Digital Photography and Imaging - Project 1: Digital & Physical Collages
⭐ 25/9/2023 - 31/10/2023 (Week 1 - Week 6)
🎀 Yan Zhi Xuan | 0369425
💜 Digital Photography and Imaging | Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media | Taylor's University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.
Lectures
2.
Instructions
1. LECTURES
WEEK 1 (26/9/2023): INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND IMAGING
Reasons to learn Photoshop
- Operate in a visual style, website design, or individual experience function.
- Especially learning the hands-on advertising and marketing functions.
- Especially learning the hands-on advertising and marketing functions.
The Importance of Photoshop for the Graphic Designer
- Express your creativity.
- Create graphic design.
- Restoration of old images.
- Integrate graphics with text artistically.
- Make use of brushes.
- Change the photo colour.
- Rectify mistakes in photographs.
Photograph Manipulation
- Involves the transformation or alteration of a photograph.
- Uses various methods and techniques to achieve desired results.
Photograph manipulation with negative
Fig. 1.1 Australian photographer Frank Hurley formed this composite
photograph
from three original negatives of World War I Belgium.
Fig. 1.2 Goebbels family portrait photo in which the visage of the
uniformed Harald,
who was actually away on military duties, was inserted and
retouched.
Digital Imaging
- Converts the printed text, artwork, and photographs into digital
images.
- By using a digital scanner or another imaging device.
Fig. 1.3 What Is Digital Imaging?
Tips for Successful Graphic Designers
- Follow The Tutorials
- Experiment
- Memorize All Keyboard Shortcuts
- Try to Replicate Others Work
- Do Participate in Design Competitions
- Subscribe to Online Galleries
- Smart Objects for Smart Designers
- Scaling Artworks and Proportions
- Use Actions to Personalize Work
- Organize the Files Properly
WEEK 2 (3/10/2023): INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION
Basic Composition
1. Focal point: Helps your viewers’ eyes naturally settle on the important pieces of
your design first.
2. Scale & Hierarchy: Scale helps communicate hierarchy by drawing attention toward and
away from certain elements.
3. Balance the elements: Smaller objects might ‘weigh’ less than larger objects, and heavily
textured elements might ‘weigh’ more than flatly coloured elements.
4. White Space: Empty space to balance up the main focus of a composition.
Rule of Thirds
- Dividing an image into thirds, using two horizontal and two vertical
lines.
- This imaginary grid yields nine parts with four intersection
points.
- 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.
Golden Ratio
- A mathematical ratio.
- Commonly found in nature, and when used in a design.
- Fosters organic and natural-looking compositions that are
aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Fig. 1.4 Rule of Thirds & Golden Ratio.
WEEK 3 (10/10/2023): INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP 2
Tool Box
- In the Tool Box, you can extend to see other tools.
Marquee Selection Tools
- Used to select and mask.
Lasso Tool
- Daw and pinpoint specific areas of a document.
- Three different tool options: Lasso, Polygonal Lasso and Magnetic Lasso
Pen Tool
- Creating a path from scratch.
- Remember, the fewer points, the smoother a path will be.
Lasso Tool VS Pen Tool
The pen tool is a versatile tool in Photoshop that can be used to
create extremely precise shapes and paths, using manually placed
anchor points. Although commonly used to make selections, the pen
tool was not natively made as a “selection tool”
Layering
- Layers are different images stacked on top of each
other.
- Can use each layer without affecting another one to make
adjustments for non-destructive editing.
- Can save a Photoshop file with all the layers included.
- The layers contain all the extra information and/ or images you
want to add to the original file.
Fig. 1.5 Tools in Photoshop.
WEEK 4 (17/10/2023): INTRODUCTION TO ADJUSTMENT LAYER & FILTERS
Adjustment Layer
- Non-destructive image editing tools
- Add colour and tonal adjustments to your image without
permanently changing its pixels.
- Can edit and discard your adjustments or restore your
original image anytime.
- Make the workflow in Photoshop more flexible and efficient.
Basic Understanding of Adjustment Layer
The properties panel is used to modify the adjustment layer.
1. Brightness/ Contrast: Adjust the tonal range of
the image. The brightness slider is for adjusting the
highlights in your image and the Contrast slider is for
adjusting the shadows in your image.
2. Level: Modify the tonal values in an image by
adjusting the levels of the shadows, mid-tones, and
highlights.
3. Curves: Adjust many points throughout the entire
tonal range of the image, and edit the tones in an image.
4. 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.
5. Selective Colour: Selectively modifies the
amount of a primary colour without modifying the other
primary colours in the image.
Fig. 1.6 Adjustment Layer and Properties
Panel in Photoshop.
Filters
- Change colour
- Add blur
- Create completely new image effects.
Fig. 1.7 13 Creative
Photoshop Filters Collections To Get
Stunning Photos.
Fig. 1.8 Trick the Photo
Filter to Add Drama & Color in
Photoshop!
Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDSbfx67MLg
WEEK 5 (24/10/2023): DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Exposure
Fig. 1.9 Exposure: the amount of light which reaches the camera sensor or
film.
Main Parts of the Camera
1. Camera Body: Shutter, Image sensor, LCD
screen (The camera body is a lightproof box.)
2. Camera Lens: Aperture/ Iris
Fig. 1.10 Parts of the Camera.
Exposure Setting
- Only two camera settings that affect the actual
“luminous exposure” of an image: shutter speed and
aperture.
- The third setting, camera ISO, also affects the
brightness of the photos.
1. Iris/Aperture:
- Controls the flow of light entering
the lens.
- Is measured by f-stop: f/1,
f/1.4, f/2, f/ 2.8, f/ 4, f/ 5.6, f/ 8, f/ 11, f/
16, f/22, f/32..
2. Shutter:
- A small plastic sheet that opens and
closes.
- To allow light onto the film or
prevent light from reaching the film.
- Is measured in seconds: 1/1000
s,1/500 s,1/250 s,1/125 s,1/60 s,1/30 s,1/15 s,1/8
s,1/4 s,1/2 s,1 s, 2 s, 3 s…
3. ISO:
- Originally
referred to the film
sensitivity: its "light
gathering" ability.
- For digital
photography, refers to the
sensitivity of the camera's
sensor.
- Common ISO camera
settings: 100, 200, 400, 640, 800,
1600, 3200, 6400….
Fig. 1.11 Exposure Setting.
Lens Perspective
- They are wide-angle lens, standard lens and tele
lens.
- Appropriate lens provided the desired framing, lens
choice affects the angle of view.
- Different lenses are designed for different for different purposes.
- Categorized by Focal Length.
1. Focal Length:
- The shorter the focal length, the wider the angle of view and vice-versa.
- the measurement (in millimetres) from the optical centre of a camera lens to the camera’s sensor.
2. Depth of Field:
- The proportion of the image that is reasonably sharp and in focus.
- The smaller the aperture you use, the greater the depth of field.
Types of Camera Lenses
1. Wide Angle Lenses:
- Ideal for fitting a large area into the frame.
- Especially useful for landscape photography or street photography.
- Almost everything is in focus unless the subject is very close to the lens.
2. Standard Lenses:
- Offer a fairly accurate representation of what the human eye sees, both in terms of visual angle and perspective.
- Images are perceived as more natural than other types of camera lenses.
3. Tele Lenses:
- Great for isolating a subject that is far away.
- Can photograph subjects from a distance thanks to their magnification.
Fig. 1.13 Wide Angle Lenses, Standard
Lenses & Tele Lenses.
DSLR Camera VS Smartphone
- Quality VS Convenience
- DSLR cameras: Capture images. Have much larger lenses and sensors.
- Phones: Carry out a multitude of functions. Cameras are very limited by size.
2. INSTRUCTIONS
Project 1 (20% - Individual)
Timeframe: Week 1 - Week 4
Description:
1. Physical Collage Design (10%): The aim is to develop
a theme/idea with layers of images with design principles, as well
as familiar with the fundamentals of composition.
2. Digital Imaging (10%) 2 x exercises: Students use
Adobe Photoshop as tool for doing digital imaging, compost different
images into one final output.
Learning Goals:
1. Generate and communicate design concepts and solutions through
manual and digital skills effectively and skilfully. (LO1)
2. Use creative thinking skills and methodologies to explore, generate
and test a wide range of conceptual ideas. (LO2)
3. Use information and communication technology to source navigate,
select, retrieve and manage information. (LO3)
Doc. 2.1 Module Information Booklet - Digital Photography and
Imaging.
3. 3 FAVOURITE GRAPHIC DESIGN WORKS FROM PINTEREST (WEEK 1-26/9/2023)
Pinterest board (DPI) link: https://pin.it/6l9TJNR
Design 1
Got Space? by Copete Cohete
Description: I was attracted to this picture when I saw it. Although the
colours are not very bright, the drawing technique is memorable and the
artist handled the details. The poster really expressed the theme very
well, which is the overpopulation of urban areas. Moreover, I like that
the artist utilised an isometric perspective to draw this poster. Its
ability to convey more details in the designs through depth gives out a
3D effect in the artwork. Thus, the audience can understand the concept
easily.
Design 2
COVID-19 Illustrations by Kinga Offert
Description: The theme is the COVID-19 illustrations. The tetradic colour scheme
(green, blue, pink, and orange) is utilised in this artwork. I like
the compositions, concept, drawing style, and colour used. As an
audience member, I can understand the meaning of this poster. It
expresses what most children do when they have a break during an
epidemic, something I empathised with when I was in secondary
school.
Design 3
People Poster Design 03 Red Version Minimal Graphic Design
Project by Zeka Design
Description: This poster is from the People Poster Design Collection. I like
the combination of people's photography with abstract and
geometric shapes full of colour using the digital collage
technique and mixing real photography with abstract forms to
create this digital art. Although the concept is minimalism, the
composition makes the poster stand out.
4. PROJECT 1A (PART 1): PHYSICAL COLLAGE (WEEK 2 - 3/10/2023)
My story for the collage: I am inspired by the vintage
collage artwork on Pinterest. I have the piece David
(Michelangelo) and decided it as the main piece in my collage as
the focal point. After that, I tried out 3 compositions with the
same cut pieces by using composition techniques: Rule of Thirds,
Golden Ratio and the basic composition techniques. After finishing
this practical exercise, I learned that I can create artwork
easily with the use of composition techniques.
Pre-composition 1
Description: I used
Rule of Thirds
composition technique to create this collage.
Fig. 4.1 Left: Pre-composition 1. Right: Rule of Third.
Pre-composition 2
Description: I used the Golden Ratio
composition technique to create this collage.
Fig. 4.2 Left: Pre-composition 2. Right: Golden Ratio.
Pre-composition 3
Description: I used
basic composition techniques to create this
collage.
- Focal point: I put David in the middle as the
important piece.
- Scale and Hierarchy: I put the bigger pieces in
the front and put the smaller pieces in the background to
make a layered effect. Balance the elements: I put the
pieces evenly.
Fig. 4.3 Pre-composition 3.
5. PROJECT 1A (PART 1): PHYSICAL COLLAGE FINAL REVIEW (WEEK 3 - 10/10/2023)
Feedback from lecturer: Hi Zhi Xuan, that's a great
practice. I'm glad you're catching up. You may choose Composition #1 as your final collage.
Reflection: I discovered we get to do a collage by
using anything around us. The advantages of doing a physical
collage are we can explore different textured materials and this
makes the final artwork more engaging.
Fig. 5.1 Physical Collage Final Review.
6. PROJECT 1A (PART 2): DIGITAL COLLAGE (WEEK 3 - 10/10/2023)
3 different composition digital collages from the images that
I’ve downloaded.
The story for the collages: After doing some research on
Pinterest, I decided to use the pieces given to form the concept
of fish swimming within the buildings. I think this concept is
very special, as it looks like some kind of insurrectionist
monster roaming around the city. Then, I chose the mint green fish
as the main piece. I added another fish and changed its effect to
Difference; it turned out so good. Moreover, I put the building
behind the fish. Ultimately, I put different textures and
opacities of pieces in the background.
Composition 1
Description: I used
basic composition techniques to create this collage. Focal
point: I put the mint green fish at the right bottom as the main
piece. Scale and Hierarchy: I put the textured pieces in the
background. I also changed the opacity of some of the background to
make the collage more interesting. The main piece, mint green
fish is in the front. Balance the elements: I put different-sized
objects, textured elements and flatly coloured elements in this
collage. Smaller objects might ‘weigh’ less than larger objects, and
heavily textured elements might ‘weigh’ more than flatly coloured
elements.
Fig. 6.1 Composition 1.
Composition 2
Description: I used the Rule of Thirds composition technique to create this collage.
Fig. 6.2 Left: Composition 2. Right: Rule of Third.
Description: I used the Golden Ratio
composition technique to create this collage.
Fig. 6.3 Left: Composition 3. Right: Golden Ration.
Practical in Photoshop
7. PROJECT 1A (PART 2): DIGITAL COLLAGE FINAL REVIEW (WEEK 4 - 17/10/2023)
Feedback from lecturer: Good series of collages. You may
choose COMPOSITION #1 for your final collage.
Reflection: By using the useful tools in Photoshop, the digital artwork
also can be engaging. Moreover, I discovered the advantages of
using Photoshop to create collages are it saves time and
makes non-destructive image editing.
Fig. 7.1 Composition 1 before edited.
Description: After doing this Pen Tool exercise in
Photoshop with digital collage, I learned that the Pen Tool
is a crucial tool for digital artwork in Photoshop. It
offers precision and control over creating selections and
paths, enabling intricate work. Moreover, bezier curves,
custom shapes, clipping paths, and layer masks may all be
made with it. Smooth transitions can be achieved by
fine-tuning and manipulating pathways with the Pen Tool as
well. Besides that, it can also be used to combine,
subtract, and intersect paths for complex shapes. It can
take some time to reach the ideal level of precision, but it
will be worthwhile if users are consistent and patient. The
Pen Tool is also useful for background removal, creating
custom elements, and arranging elements within a collage. In
summary, mastering the Pen Tool is a valuable skill for
anyone working on collage projects in Photoshop.
Fig. 7.2 Practical in Photoshop.
Fig. 7.3 Before VS After Using Adjustment Layers and Filter.
Description: I used Brightness/ Contrast, Curves, Vibrance and
Photo Filter. After the adjustment layers and the layer, it's more
of a story. I made the building more unsaturated so
this makes the mint green fish stand out. Besides
that, I made the textured background less vibrant.
Moreover, I made the contrast level of the mint green
fish higher so that once the viewers see this design,
they will immediately recognize the mint green fish as the main character in this collage。
Description: I discovered that Photoshop's adjustment layers and
filters provide a variety of tools for creative
modification, image editing, and retouching. They allow
for non-destructive editing, precision control, and the
ability to experiment and develop unique editing styles.
Moreover, layer stacking, masking, blending modes, and
artistic effects can all be applied to these layers.
They can also be applied to sharpen and blur photos,
improve colour and tone, and enhance photos. Adjustments
are simple when layers are converted to smart objects
before filters are applied. Images can be given texture
and patterns by using filters, and configurations can be
saved as presets for later use. These tools promote
experimentation and artistic image manipulation. In
summary, these useful tools can give us the chance to
explore more creative artworks.
8. PROJECT 1B (PART 1A): HEART MANSION & SHAZAM
(WEEK 5 - 24/10/2023)
Objective of this digital imaging exercise: To
understand how to use: Quick Selection Tool, Layer
Mask Filters & Color Correction.
Reflection: I learned that the tools and
functions are very useful for creating good and
interesting digital artwork. They are Colour Match,
Gaussian Blur, Image Adjustments and Filters. To make
Shazam more realistic, adding shadow and reflection is
necessary.
Fig. 8.1 Resources.
Fig. 8.2 Work Process.
Fig. 8.3 Final Outcome.
9. PROJECT 1B (PART 1B): HEART MANSION & MY REFLECTION (WEEK 5 - 24/10/2023)
Objective of this digital imaging
exercise:
1. Learn to take a photo using the
right lighting techniques.
2. Practice the Shazam’s exercise
techniques.
Reflection: I learned that when
taking a good portrait photo, we need to
make sure to match the angle from the eye
level. Moreover, the light technique is the
crucial key to getting a good photo as
well.
Fig. 9.1 The photo I took of
myself.
Fig. 9.2 Resources.
10. PROJECT 1B (PART 2A): RECOLOURING
BLACK AND WHITE (WEEK 6 - 31/10/2023)
Objective of this digital imaging
exercise: Turn the B&W photo into a colour
photo.
Reflection: I learned how
to use the Brush Tool and adjust its
opacity, hardness and size to create
different coloured designs. The brush tool is used to paint on any
layer, much like a real paintbrush; The
Quick Selection tool is used to quickly
and easily select one area or section of
an image; the Layer mask is a
nondestructive way to hide parts of an
image or layer without erasing them; the
Colour Picker is a panel with a wide range
of colours and modes of colour such as
Hue, saturation and CMYK.
Fig. 10.1 Resource.
Fig. 10.2 Work Process.
Fig. 10.3 Final Outcome.
11. PROJECT 1B (PART
2B): RECOLOURING BLACK AND
WHITE (WEEK 6 -
31/10/2023)
Objective of this digital imaging
exercise: Recolouring B&W photos at the
advanced level.
Reflection: I learned that the function of the
Marquee Tool is to select objects for
colour change; the Eyedropper Tool is
used to select a colour from an image
or any Photoshop document.
Digital Imaging Exercise 2 (Part 1)
Fig. 11.1 Resources (Part 1).
Fig. 11.2 Work Process (Part 1).
Fig. 11.3 Final Outcome (Part 1).
Digital Imaging Exercise 2 (Part 2)
Fig. 11.4 Resources (Part 2).
12. REFERENCE LIST & BIBLIOGRAPHY
Creger, Rebecca. (2013) 'How to use Adjustment Layers in Photoshop CS6.' 99 Designs.[Online] Available at: https://99designs.com/blog/design-tutorials/how-to-use-adobes-adjustment-layers-photoshop-cs6/#:~:text=The%20Adjustment%20Layers%20in%20Photoshop,original%20image%20at%20any%20time. [Accessed: 19 October, 2023].
PiXimperfect. (2018) 'Trick the Photo Filter to Add Drama & Color in Photoshop!' Youtube. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDSbfx67MLg [Accessed: 19 October, 2023].
Photography Life. (n.d.) 'Learn Photography.' [Online] Available at: https://photographylife.com/learn-photography [Accessed: 26 October, 2023].
Photoshop Essentials. (2020) 'How to Open Images as Layers in Photoshop'. Youtube. [Online] Available at: https://youtu.be/0dOvqYO5nfg [Accessed: 12 October, 2023].
Rossi, T. (2023) '13 Creative Photoshop Filters Collections To Get Stunning Photos.'
Fix The Photo. [Online] Available
at: https://fixthephoto.com/photoshop-filters.html#:~:text=Photoshop%20image%20filters%20are%20defined,retouching%20and%20improve%20image%20quality
[Accessed: 19 October, 2023].
Wikipedia. (n.d.) 'Photograph manipulation'. [Online]
Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photograph_manipulation [Accessed: 12 October, 2023].
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