Technical: To gain a basic understanding of raster based digital imaging foftware and the technology, terminology, and techniques associated with it.
Conceptual: To create a seamless, unified image that attempts to reconcile opposing of divergent ideas. Using the possibilities of digital montage, create han image that attempts to challenge our ideas of photography as truthful portrayal of reality.
Overview: Your challenge is to use Adobe Photoshop to combine at least three separate photographic images into one final composition that expresses a specific idea about the intersection of the natural world, and the Man-made world.
References: Artist Jerry Uelsmann, Artist Loretta Lux, Artist Joan Fontcuberta, Artist Edward Burtynsky
Vocabulary: Raster, Pixel, DPI, Resolution, Color Mode, RGB,CMYK, Bit Depth, Histogram, Levels, Curves, JPG,GIF,TIFF,Interpolation,Layers,Adjustment Layer,Layer Mask
Materials: digital camera with necessary cables, Computer with Adobe Photoshop.
Process:
1. Read chapter 5 on cultivating Creativity , pages 110-117, in your text, Launching the imagination. Take a look at the referenced websites.
2. On a sheet of paper, brainstorm ideas about the Man-made world and what role human beings play the natural world. Is our presence in the world for the better or the worse? In what ways is our influence seen on the natural world?
3. Take your best ideas and create a quickly thumbnail sketches. Which idea would translate most easily into a simple still frame illustration? Which idea do you personally have the Which one do you feel the strongest about?
4. Take your best concept and make a sketch. This will help you work out basic compositional problems, and make sure you know which “parts” you’ll need to create or photograph.
5. Use a digital camera to start getting the pars of your final composite image. You can also use digital images that you have preciously downloaded or scanned. Things to think about: Is it your lighting consistent? Is your perspective consistent? Is your color balance consistent?
6. Working in Adobe Photoshop, create a blank document that is 8x10 inches ( vertical or horizontal) at 300 dpi.FILE>>SAVE your new document to your external media storage device. You must work off of your own storage media (not the desktop of the lab computers). Remember to SAVE your work often!.
6. Using layers, adjustment layers, and layer masks, combine your parts into one final, believable image.
7. When complete drop your full resolution layered PSD file into the specific class’ folder for this Unit (UNIT1 RASTER EXERCISE). Then size your image down to 800 pixels (in the widest direction) at 72 dpi (IMAGE>>IMAGE SIZE>> or use the crop tool). Use FILE>>SAVE FOR WEB AND DEVICES to save a copy of your image as jpeg. Name your exported jpeg raster .jpg.
8.Upload your resized file (jpeg) to the class’ blog. Keep your original layered PSD file for your records.
