Design , Project One.

In our first project for Design, we were set the task of showing 'Balance' in many forms.

Balance in art, helps to create an evocative image that draws in the viewers, keeps their interest and is pleasing.

While I wont go into descriptions of all the forms of balance that we had to show, I will label each image and hope you can follow along.

Symmetrical Balance 

Asymmetrical Balance

Balance by Shape

Balance by Value

Balance by Visual Weight/Position

Balance by Directional Lines

Balance by Texture

Radial Balance

Crystallographic/Pattern Balance 

Next we had to show balance through 'Contrast'.

High Contrast by Value (light and dark)

Low Contrast by Value

High Contrast by Hue (colour)

Low Contrast by Hue

High Contrast By Texture

Low Contrast by Texture

High Contrast by Focus (aperture)

Low Contrast by Focus

High Contrast by Scale

Low Contrast by Scale

High Contrast by Shape

Low Contrast by Shape

High Contrast by Pattern

Low Contrast by pattern

Photoshop Clear cutting with layer masks.

This is the image we started with. The task was to cut away the girl and word 'dance'.

Task achieved! Using a series of layer mask techniques and the magic wand tool.

Then I started making my background pretty. Just with a selection of different paintbrush strokes and colours.

Image complete!

My first introduction to Photoshop.....

What a mind blowing program. What a lot to get your head around when you haven't used it before.

Im feeling a bit behind with my Ps progress, having to leave class early every week for work probably wont help, but practice makes perfect and I want to be confident so bare with me as my posts (hopefully) progress!


Our brief was to Make a Face!

Using pre-cut parts of animal facial features, layered together to form a 'cohesive' image.

 My chimera is looking like something out of a nightmare, but I liked each aspect, so I will stick with it.

                                                           So there we go! I made a face...

Contact sheets and montages.

Look what we did today!!! We learnt how to make a contact sheet, make a 'recipe' in photoshop to batch process images and then collect them into a montage.

I have 'posterised' my apples (amongst a few other edits) and I actually really like them like this!

Today's lesson made me feel as though I'm finally getting a grip on this Photoshop thing. My work flow was good!
Progress is being made!

Photoshop, retouching an old photo.

So I found this old photo of my parents. I think it was taken at the airport, just before my Mum flew home to Scotland after not having been home for more than 15 years.
I was about 4 at the time.

A few years later, they split. Someone cut the photo apart!
But years go by, and someone regrets the decision. Its scanned back together and reprinted.
The quality is terrible!

I decided to choose this photo to retouch, as I feel it tells a story about our family history. About the journeys we have taken.

Firstly, I cropped into the copy I wanted. I used the eye dropper tool to select the colour of the background and blurred out not only the cut line, but all the noise from the background.

This area has been tricky. I have tried spot healing, healing brush, and now the clone stamp. Which has done the best job, I just need to need to give it a more natural appearance.
(The spot healing brush did the trick.)

A preview of one layer. You can see where I have painted the background, then erased where I didn't want it.
I'm sure there would have been a fancier way of getting the same result. One day I'm sure I'll find it!

And here we are! If my relative who wanted the photo back together could see this, I know that she would be happy. Happy to have the photo fixed, happy that I'm doing something I love.

Photoshopping the Blonde Lady, a lesson in retouching.

This is the picture we started with, for our lesson in retouching.

The aim was to 'just take a few years off'. Not, to retouch her into someone unrecognizable, just enough to be flattering.

 The tools I concentrated on were the spot healing brush, for automatically correcting areas, and the healing brush, a source selected brush.

The biggest change to my image was made using a gaussian blur on a mask layer. I 'blurred' the entire image, then 'painted' the detail (like eyes) back in.

And here is my final image!

My final steps were with the dodging and burning tools to add some light or dark back into a few areas, like the nose. Which had lost some tone with the spot healing.

The start of my portfolio.

To show that I was indeed able to study photography, or just study in general I guess, I had an entry interview.

I wanted to share with you the images that I put together to achieve this.

A single bloom of Geranium Maderense.
These plants are an explosion of flowers, so I love this capture of a seemingly solitude flower.

Organic beetroot in a farmers market, Camden, Sydney.
The hues of colour, and the focus being drawn right to the center is appealing to me.

Kariotahi at sunset.
One of my favourite photos. I love the reflection in the wet black sand, and the focus being drawn by the silhouttes.

Curious Cow.
He (a steer) was my next door neighbour for quite some time. Liked to pose for the camera.

Soaking in Soda Springs.
This old Fella was a regular at the spring. I haven't quite captured the 'essence', but the feeling is there.

Steam of the Springs.
Living with this down the road was pure heaven. I think this shot shows some of its mystical nature.

Commercial farming in Karaka, South of Auckland.
I think my design tutor would like the balance of this shot. I know I do.

The hill with the hut.
A strange little structure as you approach Rotorua. I like how the wood is picking up the golden light.

Nature harmonising with industrialism.
The road between Rotorua and Taupo. I love this photo, just love it.

The green of goodness.
Lake Rotoma. Getting this many hues of green to stand out from one another took many tries. Worth it in the end.

Old Dog, old day.
A seasoned old boy taking his evening dip in the water of lake Rotoma.

Mountain Road.
A colour photo. Which is why I find it so interesting.

A freeze of fur.
Some clarity is lost in upload, but the fur like icicles standing out against a grey day. It looks magical.

Sunset over stormy skies.
The clouds, plus a rainbow would have been enough. But I like the element the pylons add.

Sunset at Back Beach.
There is a certain 'moodiness' that I love about this shot. 

Beach Cliffs.
I love that there is a clear center to this photo. Which draws your eye right in.

Morning light turns dew into diamonds.
I love the clear contrast between bright sun and dew drops against the dark metal.

Street Lights at Sunset. Karaka Harbourside.
This image reminds me of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. So its a favourite.

Winter Woolies. Rocky Point.
When she isn't being a wriggly worm, my beautiful daughter makes a stunning subject.

Geranium Maderense.
As shot, no editing. I love the light, the bokeh and the focus being exactly on point.

Visions of violets.
A violet is slightly smaller than a .10c piece. I got this photo by laying on the wet grass, with my phone. Because I could not pass it by.

So there it is. A collection of my best photography, so far. Emphasis on so far.

See you soon,