levels and colour saturation in Photoshop to make the image look more relevant to the theme.

Turn both 3D

Here is more development to the experimental photography unit. I am attempting to show a little more detail to the process and how the composition is formed. Merge both together.

Have one 3D image and one normal to show the difference and make the hand stand out more.

Having the grave 3D with another image would not work. The idea of having two dimensions was to correspond with the two themes (Fear and Nature) Here. Fear being on 3D with the natural side being an original 2D photograph.

Development

Here on this idea I have gone away from the subtle effect mentioned on the last slide as again I want to explore every idea and every possible outcome to my work.

I chose this particular 3D piece as it stood out from the rest I had made. Here I incorporated the familiar image of the hand I had taken in my previous shoot.

I used this image from a high angle looking down to portray the hand as it is in the ground and a person trying to get out, hence the grasping movement.

The 3D effect was used on these images to bring out the theme further. It can be seen as obvious due to the bushes and hand, however it does not hurt to be more clear to the audience.

I consider this piece to be surreal and a development from the original set of photographs.

Using Photoshop to alter the images to 3D was a good method as the audience is made think yet again, not only with the two themes and imagery but now with their sight and what they see as reality.

Using Red and Cyan colours and moving them in opposite directions created this image. The hand itself remained neutral to give more clarity to the image.

The Second stage of development was taking what had been created from the first and improving them or using it as a platform for similar ideas.

The idea of using human body parts to feature in nature where you would not expect is a current idea that has been looked at thoroughly, however could be adapted on later in the production process.

Image 2

Here is another image I have altered on Photoshop to tie in with my themes. I am using this here to compare it with the one I have chosen on the right.

The idea behind these similar pieces is that I consider the hand as almost a house style and as it may change in shape, size and position it will still feature in many of the images I produce should I want to go down that route for the designs.

This is to not only make sure all the criteria is met for the brief as I chose two themes, but to keep an identify in the work I create and have a unique side that others may not have.

The hand symbolises the evil side of nature (hence why it is merged in with photographs of less beauty such as litter and nettles instead of Bright colourful flowers. The hand can suggest the human beings choices and that of dropping litter or destruction to nature.

The 3D aspect is to make the message more clear and to psychologically tell you that if the image looks real then the piece itself has to be and makes the viewer question it which all great pieces of Art do.

I feel that I have realised what I want to achieve in this project now. I have a clear theme and idea set out and all that is left is to produce what I believe will be very professional images.

When I compare the second stage of images and start to look at how I have moved on it is very strange. The first stage was about looking at many ideas and choosing which particular one would work and which techniques could help bring the theme across best.

As now I have a better understanding on what needs to be done, I can take much more accurate photographs and so much more relevant to the theme rather than a broad collection of images.

The qualities I believe my work possesses are that of looking very surreal as well as keeping a natural look to them. With many images such as the last one, the second theme of fear is seen later to the original one of nature.

This is exactly how it was meant to be seen, the idea was that the longer you look at something which you believe to be the norm, the more you start to see something that does not quite look right and almost out of place.

I believe that the 3D aspect makes the work look very unique as it shares many components. The theme being of two parts, the images also of two parts and now with the use of both red and cyan to manipulate the viewers thoughts.

In particular I like the camera angle itself, the way I have taken the photograph makes the hand harder to notice at first glance and brings the natural surroundings out more.

I believe the strongest elements of the piece are that of the simplicity and surrealism combined to make a very unusual piece of Fine Art.

Weaknesses however I think could be that of the image quality. As this topic was all about Experimental photography I chose to take the images on my Android Phone rather than a much greater pixel camera. Using an DSLR may have produced a much more clear image to help see the hand better.

The technical qualities of the images and especially the one chosen on slide 9 are that of being well thought through and developed on Photoshop. A good use of tools have been used from Rotoscoping and cropping to the hands tool. I have also used the magic Eraser tool to remove unwanted background colour and the use of the Levels and saturation to adjust the colour in the photographs, this was to help make the images look more appropriate to the theme of fear.

I believe that images and their development has been done well so far and that with more time on the production stage I can produce more and use these experiments as a platform to produce a set of good quality pieces of Art.

I could improve my work my taking many more images on both themes, from this I can start to get a much greater understanding of what I will produce.

I could also improve my work by spending time researching previous work made for the ideas I have looked into and take a lot of encouragement from what has been made and then potentially try to emulate or even strive to produce better pieces of work in the style of a certain artist or photographer.

In addition I would also use the images I had taken of much more relevant pieces and then use a variety of Experimental techniques not just the Multiple Exposure and 3D then try to produce one which will look good for the themes and brief in hand.

When looking at my work I like to think that I have spent a lot of time looking into the topic and researching what was involved in the themes. This can be seen through my work.

The piece seen here on the right shares many aspects with the other images taken.

The colour of the work has remained similar in each due to the 3D effect and only changed when looking into double exposure and exploring facial features on natural substances.

I believe that the images do meet what I wanted to produce as they are still linking to the original idea thought about in the mind map and proposal.

When answering the question of ‘Are the images experimental?’ I have to explore this image in particular.

Yes, they are. When looking at the image you can see a variety of mediums used. Not just the two contrasting themes but the way in which the images are of the same style but can still be adapted from double exposure to 3D.

Further Development/Ideas

3D Background of a natural object.

Incorporating the ‘hand’ idea to the design.

Having images within images gives a surreal look to the piece.

Using a 3D Background adds that extra look to the work which makes it look very peculiar. This piece I made on Photoshop is a collection of all my ideas and thoughts as well as merging all the themes and techniques that I have considered during the experimental photography unit.

I wanted to keep to the theme of telling a story through my images, also keeping along the idea of both nature and fear together. Here on this particular piece of work I believe that it shares all the qualities and ideas. The bark of the tree being incorporated as the background rather than for the multiple exposure, The hand being used as the main attraction that appears from the background to the front. (The 3D effect attempting to make this look more life like)

The reason behind the Ellipse shape in the hand is that I wanted to portray the fear more clearly. Having an unusual image(s) makes the piece more interesting to look at. The idea is that the hand is looking at a journey of life (Hence the image above being a path) and the second being of a grave. All these include nature and fear. The fear would be the fear of dying (Hence the old persons hand holding the Ellipse shape.

When exploring the techniques used in manipulating the photographs I came to the understanding of using a variety of methods in one image.

This is showing progression through my work as all the recent images I have taken all play a part in the composition of this piece of Art.

More Images- (Fear & Nature)

Here I have taken more images to relate to the themes, many in my own time to show a further understanding to what was needed.

The images are trying to show some abstract objects that can use the nature to demonstrate the other theme of fear.

The trees are unusual and perfect for the themes. The image on the right however uses the trees to block the light and the main focus is where the light breaks through and shoes the dog used.

Here is another image I have taken to further explore the themes of both Fear and Nature.

I decided to move away from the human aspect and turn to the animals.

Having a wild animal coming from the horizon suggests that fear of not knowing what might happen and the use of the surroundings enhances this.

I have used a 3D effect to make the piece come to life and make the viewer believe what they are seeing.

I wanted the dog here to be close enough to be visible but a good way back to not see the facial expression.

Using the path again in this image links to the previous photographs and stays with the proposal of creating a story or journey.

Developing the images to the chosen technique

Here I wanted to explore into the two themes I chose but to keep the image simplistic.

Instead of using Body parts or animals to suggest the theme of fear I wanted to experiment taking photographs of nature itself but looking rather peculiar.

The many branches coming out of the tree may suggest both themes together.

Using a so called simple technique as 3D is appropriate for this particular image and other ones taken as it brings out the Art. It takes what is seen as an ordinary picture, to an extent and then made to relate to the theme with the extra dimension.

Again, looking into the realm of 3D. I Want to make all the images I took into another dimension because it makes it stand out as well looking more life like and therefore professional.

Having the camera at a low angle looking up can also enhance the theme and suggest the idea of fear to the audience.

It may be seen as this is too simplistic and not a good use of resources of the time given but I would argue that this is experimental photography and anything that can be justified or has a reasoning behind it should be considered as Art.

This is just further development to my thoughts and ideas and will not be used as a final piece but is a good way to gather some knowledge on what works and what does not.

Here I have returned to multiple exposure and back to the idea of a face behind the natural subject of a tree.

I have taken the advice from the first set of images and tried to take a better set in this stage of the experimental Photography.

I was told to try find a better image of a tree, with many different shades and tones as well as having multiple areas of bumps and grains.

I like this particular image as you can see some of the background in the face.

The top right of the image gives a much greater sense of what is incorporated in the face.

I also like the way that the bend in the branch has altered the look of the eye and made it squint.

The way in which the image of the elderly person is positioned behind brings the best out of both themes.

Using the circular shaped tool at the rear of the right hand side to change the colour into black and white was a good way to make the images look more realistic.

Using the dodge tool to bring the features out further was also very useful as it provides more clarity. This can help the viewer when they are looking at the piece of Art made.

This piece is developing from the original ideas from the first set of images.

This is showing more understanding of the themes chosen as again the multiple exposure idea has been worked upon after taking advice.

Design 3

I have chosen this image as the third design to the set of images collected and the themes.

This is because I feel that it shows development from the earlier designs.

The first design was about exploring which path I was deciding to go down.

I chose that of a face to represent fear in a natural object such as a tree, this was then developed on in the second design and was changed to a hand. The hand replaced the face and was incorporated in nature.

This design I feel has moved from the human side to an animal aspect. This is because I feel they can represent much more fear as they have an unpredictable stigma that goes with them. This is what I tried to get through. The 3D is used again to try make it feel more life like. Also, as I used this image through different techniques, I felt 3D was the only one suitable.

I feel that I have produced what I set out to in the planning stage. I feel I have also produced what was wanted by the brief and gone above and beyond the theme given.

The results I have found were not exactly what I thought they would be, however did remain in the topic and initial ideas I came up with.

I wanted to produce a set of images that related to the two themes I had chosen. This was to be in the style of a journey and portrayed as a story.

I feel this has happened in the images and more so in the last one (Slide 19). The parts where I felt I may have strayed away from the ideas was the development stage leading to the second image.

The human aspect was incorporated in the image, however it was very hard to see and could have been made more obvious. To compare the three I believe that the development can be seen and that the images got better the further the production process went on.

The qualities the work has in a aesthetical sense would be that they all share the same theme and can all be related to each other. The use of the experimental photography techniques have been made to a high level and the two chosen I believe were the best for the themes I chose.

The strongest elements of the work I would consider to be the Pre Production, in each of the three final pieces they have advanced editing done to them. The multiple exposure one using the layering and Rotoscope tools well and the 3D ones using the colours to an advanced level.

The weakest parts I would consider to be the actual photography itself. As a lot of freedom was given, the images were taken using a normal android phone and a low megapixel camera. The images would have been of better quality if I had used an DSLR.

The technical qualities I believe would be the use of the tools on the images. The 3D effect was made by having a grasp on how the layers work and using the colours cyan and red in a way to make the work stand out.

I could improve the work further by going back to the original images I took and taking more relevant ones to the themes. Using a DSLR Camera to retake images would produce better quality images as well.

To improve the work again I would have to consider using a wider variety of experimental techniques such as Harris Shutter or the Joiners.

This would show more development and push the work to a higher grade.

When looking at the work collectively you can see many shapes and patterns, this is not artificial but through the photography itself.

The first image (Slide 4) has many lines going through the face, this is the bark of the tree and it’s grain. I wanted that effect to merge with the elderly persons skin and their wrinkles.

The second image focuses on the colour and content rather than the elements such as patterns, however you can say that the hand itself is a certain shape. The composition in this piece has to be the more thought about out the three, deciding where to place the hand after it had been cropped was important.

The last image uses the natural light to manipulate the piece. It as taken to let the sun come through the trees onto the subject coming towards you.

After many images taken this was the best as it shares both the nature and fear side of the themes.

Do the images meet the brief? Yes, I believe they do. All that was asked on the brief has been created plus much more. I would consider the pieces to be experimental as I have shown a great deal of development throughout and you can clearly see from the first set of images to the last.

In the early stages of the production a slight grasp on the idea was taken, however now after multiple experiments and photographs taken you can see that I have understood the brief and produced what I wanted to.

The three designs are very different in an aesthetical sense, however when looking at them in further depth the hidden meanings and story behind each one become clear and they do all link relate to each other.

The multiple exposure image demonstrates a good use of Photoshop and starts to paint a picture for the reader to what exactly the series of images are going to entail.

The image of the hand is starting to be more surreal, however brings in a slight subtlety that the first did not posses. The last image explores more of a natural side and this can be taken into another image should they be developed more.

Comparing and Contrasting with Previous work made

This piece on the right was designed by Alessio Albi.

When looking at my own design I felt it would be a good idea to look at other work out there and see if there were any similarities or if not, any areas I could improve.

The piece has tried to use colour to bring the face and background out whereas I have chose to use black and white to bring the features out.

I have attempted to base my work on the fear side, however Albi has chose a much more colorful one.

I believe the work is similar in the way that they both have the obvious faces featuring, but they share the environmental side as well as the old person aspect.

Albi has used the green in the tree to replace the colour from the models face, however I have used the dark, bold bark to be more detailed in the facial features. Also the way the expression is used in the model helps the viewer decide what the mood is in the piece and whether or not it brings fear or any other reaction out of them.

My influence on this image was the piece by Carolyn Anne Anderson below.

When researching before I took my own photographs I searched for inspiration and I think that pieces with the added animal or subject can enhance that fear that you can’t get across that well through the landscape itself.

I feel the differences are that the direction of the object. The dog is running away from something rather than coming towards the camera, also the way the dog is moving creates the impression of something already happening.

The slow walk of the dog in my photograph does not give you any indication and therefore can be considered as more scary.When looking at both you can see the blatant

similarities of both the Dog and the Forest but the most important part is the leading lines used.

The way in which the line is used is important in both pieces and it determines the outcome.

The way in which the light is used in both I believe helps bring more detail to the dog and the lines.

The colour is an important part to both images, however the piece by Anderson implies more of a cold and dark scene. The colour in my image can be argued that it takes some of the fear aspect away, however it is needed in order to make the 3D more clear.

When exploring Jerry Uelsmann in previous tasks I noticed many of his pieces and thought they were very surreal and done so well.

It was this piece in particular that caught the eye and was inspiration for the body-nature multiple exposure aspect from the start. I incorporated both the bark and the hands as I felt they both seem to blend into whichever background you place them in.

This may be due to the texture and tone in the skin. Especially when using an elderly person as Uelsmann has here.

There are many differences between the two pieces, one of those being the camera angle.

I have used a high angle to make the hand look smaller and give the piece a sense of subtly. Uelsmann however has the hands made to look very large and therefore more powerful.

Another difference would be that of the background, as Uelsmann’s work is heavily post produced he has used a clear black background to make the hands stand out more clearly.

I on the other hand have not. I chose to blend the hand into a more natural surrounding and make it more applicable to the theme I had chosen of nature.

Similarities both of the images share are that of being work that does not associate to being ‘in the norm’. They are both surreal pieces of work that make the viewer think and question their own thoughts.

They provoke questions that have multiple answers all of which are right.

In this latest experiment I have tried to explore the effects of many techniques on a single image.

The image picture on the right has been post produced using Levels (To change the tone of the piece), the crop tool (To remove some of the image), the dodge and burn tools as well as the blur (To make the image clear and blurred in parts).

Making parts of the image clear were to enhance the 3D effect that I used on the Dog. Having this on one selection of the piece was used to see if it could effect the way the image as seen and to see if it had any affect on the depth of field.

The next image 3D has been used similarly but with more post production.

This image, like the one on the last slide was taken and developed upon using Adobe Photoshop. The use of heavy post production is another experimental stage to see hat works better when with a 3D object in the picture.

I have tried to make the image as dark as possible without losing some of the quality. This was to try relate to the original theme of fear within nature.

The toolbar was heavily used to enhance the 3D aspect. The burn tool was used on the river to reduce the light and try to make the dog more clear to see.

The experiments have been useful as I now know what to do in order to improve and possibly create one last piece to relate to all the work done so far and ultimately the themes and unit itself of experimental photography.

The image above has been edited further. Parts of the image have been cut out to make it look more professional.

This was done by using the rectangle marquee tool. Also, the use of the burn tool has been used more on the image above.

Experimenting with both 3D and levels. Here I have decided to alter the colour of the full image to try find out if the 3D comes across more clear.

I have also tried to adjust the lighting by adding artificial ‘Dodging and Burning’ through Photoshop.

Adding light to the subject and making the foreground darker were also other ways I used.

Cropping was used to show the subject in a much more clear manner.

After using the glasses provided and asking for peer feedback it was decided that the 3D by itself without colour alteration worked better than this.

This experiment was worth doing as I now know what the work on and not spent time and resources making a set of these images.

To further develop the ideas I have decided to look into a 4th idea that would have many aspects from each design in and incorporate them in one piece.

After exploring with animals made in 3D, I will attempt to use people and create much better depth of field from the subject at the front to the place in the background. The idea is that of a person coming towards you (Idea taken from slide 24 with the dog) and make it 3D to create a better effect.

This was decided as the experiments worked well when asking for feedback and to expand on them would be a great idea, this time involving people.

This 4th piece should work with all the other designs and ultimately the themes of fear and nature.

This piece will help connect all the work created up to this point and give the viewer of the piece a sense of direction to where the work is going and help them understand the theme and topic in depth.

If possible I will try to use the same person for this as the one who features for the hand and face in tree bark images. But if he is not available I have a contingency of both another person and the Dog to go into more detail on the image from slide 24.

Exploring 3D further

After looking through previous work up to now I noticed that all the ideas and final designs were great by their own merit and did relate in a way, however I feel producing one more set of photographs, experiments and designs will help enhance what has already been made and make it much more clear to the viewer on what the themes are and how I have tried to portray them.

3D has been used predominately in this project as I felt Multiple Exposure did bring my ideas and thoughts across as well as it could. I believe the facial features being seen through the tree’s bark was creative but I felt limited to where I could take it from there and develop upon.

Using 3D is a great way to move on in the project as well as keeping some continuity. I first starting experimenting with 3D on this unit when it was looked upon in the research stage, I had the thought that this would bring the best out of the theme’s I had chosen. This is because it is the most life like out of the techniques as the objects are seen to be moving off the page.

It is from this original idea where I have finally worked towards producing a set of images that all share the same theme and where you can see the progression being made.

The images on the slide above are taken of the model as what the first design was made from, the elderly man’s face. Here I chose him to keep the consistency and so the viewers could start to understand what I was trying to get across.

3D DesignHere is the same image from the previous set on slide 31, however I have altered it.

In this particular piece I have only changed the person in a 3 dimensional effect and left the background as it was.

The other versions were created by making the full photograph 3D.

The reasoning behind this was that after consideration It was seen that this effect works better. This was found out by using the Dog on slide 27.

I find this piece relates to the others made in this unit because it brings in all ideas and thoughts into one.

Also, the idea that this has come about through multiple experiments and the progression can be seen.

Here I have been experimenting again and used two of final designs and merged them together.

Copying the person and placing him in another image with a better background.

Using the elderly person in this image gives the impression that he is running away from the dog in the background.

This I would consider to be one of the best pieces I have created as it uses all of the tools and ideas learnt.

The facial expression on the elderly person suggests that something is about to happen and creates that tension in the piece.

The viewer can start to understand this due to the dark colours and and the leading lines that are coming towards the camera.

The hand reaching out was initially used to try and produce a better 3D image as previous ones were flat.

It now helps to create the sense of fear which has met the theme I targeted.

At the start of the unit I chose both Fear and Nature. This last piece of work meets both of them and includes the technical detail researched in previous tasks.

Using the original image and not editing it helps keep some identity to the work and retains the life like theme.

In conclusion I believe that I did meet all the requirements in the brief, I did produce what was asked and I did show a clear stage of progression throughout the experimental stage.

I have explained how I have edited certain images and shown how to develop a single image or idea.

The aesthetical qualities my work holds as a whole would be that they are simplistic and interesting to view. The variety across all the work with keeping the same theme has to be commended upon.

The technical qualities I have shown in the project would be that of understanding Photoshop and how to use specific tools in relation to the images, also being able to research, learn then putting into practice the technical procedures such as the heavily used 3D or the Multiple Exposure.

The piece where I believe showed the greatest technical quality would be the image of the dog on slide 27 and 28. Not only does this include a good use of the toolbars provided with the Dodge, Burn, Polygon Lasso, Blur, Sharpen and Rectangular marquee but it uses the 3D effect in a way that it is just the dog and not the background.

This creates a subtle effect but hen the glasses are provided you can see the attention to detail that has been put in to make such a piece, with the Rotoscoping of the Dog and the colours used.

Overall, I believe that all the work is of a high standard, however if I had time to repeat the unit I would try to have a greater understanding of what I wanted to produce. It if good to show development but with the time given I would have started on more complex imagery to have a very professional set of images.

Weaknesses in my work are that of a lack in variety. If I was to do the unit again I would explore creating my pieces using other techniques other than 3D and Multiple exposure.

Even if they were not up to a high standard it would have been worth while to experiment.

Another weakness the work has is that of a lack of photographs. I did spent several hours over many shoots to take the images, however I feel that if a greater number of images were taken there may have been more ideas to work with.

Lastly, another weakness I believe the work shares is that there is a lack of people and different places used. I was looking for consistency in the work, so keeping aspects similar was important, but perhaps using other people or other locations would have been good to explore for more ideas.

Strengths in my work are that of showing a clear theme throughout and making sure the images are clear to understand. Not only did I meet the brief set, I went above and beyond what was asked and used initiative to use two themes and use them in a way that looked aesthetically pleasing.

Other strengths the work has are that of using the tools provided on Photoshop to a good standard on the pieces. Showing development was important in the unit and I believe I did show it. From the first set of images to the last there is a vast difference with a small similarity of the theme.