Evaluation

I have found this module the most challenging of all due to Photoshop being relatively new to me. I found that the best way to learn and come to grips with the programme was to literally just sit and explore and experiment myself with some practice images.
I also found that I learnt a lot from my peers, especially during our first crit , where we were given a mini brief within the brief to complete. From this I learnt a lot during the presentations of people explaining their work and how they had produced it- this urged me to keep trying and experiment and develop my skills further.
To begin, I simply experimented with changing the contrast, highlights, shadows, hue and saturation of my images. The brief then encouraged us to discover how powerful the cropping tool can be and how it can completely transform and give an image a different meaning. I then experimented using my scanner, importing mages into photoshop and layering them over each other, I also found that scanners can be used as a camera , and I created some work in the style of Dada in this way. My ideas then became slightly more complex as I began combining different images by layering them and changing the opacity etc, I found that this was actually a lot more difficult then I had initially thought as to produce an effective image it required things such as burning in, blurring and changing the curves etc. I continued to produce a number of images in this way but then felt I should experiment using different techniques.
I looked at the work of Sam Taylor Wood, in particular her chair sequence where she appears to be in mid air. I produced a similar piece using my brother and a chair, I photographed the scene with my brother sitting on the chair and then photographed again without the chair or my brother, I then simply cut out my brother from the image using the laso tool and pasted it on the blank image so that he appeared to be sitting in mid air. Although I was pleased with my first attempt I feel that it would have taken me a long time to perfect the image and I wasn’t confident enough using this technique for my final images and so I continued to explore what else Photoshop had to offer.
I moved away from what i had been doing and decided to experiment with something new. I made a mask out of a box and photographed a friend wearing it, i then crated a new layer on photoshop and used the brush tool to paint over the image, i then removed the original image layer from underneath so i was left with a cartoon like image that i had created by using the original image as a template. This then lead me to scan in images and work into them using the brush and blur tools.
I then felt that it was time I began concentrating on my final images, I had felt most comfortable combining images, layering,changing opacity and curves etc and so I felt I should develop this idea yet make it slightly more complex and so I began looking into artists such as Vault 44 . I really liked there images and how they’re almost fantasy like. I think they would make good advertisements for make up etc. And so my idea was to create images that could possibly used in advertising and so I went on to flicking through magazines etc, I found that I really liked perfume advertisements as they are often quite surreal.
And I like the idea of combining a person with other images.
For my final images, I decided that I wanted to combine everything I had learnt throughout this module and apply it to my images. This included layering and combining images, cloning, shading, cutting and pasting, changing hue/saturation/contrast and curves. I began with 3 original images that I had taken of my friends, and then then began thinking about what images I could combine with my pictures that would effectively advertise perfume. _I thought sweets would be ideal, because not only does it suggest the perfume smells sweet, the variety of colours and shapes could make my images really interesting. 
I began by layering the images, and continued to change the opacity until I felt there was a right balance between both pictures, I also continuously changed the curves and contrast as I added more layers. 
I then erased parts of the image using the eraser tool, to suggest the girl is wearing a mask, as if the perfume is her front and her aura. 
I also changed the hue and saturation to get some vibrant colours. _I did this for all 3 images, but to make the images work well as a series I used the eye dropper tool and then shading and blur tool to take colours from each image and incorporate them into each image so that they complimented each other. I used the shading tool and then blur tool to do this effectively.

My final images.

How i created my images ...

I then began thinking about what images I could combine with my pictures that would effectively advertise perfume. I thought sweets would be ideal, because not only does it suggest the perfume smells sweet, the variety of colours and shapes could make my images really interesting.
I began by layering the images, and continued to change the opacity until I felt there was a right balance between both pictures, I also continuously changed the curves and contrast as I added more layers.
I then erased parts of the image using the eraser tool, to suggest the girl is wearing a mask, as if the perfume is her front and her aura.
I also changed the hue and saturation to get some vibrant colours. I did this for all 3 images, but to make the images work well as a series I used the eye dropper tool and then shading and blur tool to take colours from each image and incorporate them into each image so that they complimented each other. I used the shading tool and then blur tool to do this effectively.

I began experimenting by making my images a bit more graphicy by adding things using Photoshop.
For my final images, I decided that I wanted to combine everything I had learnt throughout this module and apply it to my images. This included layering and combining images, cloning, shading, cutting and pasting, changing hue/saturation/contrast and curves.








From flicking through magazines etc, I found that I really liked perfume advertisements as they are often quite surreal.
And I like the idea of combining a person with other images to make them look quite surreal...

here i was just playing around with the liquifying tool. I think it shows how post production can change the meaning of an image quite easily.. the original image suggests Andy is looking bored/fed up...where as the edited image suggests he is shocked/scared/suprised.

I have always really liked these images of Picasso's, i like the use of line and blocks of colour that distort the image. I thought it would be interesting to work into a photograph in this way by adding blocks of colours and lines to distort the original image.

Here i was just messing around taking things away and adding things to images. i used the blur tool to get rid of the facial features and just drew over them using the brush tool.

Here i moved away from what i had been doing and decided to experiment with something new. I made a mask out of a box and photographed a friend wearing it, i then crated a new layer on photoshop and used the brush tool to paint over the image, i then removed the original image layer from underneath so i was left with a cartoon like image that i had created by using the original image as a template.

In the style of Warhol...

I really liked some images i found my Andy Warhol, i think they link to the collage approach i had been looking in to. I also like the layering, and mixed media effect and so i decided to create some of my own using some well known faces....
I really liek adding things and taking things away from images, and manipulating them in that way.

Here i have been experimenting with layering images. I began with a found image of a city scape, i cloned parts to create a busier images for example i cloned the tall tower a few times to add more depth etc to the image.
I then layered images i had taken of graffiti in a warehouse i found. I think the graffiti layered emphasizes the urban city feeling, I changed the opacity, curves and shadows and highlights in order for the graffiti to show through in random areas.

vault 49

"The work of Vault49 carves a unique space for itself. Vault49 maintains that it is no longer possible to refer to graphic design as being so disconnected from the art world. Graphic design is growing and evolving to encompass many different approaches, techniques and genres, including much of the territory that was the exclusive reserve of the artist, such as selfcommissioned and self-published work like The Greatest Show On Earth." -http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.theaoi.com/news/newspics/vault49.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.theaoi.com/Mambo/index.php%3Foption%3Dcontent%26task%3Dview%26id%3D597%26Itemid%3D28&h=387&w=461&sz=69&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=mzQNGyLT1sFjPM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=128&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvault%2B49%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG














I really like these images and how they’re almost fantasy like. I think they would make good advertisements for make up etc. And so my idea was to create images that could possibly used in advertising,

more combining images

Again these were takin in the mental asylum, this image is quite surreal. the natural light coming through the door suggests the viewer is having an insight into the life at the mental asylum, the light also shows a contrast between the outside world and the dark dingey building.

These images are meant to suggest how much young women are under presuure my the media-magazines, celebs, tv etc to look good. The cropped image shows Georgia with her hair spray, but when the whole image is revealed, the gun represents the pressure that some may feel to be up to date with fashion, weight etc. The gun also suggests that this obsession to "keep up" can actually drive people crazy,,for example anorexia.

The background image was takin in High Royds, a closed down mental asylum and so i wanted to make this image quite surreal and creepy, i layered a image of lucy over the top and ensured she was quite translucent to suggest a ghost like feel. I also made the image black and white as i think it adds to the eerie tone of the image.

Here i combined two of my photographs to create a more abstract image.
i layered the two images and then adjusted the curves and balances so that the city lights are only visible on her face, This image repesents Anna's new university life in the city, with the reflection of alcohol bottles and city lights.

Combing images task

Cropping Task

Here i photographed my friend Anna slicing onions..i obviously dramatised the make up etc so that when the onions were cut out the image , she looks genuinely upset and traumatized,
I think the high angle also suggests that she lacks power, the viewer is looking down on her which could suggest she's been abused or maybe bulllied.

More scanning experiments

I created this image by beginning with my orignal image of Sarah Vo, i then scanned in a number of her belongings, bits and bobs that showed her culture, memories and family. I then layered both images on photoshop.I then adjusted contrasts, curves and the opacity to get the right balance between the two images.
I like how her eyes are placed over the polaroids, it suggests her passion for photography, and how she see's the world.





























Here i more or less used the scanner its self as a camera, i layered polaroids, notes etc like a scrap book to add depth, the layers also suggest a long period of time. I then made the image black and white to add to the feeling of the past and faded memories.