Digital Imaging 4 | Composite Imagery

Process in Photoshop

The following steps in Photoshop were used to create the composite below. (Basic Lightroom edits were applied prior to Photoshop process.)

1. Open new document in photoshop : 250dpi 30cm x 42.3 cm (3mm bleed)

2. Drag in 'girl' and 'background' and 'moon'

3. Use pen tool to select girl and railing (roughly select around hair leaving excess room)

4. Load selection

5. Inverse selection

6. Create layer mask, select brush, paint over inversed selection using 'black' brush

7. Open 'girl' as a new document in photoshop and use the following method to select hair:

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoAXwilIedw&feature=related)

8. Drag this selection into the main working document

9. Using a layer mask on the previous layer, get rid of excess 'blue' background around hair from previous layer

10. Use method described above to select in between the girl's arms and dress, do this on separate layers

11. Duplicate 'girl' layer, filter, unsharp mask to sharpen eyes. Use layer mask to rid of everything but eyes

12. Increase contrast on girl only using mask and adjustment layer - contrast & brightness

13. On the 'sky' layer, use clone tool to get rid of horizon

14. On new layer, filter-render-clouds. Then filter-blur-motion blur - left to right angle. Lower opacity of this layer. Then use mask to rid of excess clouds. Move layer up to top third of image. duplicate layer and move clouds around to make the clouds look realistic.

15. Duplicate layers and use layer mask and clone tool to refine hair and get rid of stray hairs.

16. On a duplicate of the 'girl' layer add a hue/saturation adjustment layer and lower magenta on right hand. Using layer mask refine that selection so that it is just her arm that was changed.

Original Images (CR2s)

Lightroom Edited Images (Exported as TIFFS)

FINAL COMPOSITE

11 | Exhibition | A3 Promotional Posters

Hi All!

I have an awesome graphic designer named Jocelyn Leong doing our A3 promo posters. As agreed there will be 7 different posters promoting our exhibition - one with each of our photographs.

Here are the posters so far:

*When we have confirmed who will open the exhibition this information will be updated.

11 | Exhibition | Website

Hi All!

Check out the website, it's almost finished

http://whitewalls.carbonmade.com/

I have decided to add our portraits/statements to the website:

(PS Aimee if you're stuck - this could be a possible layout for our concertina invites?)

This is what I need from who:

CAN THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE PLEASE SEND ME THEIR HIGH RES IMAGE (PORTRAIT ORIENTATION) FOR A3 POSTER: DUE SUNDAY AT 1PM!!!

Scot

Georgia

Thanks so much everyone! Let me know if you want me to change/alter anything or if you have any suggestions.

11 | Exhibition | Invite - Tina Nikolovski

Tina Nikolovski

tnphotography@live.com

Photography has opened my eyes to a new world

and a new way of seeing. I am inspired by art, music

and life in general - I can't stop thinking -

I live through photography.

I specialise in fashion and my work this

semester has been influenced by amazing

photographers Emily Abay, Michelle Aboud,

Miles Aldridge and Richard Avedon.

www.tnphotography.com.au

Invite Information

White Walls

EXHIBITION INVITATION

Bachelor of Photography Graduating Exhibition

Opens | 6pm, Wednesday 1 December 2010

Closes | Tuesday 9 December 2010

Location | High Court

Parkes Place, PARKES ACT 2600

The exhibition will be opened by ______________

EXHIBITORS | Aimee Bond, Georgia Perry, Kerstin Styche,

Nathan Lanham, Scott Newman, Teri Robertson, Tina Nikolovski (3rd year graduating students)

Also Exhibiting are 1st and 2nd Year CIT Photography Students

www.whitewalls.carbonmade.com

11 | Exhibition | Website

Hi All!

Just waiting on images from Georgia to complete the website. Here is the link if you would like to have a look at the progress I have added some new images (still not finished):

http://whitewalls.carbonmade.com

Also it is $12 per month to add more albums (we need two more, one for Scot and one for Kerstin). I can pay on my visa debit card but I have to see how much the cancellation policy is as well and what the terms and conditions are - as we would probably have to sign up, pay and then cancel once the exhibition is over.

As soon as I read all the details I will let you all know how much it will cost - I'm guessing less than $10 each unless there are more hidden costs but I will let you know as soon as I read everything.

I also think we should show 3 images plus our logo each on the website - do you all agree? So we don't give away our whole exhibition on a 72 dpi website?

Kerstin, Scot and Teri - I need your logos, Teri I know you haven't made one yet just let me know when you do.

Thanks All!

If there are any suggestions let me know, nothing is finalised yet:)

2 | Inspiration for BIZARRE series

Visual Culture

1. Lady Gaga

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVBsypHzF3U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XBUk-IBua0&feature=related

Styling, attitude, oddness

2. Rihanna - Rated X Album

Rihanna - Mad House - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeNo3HMItHw&feature=related

Unfeminine attitudes, posing, behaviour.

Photographers
(who influenced my work this semester)

1. Emily Abay

2. Michele Aboud

3. Miles Aldridge
4. Richard Avedon

8 | Marketing | Package to give to panel

Here is what I plan to present, in a white A4 Gloss presentation folder with a 'TN Photography' sticker on it:

1. Business Card x2

2. Sample CD

3. With Compliments Card

4. A4 Promo

5. Envelope

6. Website - Screen grab - printed on A4

7. Blog - Screen grab - printed on A4

8. Letterhead

9. Facebook business page - Screen grab - printed on A4

10. Example Quote

11. Example Contract

[Logo will be on letterhead, card etc]

See 8 | Marketing | TN Photography to see my marketing tools

6 | Tn Photography | Affiliates

Web Desginers

Doug Hall at Glossy FX

Designers & Suppliers

Little Sparrow

Grazed Youth

Alice be Curious

Makeup Artists

Grace Commisso

Maria Spatolisano

Graphic Designers

Doug Hall

Hair Stylists

Grace Commisso

Zach Klingher

Printers

Vistaprint - for marketing material (e.g. Business cards)

CIT Printing Services - for professional prints, exhibition prints

5 | Working Process | Planning

I plan almost every aspect of my shoots, from models and lighting down to the nail-polish colour. Here is what I use to help me plan and organise shoots:

[scan in planning]

5 | Working Process | Lighting: Movement & Flash

I proposed at the beginning of this semester that I wanted to experiment with 'movement' in my photographs, both in-camera and in post production.

Below is a test shoot in which I achieved camera movement in-camera with flash, in the studio. Analysing images that already exist and with the help of Julian and discussion in class, and my own experimentation I was able to achieve this, and I realised it's nothing to be scared of! It's actually not hard at all, just needed to have a go at it!

Thank you to my mum who happily waved her arms like a chicken for 20 minutes hahaha. Of course with my actual shoots I will get the model to pose properly.

Test Shoot

1. Flash & Slow Shutter

ISO 50

2. NO Flash & Slow Shutter

ISO 500

Head still, arms moving:

Whole body moving:

3. Making the Cyc Zone 2-3

Finally with some flagging I made the cyc the dark zone that I wanted! Model was far away from background, main light was far away from cyc, flag was used so that there was no spill on the background allowing a dark zone.

5 | Working Process | Lighting : Boxing

This shoot was extremely challenging. I aimed to capture a shot in which the model was moving, capture sharp water droplets and a good expression and pose. To capture all of these elements all in one shot was almost impossible. I ended up shooting one great image of the water droplets, and then just focusing on the model flicking her hair with a good expression and pose. And my final image will be a composite of these two combined.

Technical Aspects & Production

1. The power packs had to be on the lowest output possible, i.e. 3.0, to ensure a sharp capture of the water droplets. The more lights in, the faster the shutter duration, therefore the sharper the droplets.

2. Sheets on floor and over power boxes to ensure no water reaches electricity

3. The model's hair needed to be drenched with water to ensure enough water droplets

4. The snoots in the background helped light and define the droplets

5. A shutter of 125th was used to ensure that a) everything is sharp b) no tungsten/room light affects the shot

6. A fairly wide aperture needs to be used to make sure there is enough depth of field to capture the model and water droplets. The background is not important and did not have to be in focus. Therefore f/6.7 was sufficient.

Test Shoot

Below is a close up of the water droplets. They could be sharper, but I decided I like this amount of sharpness because it still contributes to the 'movement' of the image. Also, the droplets just add an extra element to the image - they are not the sole focal point of the image - therefore this was enough.

Below is a photograph of my test setup and includes all the values that were used to achieve the above image.

Final Image

Minimal editing in Lightroom, water droplets need to be added, image may be cropped for a slightly different composition. Not perfect yet, and there are still more images to go through to make sure this is 'the one'.

Photograph: Tina Nikolovski

5 | Working Process | Lighting: Shadows

In this test shoot I experimented with light and shadows. I didn't have a model to test the light on so I used a mannequin from the fashion department. I am using these lighting techniques as a part of my 'mixed advertising' folio.

I learnt a lot about the principals of light. See lighting notes below.

Test Shoot

Principals of Light

5 | Working Process | Lighting : Harsh, dark, male

One of my main goals this semester was to be as confident as I can be with lighting. I have been viewing many images and analysing how they have been lit and the technical elements of that image. I have also been experimenting with my own techniques.

See below:

Inspiration:

One Shoot, 6 Setups:

Below are the images taken within 40 minutes of my dad. One shoot, 6 setups, mainly moving changing one or more lights each time. Here I wanted to experiment with backlighting, flare, silhouettes, shadows and a moody dark feel suitable for males.

1

2. Too much fill

Just enough fill

3. Silhouette - more dramatic feel

4. One light, limited detail, use of negative space

5. Flare in camera - half cropped out by composition

6. Full flare - lights straight at camera

7

Shadows

7 | Final Exhibition | Website & Invitation

Hi All!

So we finally decided on the name (yay!). The website has been started, but needs to be updated with photographs and information, so don't give out the URL just yet this is just for us.

I'm not sure who was meant to design the exhibition invitation, but 5 minutes after I put a 'casting' out for a graphic designer to help us out to design it I got an idea! See below - very minimilistic but I think it looks modern and really goes well with the name. Simple. And it's black and white so it will be cheaper to print!

Let me know what you think!

Name: White Walls

Website URL: www.whitewalls.carbonmade.com

Invitation Proposal:

[Ps. Text on invite below needs to be checked/updated]

11 | Exhibition | Name Ideas

'Signature'

'White Wall'

'White Walls'

Teri, Nathan, Georgia and I like White Wall. Nathan suggested White Walls and I actually think I like that better now:)

Suggestions?

6 | TN Photography | Artificial Elements

FOG

Before:

Photo: Tina Nikolovski

After:

Photo: Tina Nikolovski

Layers:

Process:

I followed the exact process show on this website:

http://www.biorust.com/tutorials/detail/229/en/

STARS

Before:

Photo: Tina Nikolovski

After:

Photo: Tina Nikolovski

Layers:

Process:

I followed the exact process show on this website:

http://www.absolutecross.com/tutorials/photoshop/textures/starscape/

6 | TN Photography | Little Sparrow Website

See post: http://nikolovskistage6.blogspot.com/2010/09/6-tn-photography-graphic-design-issues.html

Issue has been sorted! Original images shot by TN Photography have now been replaced.

Check out the brand new Little Sparrow website! Selected images by TN Photography

11 | Exhibition | Name Ideas

Following on H20 (we all have water in our folios), I thought of :

'Element'

I love this name! Water is an element. Makes it a bit more ambiguous than h2o. Plus it can have so many other meanings! Sounds modern too. What do you all think?

Other ideas:

Salt

Signature

Pepper

6 | TN Photography | Graphic Design Issues

In today's digital world it has never been more important to monitor your photographs. Below are the photographs I took for designer Little Sparrow. The website that was made by Little Sparrow's graphic designer showcased my images but my photographs were heavily saturated, contrasted and the colour balance was not right. I sent an email to the graphic designer today in relation to this issue and a polite request to reload the images again with the correct colours and contrast/saturation. Will keep you updated on the response.

The images to the right are my images, the images on the left are the images that are featured on the website. You can see the difference is significant and the model's skin suffers with the dramatic editing that was not done on my behalf.

I am also listed as a credit on this website so I do not want work shown that is not purely mine because I would never edit my images this heavily. Just thought I would share this experience as I am only in the first few months of launching my business and I have already experienced a number of similar encounters in relation to copyright and moral rights.