UNIT II: Raster Project

UNIT 1I:  Raster

PROJECT:  The truth bites at our toes as we wade to shore

OBJECTIVE: Technical: To gain experience with the manipulation and composition of multiple digital images using layers in Photoshop.  Conceptual: Using the possibilities of digital montage, create a seamless, unified image that attempts to challenge our ideas of photography as truthful portrayal of reality.

GOAL: Your challenge is to use Adobe Photoshop to combine at least two separate images into one final composition that expresses a specific idea about how digital photography can merge opposing realities, such as built vs nature.

PROCESS: 

1. Think about the ways in which digitally manipulated photography is able to distort reality. In what ways are people able to create “new realities” with Photoshop? What characteristics make these altered images appear convincing? Write your answers in a sheet of paper.               

                                         

2. Think about how time, memory, and space can be altered in photographic images. Also, imagine what two opposing ideas can be merged into one in order to challenge our everyday assumptions. What type of a statement could you create by presenting this type imagery modification?

 

3. Develop at least 5 distinct sketches and decide what would be the most effective way to translate your vision into a simple still frame image. Make sure you are aware of all the required images that will constitute your final piece.

 

4. You may use a digital camera to gather material, as well as the internet (archive only), images found in books and/or newspapers, and personal photographs (the last two would have to be scanned). 

 

4. Open Photoshop, create a blank document that is 8 x 10 inches (vertical or horizontal) at 300 dpi. FILE >> SAVE your new document to your external media storage. You must work off of your own storage media (not the desktop of the lab computers). SAVE your work often!!!

 

5. Import your images to the computer and store them in a folder labeled Rater I. Begging assembling your image using layers, adjustment layers, and layer masks. You may use effects, brightness and contrasts, levels, color tint, etc, just make sure you stay true to your original idea. 

 

8. Once you are finished, save your image in the following formats (in your external hard drive)

              a. As a full resolution PSD File.

              Size down your image to 800 pixels (in the widest direction) at 72 dpi and then save as:

              b. Full resolution jpeg

              c. and a Medium jpeg under the option SAVE FOR WEB.

                                         

9. Create a post in our Blog titled <your name>’s Raster Final Project. Upload your images following the instructions given in class.

 

10. When all of your peer’s images are uploaded, you will have to choose five projects (other than your own) and comment in each one of those five. Your comment will be a formal and constructive written critique containing the following points:

          a.- What visual elements (color, composition, style) are present in this image? (clean noticing) 

          b.- Are these visual elements constructing a particular concept/idea/theme? How?

          c.- What is the most successful element in this image?  Why is it successful?

READING:             Launching the Imagination Chapters 3, 8

                        Digital Design Media Chapter 6

           

VOCABULARY: Levels, pixels, RGB, CMYK, JPG, GIF, PNG, hue, saturation, brightness, contrast, resolution, histogram, lasso, selection, crop, layers, image mask, dpi

REFERENCES:

http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/  - Artist Edward Burtynsky

http://www.manipulator.com/Fine-art/photos#/ - Jill Greenburg

http://www.neilchowdhury.com/ - Neil Chowdhury

http://www.julieblackmon.com/index.cfm - Julie Blackmon

http://www.parisbeijingphotogallery.com/main/yangyiworks.asp - Yang Yi

http://www.uelsmann.net/ - Jerry Uelsman

http://www.newseum.org/berlinwall/commissar_vanishes/ - Newseum

http://www.hockneypictures.com/ - David Hockney

DUE: 

GRADING:  (20pts)

TECHNICAL: (5pts) Did you compose two or more images into a believable scene? Did you use the resolution, bit depth, and color mode the assignment called for? Are there mismatched shadows or other examples of poor digital craftsmanship?

AESTHETIC: (5pts)Are your final pieces compositionally balanced? Did you make good use of color? Does your piece lead the viewer’s eyes?

CONCEPTUAL: (5pts) Does your final piece address the theme in a clear way? Is the “whole more than the sum of its parts”? Does your final image address the themes proposed for this assignment?

RESPONSABILITY:  (5pts) Were you prepared for each class? Did you bring the rough sketches/ideas on the due date? Did you upload your image to the class blog on time? Did you work during work hours?