UNIT II: Raster Exercise

UNIT 1I:  Raster

EXERCISE:  From out the depths of flesh and sky

OBJECTIVE: Technical: To gain a basic understanding of raster based digital imaging software and the technology, terminology, and techniques associated with it.

Conceptual: To explore strong and personal narratives through a self-portrait. The image has to be a representation of yourself

GOAL:  To make a high quality neutral background self portraight

PROCESS: 

1.  As a class, line up for an assembly-line style photo shoot.   Everybody will take a

photograph of the person in front of them, and then pass the camera (very carefully) to

the person behind you so that they make take a photograph of you.

2.  When all have had their photo taken, I will upload the photos to the class folder so

that everyone can access them from their machine.

3.  Using Adobe Bridge or the OS Finder, locate your headshot, and open it up in

Adobe Photoshop.  Duplicate the background layer by dragging into onto the new layer icon, then lock the background.

4.  Try to improve upon the untouched photo by making minor adjustments under the

IMAGE >> ADJUSTMENTS menu.  Suggestions are to adjust BRIGHTNESS /

CONTRAST, HUE / SATURATION, and COLOR BALANCE.  Then use adjustment layers.

5.  Consider the background.  Can you make it all white?  Or a soft gradient?  How about blurred as though the camera had a good depth of field?  Try the different selection tools to separate yourself from the background.

6. Save your work very often: FILE>SAVE. Use your external hard drive as your main storage device.

7. Go to IMAGE>SIZE, to size your image down to 500 pixels (in the widest direction) at 72 dpi. Save the file as a jpeg: (lastname_rasterexer.jpeg). Then upload your file to the class blog. BE CAREFUL NOT TO SAVE OVER YOUR FULL RESOLUTION PSD FILE!

8.  Upload your headshot to the class blog and 5 images of other artwork you have made in any media.  You will present these other works to the class tomorrow.

9.  Find a photo you took in the past and try to improve it using adjustment layers.

READING:  Launching the Imagination Chapters 5, 7

           

VOCABULARY: Raster, Pixel, DPI, Resolution, Color Mode, RGB, CMYK, Bit Depth, Histogram, Levels, Curves, JPG, GIF, TIFF, Layers, Adjustment Layer, Layer Mask, Photomontage.

REFERENCES:

National Portrait Gallery - Official web site  http://www.npg.si.edu/

The Narrative Self-Portrait http://userpages.umbc.edu/~ivy/selfportrait/narrat.html

Artists: Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol, Gilbert and George, Chuck Close, Frida Kahlo, Ana Mendieta, Cindy Sherman, Jeff Wall, Keith Cottingham, Li Wei (http://www.liweiart.com/english/works_photo.htm), Nicky Lee, Moira Ricci (http://www.strozzina.org/manipulatingreality/e_ricci.php)

DUE: 

GRADING:  (10pts)

Aesthetic/Conceptual: (3pts) Are your photos beautiful and intriguing? Are there interesting angles or thought-provoking subjects?

Technical: (7pts) Are your darks dark, your lights light? Is there noise in your image? Artifacts? Are the exportations correctly done, and the appropriate resolutions used? Did you demonstrate understanding of curves and levels? And even background?