Concentration 1: Memories

Concentration 1: Memories

Research of My Subject Matter (Audrey)

In order to get started I interviewed my subject, Audrey, about a past memory that she has experienced. I asked her a variety of questions in which she has explained a significant memory in her life and where it has taken place. I also asked her the importance of this place and how this memory made her feel. Below is the questions I had asked Audrey and her responses to them as well. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/107ftsv4Akm7dwM9_s1IiJzAAzvG7XOhCxDaMQOBG_6k/edit?usp=sharing

Image Examples

I researched some examples of double exposure that I liked. I also researched different ways and methods of how to do double exposure which results in a different end look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p9BeTmESIo

https://photophique.com/create-double-exposure-in-photoshop/

http://www.myappwiz.com/home/appdetail?platform=android&appID=com.photovideozone.doubleexplosure&refer=fromSimilar&name=BlendMe+%3A+Double+Exposure

http://stockphotoflow.com/

Online Research

 After that, I researched how to do double exposure in photoshop. I wanted to execute my piece using a double exposure aspect because then the photograph could embody both the idea of Audrey and the landscape where her memory has taken place. I used the following websites to learn how to photoshop the double exposure. Below is the links I used to create my piece.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbf-QXCCXgM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6fFuRkIuXA

https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/make-a-trendy-double-exposure-effect-in-adobe-photoshop--cms-23774

Photographs

Then I began taking photographs of Audrey in the studio. We took pictures of a variety of different poses so that I could decide which one would best fit the vision I was going for. I also took pictures of the trees because Audrey's memory is based upon picking up leaves with her family at her grandparents house. Therefore, I wanted to incorporate trees in my piece to showcase Audrey's story through the landscape. Below is a contact sheet (in google photos) of all my photos I took for this project.

https://photos.google.com/u/1/album/AF1QipPvHCa39hbG7cwmX1q0sjkgUBBA8rUGtY0taID6

Process

After I had gathered all my research and had a sense of what I needed to do, I began to photoshop. I basically followed the tutorials I found on youtube and also received help from my teacher. However, below are some brief screenshots and explanations of the process. Therefore, I first cropped my image, and turned it into black and white.

After that, I needed to have a white background in order to proceed. Therefore, I turned my background as white as I could. After that, I played with the vibrancy, levels, etc to make my piece look the way I wanted it to before I went on to add the photograph of the trees. In addition, I went around the edges and cleaned them up by erasing the gray excess left behind from the background.

Then, I cropped the image of the trees in order to make sure I had what I wanted to have in the picture before I merged it with Audrey. After I merged the two pictures I played around with the blending settings / tools in order to create the appropriate transparency. 

After I was finished merging, I went through and brought back Audrey's facial features so they would not be drowned out by the trees. I also brought back her skin and hair but let her shirt remain the same transparency as I made it with the blending modes. I wanted her shirt to remain dominant with the trees so they are better showcased throughout the piece. In addition, I wanted to incorporate a color from the image of the trees so make the piece look more coherent. Therefore I took the light blue from the sky and filled the background with it. Below is my final piece.

Reflection

For my first concentration piece, I wanted to interview Audrey. In doing so, I found a memory from her childhood which made her very happy. Therefore, I wanted to find a landscape that resembled where her childhood memory took place. In this case it took place at her grandparents house where she raked and collected leaves. So I photographed trees and told her story through that landscape. When I photographed Audrey, I wanted to showcase how her memory made her feel and the emotions she felt. Therefore, she is smiling and cheerful in the photograph. In addition, I had her look off into the distance which as a result makes it seem as if she is reminiscing about something. I also enjoyed creating a double exposure piece because it allows me to merge the photos together making her story a part of her or within her. I struggled with some of the photoshop aspect of it. In addition, I believe I could improve on making her facial features more defined and dominant in the piece to showcase her features better.

Breadth 2: The Power of Words

Breadth 2: The Power of Words

For my second breadth piece I chose to focus on societal issue / concerns. My primary point of interest includes typography, text, filters, effects, actions, and lighting. In addition, I included color, contrast, and framing. I wanted to focus on the societal issue of abuse. Specifically, verbal abuse. In order to capture my thoughts and ideas, I first photographed the subject matter with headphones in and her hands covering the headphones. This represents the impact words have upon individuals being that nothing can block out the pain from the words that are being expressed. I then took the image into photoshop where I typed up words that were hurtful, abusive, and overall cruel. I made each line a different text and style from the one before it so that they each would stand out in their own way. This displays diversity as well and captures the numerous different words that an individual could encounter with verbal abuse. After that, I wanted to incorporate this idea of censorship being that the subject matter is experiencing this abuse but does not have the voice, power, or ability to fight back. She is restricted or even prohibited to right back in a sense. I made the bar across the subjects mouth to represent this idea and I turned it red because red associates with the idea of violence. I then took my image into lightroom where I added a vignette to really focus in on the subject matter itself and frame the whole idea of the piece. I also explored with the idea of lighting and contrast. I made this piece black and white so that the red really stood out to the audience. I personally relate to this issue because of experiences from when I was younger. My brother and I would argue and he would call me names almost everyday. It is important to focus on the issue of name calling when children are younger because they can carry that habit with them when they get older. For example, in high school I still see individuals calling others names, stereotyping them, and discriminating them. Name calling can leave a long lasting impact on individuals. They can carry it with them throughout their life. This is why I wanted to make a piece revolving around this issue and the importance of it.