Digital Photography & Imaging / Exercises

27.8.2021 - 24.9.2021 (Week 1 - Week 10)
Britney Chow Pei Jun / 0350043 / BDCM
Digital Photography and Imaging
Group C: Project 1

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INSTRUCTIONS

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EXERCISES

Week 1 Exercise 1 (23/08/21):

The lectures for this week is actually just introducing us to the module, I wouldn't say I love it already but I do look forward to the next class! The lecturer gave us a little exercise called The Bezier Game:

fig 1.1; The Bezier Game (https://bezier.method.ac/)

I kinda had some trouble the first time doing this as I don't know much on the "skills and techniques" XDD. However, I got more and more used to it and I know, I know it's not perfect but here's some of my work :D 

fig 1.2; Bezier Car

fig 1.3; Bezier Cloud

fig 1.4; Bezier Pin

fig 1.5; Bezier Plane

fig 1.6; Bezier Spanner

Week 1 Exercise 2 (23/08/21):

For exercise 2, we're required to talk about our 3 favorite graphic designs.
Here's mine: 

Design#1

fig 1.7; Omotenashi Nihon by Kaido Kenta

A fabulous design in my opinion! The overall look is very nice, it has that type of disastrous tea time that hides tons of secrets. I like how they leave very obvious and subtle hints on the design. For example, one could easily tell that the art doesn’t really produce a chill vibe with how messy the floor is. Furthermore, by how the room is boxed out with only a small trap door of some sort as an exit, it gives out a feel of “no escape”. Plus, it feels like there's a lot more it wants to project than what it shows, definitely a “Every detail counts” type of design! 

Design#2

fig 1.8; Humanize by Iulian Balinisteanu

This is quite an interesting design, as the designer has mixed up some parts of the world into the model. It gives out a feel of “The world is so big and we’re so small”. I like how the designer keeps some parts of the human such as the face part as one could predict what they are thinking by looking at their faraway expression. It leads one to think about the world and the situation it is in right now. An interesting design indeed!

Design #3

fig 1.9; Image Credit: Mallika Favre (http://malikafavre.com) 

The reason why this image caught my attention is because of how it doesn’t really explain what it's about and the viewers can interpret the image in their own way. At first glance, it may just be a bitten apple, however if one looks closely, there’s 2 heads there, and many could have their own understanding of this piece of art. Personally, I think this is an amazing work.

Week 5 Exercise 1 (20/09/21): Exposure Editing
Below is a brief explanation of my progression. 

fig 2.1; Shazam Image; 

We're required to put 2 different images together. This is the first one where we need to use the quick selection tool to select it and apply mask on it.

fig 2.2; Before matching colors;

fig 2.3; After matching colors; 

After applying the mask, we have to put Shazam into the other image given, Hearst Mansion. Next, we're gonna have to match the colors of Shazam to the Hearst Mansion. We can access the match color window by going to Image, Adjustments then Match Color. 

fig 2.4; Adding shadow; 

fig 2.5; After adding shadow and Gaussian Blur; 

To make it look more realistic, we were to add the shadow of Shazam using the brush tool. Then, go to Filter, Blur, Gaussian Blur to blur the shadow and make it look less like a blob of black. 

fig 2.6; Adding reflection;

Next, since Shazam is standing near the pool, and the water would definitely have his reflection. Thus, the next step is to add reflection. Basically for this step is to copy the Shazam layer from before by pressing ALT and dragging it. Then we flip it vertically and use the Pen tool and Paths to crop out the unwanted parts. 

Final Outcome: 

fig 2.7; Final Outcome of Exposure Editing;

Week 6 Exercise 1 (27/09/21): Recoloring B&W
Below is a brief explanation of my progression. 

fig 3.1; Recoloring B&W;

This is an image given to us by the lecturers and we are to recolor it. 

fig 3.2; Recoloring the skin;

fig 3.3; Setting overlay on blending mode;

First, we have to use the brush tool to choose a skin color for him. Next, we have to set the blending mode to overlay. The rest is about the same, only using different colors and perhaps different blending modes. Below is my progress for other parts: 

fig 3.4; Recoloring the hair;

fig 3.5; Setting hard light on blending mode;

fig 3.6; Recoloring the lips;

fig 3.7; Setting overlay on blending mode;

fig 3.8; Recoloring the eyes;

fig 3.9; Setting vivid light on blending mode;

fig 3.10; Recoloring the coat and background;

fig 3.11; Final Outcome of Recoloring B&W;

Week 7 Exercise 1 (04/10/21): Recoloring B&W Portrait
Below is a brief explanation of my progression. 

fig 4.1; Reference 1;

fig 4.2; Reference 2;

fig 4.3; Preparing to recoloring;

First of all, we were to prepare the colors by color picking the reference images provide my the lecturers. Then, we can finally start.

fig 4.4; Select and Mask;

fig 4.5; Recoloring the hair;

We started from the hair, we select it by using the quick selection tool and the click on select and mask from the properties panel. The we refine the edges of the woman's hair by using the refine edge brush tool. Then we create a solid color fill and place the mask onto it. After that, I choose soft light in the blending mode drop down box. Once again, the steps are about the same for the rest, and below is my progress: 

fig 4.6; Recoloring the skin (overlay);

fig 4.7; Recoloring the lips (linear burn);

fig 4.8; Recoloring the coat and background (soft light);

fig 4.9; Final Outcome of Recoloring B&W Portrait; 

Week 10 Exercise 1 (25/10/21): After Effects
Below is a brief explanation of my progression. 

fig 5.1; PS Composition;

The above is a composition provide by our lectures to animate. Next, we will have to import the composition file into Adobe After Effect, and choosing the import kind to composition - retain layer sizes, we also have to make sure the "Editable Layer Styles" is chosen under layer options. 

fig 5.2; Animating Typewriter;

I started to animate the typewriter first. To try the whole animating, I tried moving its position to the right and then back to the middle.

fig 5.3; Animating the Shark;

I then animate the shark by making the anchor point at the left then move it to the middle and look like its rioting by moving up and down. I also rotated the shark's head when it is going out of the frame. 

fig 5.4; Animating the Projector;

At the same time the shark is moving from the left to the middle, I also move the projector from the top right to the middle and slowly gets bigger by the time it reaches the middle, to make it seem like its projecting this whole thing. 

fig 5.5; Animating the Fencer;

When the shark is "rioting", I decided to make the fencer move into the frame and look like he's attacking the shark by making him move up and down then slowly comes back down after the shark is defeated and spin away. 

fig 5.6; Animating the texture layer;

I also animated the texture layer by using the create new mask option and made it seem like someone turn a new page when the fencer is fighting the shark.

Final Outcome

fig 5.7; Final Outcome of After Effects Animation; 

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REFLECTIONS

I've definitely learned a lot of things from these exercises. Since I have never used any Adobe apps at all, this is a very new experience from me, I have often found myself quite into it when doing these exercise and would spend much time trying to figure how what this do, and what effect this will bring. And when I figured it out, I feel very happy and accomplished. Everything feels fascinating, and I'm very interested in it. And with these exercise, I can further improve the performance on my other projects. 

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