DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY & IMAGING - EXERCISES

28/8/18- 22/10/18 (Week 1- Week 9)
Andrea Vie Choong Jia Qi (0331945)
Digital Photography & Imaging
Exercises

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INSTRUCTIONS

Module Information Booklet (MIB)

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LECTURES  


Lecture 1: Masking & Compositing

28/8/18 (Week 1)

At the beginning of our first class, our lecturer, Mr. Jeffrey gave us a brief introduction of the module outline. He gave us a brief sharing of what exercises we will be expecting from.

We went on to learn about how to layer mask in Adobe Photoshop using the photo of Hearst Mansion. First, we had to choose a photo that has an indoor swimming pool. Then we had to layer mask a character for instance, we decided to do on Christopher Robins to make him "look like" he was there in the photo.

Fig 1.1 Hearst Mansion (Background)

Fig 1.2 I had to photoshop him to the background

Fig 1.3 Final Outcome

EXERCISE 1

Hearst Mansion (Week 1)

After this technique was taught, we had to do another exercise but using our own photo. So that means I need to photoshop myself to "look like" I am in the photo itself.

Fig 1.4 Hearst Mansion (Background)

Fig 1.5 I had to photoshop myself in the background 

Fig 1.6 Final Outcome

Relating to the same exercise, Mr. Hafiz taught us more different ways to layer and mask using other shortcut keys and tools.

Fig 1.7 Screenshot of layers & outcome

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Lecture 2: - 

7/9/18 (Week 2)

We did not have class on this week as it was a public holiday.


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Lecture 3: Masking, Matching colour, Transparency & Blending Modes

14/9/18 (Week 3)

For this lecture, our lecturer, Mr.Jeffrey told us to refer a tutorial video on Youtube to learn about masking, matching the layer to the background colour, transparency and blending modes. We were given the files to use via Dropbox. 

We had to mask the ghost house into the night scene background. After masking, we matched the ghost house layer to the background colour. And later on, we place a female white ghost near the top of the house and had to make her transparent and blend into the night sky.

 

EXERCISE 2

Ghost House (Week 3)

While following the tutorial video for this exercise, I learned step-by-step on how to photoshop these images together. 

First part of the tutorial was to photoshop the ghost house into the night background and match the colour to the background. So that it looks like the house is really in the scene. 

Then later, I added the female ghost bride inside to make it look like the house is haunted by a female ghost at night.

Fig 2.1 Dark clouds (Background)

Fig 2.2 House

Fig 2.3 Ghost Bride

Fig  2.4 Final Outcome

Using the similar images, Mr. Hafiz use the same exercise, Ghost House to teach us how to use add the embed link for each separate layer/image file and smart object in order to link the original file to the photoshop one.

Fig 2.5 Screenshot of layers

Fig 2.6 Final Outcome

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Lecture 4: Recolouring A Black & White Photo

24/9/18 (Week 4)

For this lecture, we learned how to recolour an old photo or black and white photo. We used a photo of an old man for this exercise. We had to add layers to create a colour for each part like the skin, hair, eyes, lips, clothing, etc. 

We usually use the brush tool for this exercise. It is also optional to use a clipping mask/quick selection tool/lasso tool to select the part that we only want to colour on. This is used if we want to be precise.

Fig 3.1 Original Photo

Fig 3.2 Screenshot of layers

Fig 3.3 Recoloured Photo (Final Outcome)

EXERCISE 3

Recolouring our chosen black & white photo (Week 4)

We also tried on our own chosen monochrome portrait photo on either a man, lady or child. I picked a black and white photo of a Korean idol. We had to set the image size to be HDTV 1920 x 1080 pixels (either portrait/landscape)

Fig 3.4 Original Photo

Fig 3.5 Screenshot of layers 

Fig 3.6 Recoloured Photo (Final Outcome) 

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Lecture 5: Clone Stamping Tool/Healing Brush Tool/Add textures

25/9/18 (Week 5)

For this week lecture, we covered clone stamping and healing brush tool by using a baby photo. These tools are used to cover or remove any pimples, blackheads, scars, etc on a person's face or any object. We need to hold down the Option/ALT key + Click. The opacity is kept to 100%, current layer and aligned. 

Fig 4.1 Screenshot of layers

Fig 4.2 Final Outcome

As for the healing brush tool, it is used on overlay the missing spots that are removed from the clone stamp. Tick Sample All Layers and reduce Opacity.

After that, we moved on to adding a cloth wave texture to different types of flag. We practiced using a India flag and a yellow cloth wave texture. This tool is used to make the flag look realistic instead of a flat image.

Fig 4.3 Texture: Gold Cloth

Fig 4.4 India Flag

Fig 4.5 Screenshot of layers

Fig 4.6 Final Outcome

Here are the steps:

1. Select the texture image & copy (CTRL+A and CTRL+C)

2. Paste it on the flag image (background) as a layer

3. Save file (.psd)

4. Select layer (texture) >> Saturated (CTRL+Shift+U)

5. Go to Filter >> Blur >> Gaussian blur

6. To adjust the image quality, go to Image >> Adjustment >> Brightness & Contrast and Levels 

7. Save file

8. Click on the flag image (background), click Filter >> Distort >> Displace, choose texture .psd file

9. Change Blending Mode >> Multiple 

EXERCISE 4

Add texture on our chosen flag (Week 5)

After learning this technique, we used it on our own flag and cloth texture. We learned a another way which was the non-destructive one.

1. Make use of Smart Object for each file (so that we won't disrupt the original image)

2. Displacement map

3. Adjust image quality using Curves

4. Combine the texture and flag using Blending mode >> Multiply

Fig 4.7 Texture: Cloth

Fig 4.8 Perak Flag

Fig 4.9 Screenshot of layers

Fig 4.10 Final Outcome

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Lecture 6: Changing Texture/Hybrid Animals

1/10/18 (Week 6)

For this week, we continued to learn more about adding and changing textures. But this time, we photoshop it on a monochrome old man's portrait. The texture we used was the snake skin.

Fig 6.1 Monochrome Portrait 

Fig 6.2 Snake skin texture

Fig 6.3 Screenshot of layers

Fig 6.4 Final Outcome

Continuation of Exercise 4

Bird arms/Hybrid Animals (Week 6)

Continuing from the previous exercise, we can choose to do an additional exercise or challenge ourselves to interchange the characteristics of at least two animals. 

At first, I tried to add human arms to a bird also known as "Bird Arms". I chose a blue parakeet and one arm of spiderman and the other from Hulk. I used a brush tool (B) to help photoshop the arms smoothly to the bird.

 

Fig 6.5 Separate images to make the Bird Arms

Fig 6.6 Screenshot of layers

Fig 6.7 Final Outcome

Moving on, I interchange a orange tiger texture with a panda fur texture as well. 

 

Fig 6.8 Separate images used to create a hybrid panda

Fig 6.9 Screenshot of layers

Fig 6.10 Final Outcome

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Lecture 6: Digital Surrealism

8/10/18 (Week 7)

This week, we learned how to make our own style of a well-known painting, Castle of Pyrenees. We used the techniques we learned from the previous classes. 

Fig 7.1 Reference photo

Exercise 5 

Recreating our own Castle of Pyrenees (Week 7)

I searched for images of a rock stone, sky landscape and a castle. Then I combine them using the brush tool and layer masking. After all of them fit in one composition, I had to match colour in order for them to look blended into the background. I even used a Gaussian blur effect and adjust the brightness/contrast of the images.

Fig 7.2 Images I used to create my Castle of Pyreness

Fig 7.3  Screenshot of layers

Fig 7.4 Final Outcome

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Lecture 7:  Digital Surrealism (Using Adobe After Effects)

22/10/18 (Week 9)

For this week, we were introduced to After Effects and did a simple exercise of using different images to combine into one composition. We used the green screen images we took during the previous weeks.

Fig 7.1 Green screen: Person jumping

Fig 7.2 Green screen: Water 

Fig 7.3 Background

Fig 7.4 Screenshot of exercise practice