LO4: Edited Images

Camera Raw Edit

This is the original Photograph I had taken.

I used the 'Camera Raw' feature to make the photograph a green colour, it created the same kind of effect as the image > Adjustments > Colour Balance does, but Camera Raw made the twig more of a silhouette, which is what I wanted, whilst the other option did not.

Hue/Saturation Edit

This is the original Photograph I had taken.

I changed the hue and saturation to these levels, I wanted the yellow flowers to contrast against something darker, like a purple, so I used the magnetic lasso tool around the flowers and then inverted the selection so it was selecting the whole background, apart from the flowers, and then I went to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation and changed the hue/saturation to the darker colour, now the yellow flowers pop out more.

Paint Brush Edit

This is the original Photograph I had taken.

I used the magic wand tool to select different colours and shades on the flower, and then used the brush tool below and 'painted' over the image on a separate layer with the colour we had selected. This makes the flower stand out, not just because the depth of field helps the flower stand out, but because the paint is more bold compared to the actual flowers original form.

Cubism Edit

 

This is the original Photograph I had taken.

For this slice of the photo I had used hue/saturation, I used a red hue, which surprisingly made the image a kind of gold for the sky and a purple on the trees, these are contrasting colours which actually do go well together.

This slice of the photo I used the gradient map (Image > Adjustments > Gradient Map) to make this part monochrome, the twigs became the darker black whilst the sky or anything with light shining on it was the brighter grey or white. This, like the hue/saturation slice, contrast very well, adding something else the audience eyes would be attracted together.

This slice was a basic colour balance (Image > Adjustments > Colour Balance) change, and I chose to use green as this usually connotes nature and environmentally friendly, which is the meaning I'm trying to show behind the photos.

This slice is was changed by using a filter (Filter > Filter Gallery), this one I chose to use the 'Glowing Edges', I liked the effect this filter gave as it outlined the twigs and even distant objects, but I also liked it because it isn't just a plain colour but a mix of colours, and this goes well against the black background as it's black and because these colours are bright and glowing they contrast well against this dark background.  

This slice is yet another filter in which this time I chose the 'Grain' filter, this is different to the other slices as it keeps he original colour, but to give its own uniqueness to the other slices in which it looks like it has a texture, or that it's a different material, like it's woven like a tapestry. 

Layers Edit

This is the original Photograph I had taken.

What I did with this photo is turn down the opacity of the original photograph below and then placed it on the photograph above in a separate layer, I did this because they both have the photographic element of leading lines, and so they both fitted well together.

Filter & Hue/Saturation Edit

This is the original Photograph I had taken.

I used the Hue/Saturation adjustment on the photo again, but this time to make the photo monochrome, this is because I wanted to make sure the white feather was the point of interests and that the audience doesn't link it to anything else in the photo, so now the the feather would stand out from everything else in the photo. I wanted to do this to emphasise on the fact it is on it's own, and like I said in the planning of the shoot, I want to show a meaning of tranquility and to do with being alone can normally connote peaceful and quite.

Next I used a filter, and this is the 'Ocean Ripple' filter. I used it to create the effect that the photograph is under water, or maybe even a river stream, which there was one going through Shirtcliff woods, and I want to do this to show the theme of nature as one thing you see a lot in nature is river streams.

Desaturation Monochrome Edit

This is the original Photograph I had taken.

All I did with this photo was edit the saturation levels to its lowest to make the image monochrome, I did this as it makes the Sun and the light coming through the trees stand out more compared to the silhouette like trees. It also helps make the Sun a point of interest as it contrasts very well against the rest of the image which is has a much darker tone.

Gradient Map Monochrome Edit

This is the original Photograph I had taken.

This photo is very similar to the previous as all I did with this one was too make it monochrome . This time I used the gradient map which has a preset for this, it doesn't feel as dense as the monochrome done by desaturation, but I feel it works out as you can see the reflection on the trees leaves and twigs. It also casts a few shadows and also the silhouette of the trees, which I hadn't planned on using in my Photographs, but now the monochrome helps make them stand out a bit more due to there now being no colour on the trees when there in monochrome, it also contrasts against the sun and sky which are white/light grey.

Glowing Edge Filter Edit

This is the original Photograph I had taken.

I then used the filter (Filters > Filter Gallery) 'Glowing Edges', this makes the image look like it is made out of neon lights, but the colours are more random and expressed than ordinary neon lights. It also made the sky black, this helps the bright neon like colours contrast against it. I like this filter because it makes the twigs look more like veins, nerve endings or even plant roots. 

This is the original Photograph I had taken.

For this photo I decided to Posterize (Image > Adjustments > Posterize), I didn't w ant to be too strong so I made it a level 4, and it came out as well in my opinion. it isn't too posterised that you can't see any of the details and it isn't done too little that you can't tell it's posterised. I also like this filter because it has made the foreground that was in focus less posterised giving it more detail, and then the background that is out of focus (Depth of Field) is more posterised and has less details, this makes the foreground become more eye catching compared to the rest of the photo.

LO3 Sorted Files

It's important to have the folders sorted out so it is easier to navigate and know where things are.

LO3 Planning the Edits

10 Selected unedited photographs:

Selected Photo 1:

Selected Photo 2:

Selected Photo 3:

Selected Photo 4:

Selected Photo 5:

Selected Photo 6:

Selected Photo 7:

Selected Photo 8:

Selected Photo 9:

Selected Photo 10:

LO2 Camera Settings and Lighting

Macro mode:

Macro is a setting that allows you to take photos of things close to the lens in focus, this can be very handy when taking photos of flowers and insects up close and in great detail. I will most likely be using this setting a lot more than others because most of the ideas I have of my photos are close ups of things natural to the forest, mainly flowers. I also will use it go give a depth of field to my photo, as the focus point is in focus whilst the background tends to go out of focus and I can use this to create a depth of field.

Action/Sports mode:

The Action/Sport mode is used for photos of movement and can be very useful for things like Sports, running water, someone running etc. and keeping a focus on the target. This makes the camera use a higher shutter speed, like 1/500, and this is so the shutter captures the photo as fast as it can and this means it can get the photo at the very second you take the picture, it also makes the aperture wider to let more light in. Another useful feature is to use burst mode with the sports setting as this means that it continuously takes photos when you hold down the shutter release and this can be handy as I can check the photos later to see if any are good, and because theirs more, I'm more likely to find a successful photo. The reason I will use this setting is because I have planned to get a shot of one of the streams little water falls, and I don't want the water to show up blurred and so I will use this setting to have a crystal clear image of the water running.

Landscape mode:
The landscape mode on a camera is for taking photos of a landscape, unlike portrait mode which is for single objects, this is for a wide setting, such as a field. I will use this mode for when I am  taking photos of a row or bunch of trees, particular when the sun is setting so I can get a kind of silhouette of the trees with the sun behind it.

Exposure:

Exposure is the amount of light let into a camera's lens or an 'electronic image sensor' and this can be determined by the light sensitivity of the ISO (Image Sensor), the aperture of the lens and the shutter's speed. There are two types of exposure;

Overexposure: This is when too much light reaches the light sensor, causing any details to get bleached. (An example of where this could be a studio with bright lights).

Underexposure: When little light reaches the light sensor, this can make the image too dark, thus you can not see the details. (An example of where this could be a night shot).

Shutter Speed:
This is how fast the shutter closes and opens, this can determine how much light around you is let in the lens.

A fast shutter speed is used for moving objects which you want to get a focus on, if the speed is fast then it lets in a small amount of light because the shutter closes so fast, meaning the camera can get a fast moving object easily in focus.

A slow shutter speed means the shutter closes slower and so a larger amount of light is let in, this can be used if you want your photo to have a blur effect, this is because the camera is taking the picture with light continuously reflecting off an object, or from an object (As shown below).

Depth of Field:
Depth of field is the distance between the farthest and nearest objects in the photo. Their are two types;

Deep Depth of Field:This is when the background is in focus and this can be useful for landscape images as it can make the setting stand out.

Shallow Depth of Field:This is when the foreground is in focus and this can be useful for when you want an object to be the focus point in the photo as the booty background is blurred out so you can barely see any details that may distract the viewer from the point you want them to focus on.

Aperture:
Aperture is an opening to let light in the camera lens, it factors into depth of field as it can let certain amounts of light in depending on the width of the opening is which is determined by the environments lighting. Aperture is measured in F-Stop, the bigger the F-stop (like f/16) the more closed the opening is, and the lower the F-stop (Like f/1.4) the wider the opening will be, A low F-stop lets in more light, whilst a higher f-stop lets in less.

For a shallow depth of field the camera's aperture will need to be something like f/22, this let in less light, this causes the background to lose focus whilst an object closer to the lens is more in focus as the camera can easily receive the light from something closer to it than something further.

On the other hand, a deep depth of field will need the camera's aperture to be something like f/2.8 to let in more light, this leads to the background and foreground of the photo to still be in great detail and in focus. This is because the ISO can receive all the light reflecting of those objects even farther away.

Different lighting:

Diffused:

Diffused lighting is light that is emitted from many places, such as the sky, or even artificial light like ceiling lights.

LO2: Risk Assessment

Potential Risk 1: Water damage to the camera.
Danger to: N/A
Level of Danger: 2
Prevention: Make sure the strap on the camera is securely around my neck, handle with extreme care when near a river.

Potential Risk 2: General damage done to the camera (e.g. drop the camera and it smashes)
Danger to: N/A
Level of Danger: 2
Prevention: Make sure the strap on the camera is securely around my neck.

Potential Risk 3: Steep hills may cause tripping, or falling down one.
Danger to: Me
Level of Danger: 4
Prevention: Either take an alternate route to get down the hill, be observant of the ground for trip hazards.

Potential Risk 4: Camera gets stolen.
Danger to: N/A
Level of Danger: 2
Prevention: If camera left somewhere be observant or keep secured somewhere you know no-one can take it.

Potential Risk 5: Trip Hazards (Tree roots, logs, rocks etc.) on pathways or hidden in the greens.
Danger to: Me
Level of Danger: 3
Prevention: Be observant of the ground whilst walking.

LO2: Permissions

I did not need permissions for both models nor location as the location I was shooting is a public space whilst I would of need a location consent release form for permission to use privately owned land. I also did not need a model consent release form as I did not use any models as all my photos were took in the public woods of trees, plants and river streams, not people.

LO2: Treatment

The Brief:
Produce photos based around the identity of Sheffield's Forests, which will be presented in the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield.

My Target Audience:
My target audience are the people who enjoy nature and are very economical and want to see the beauties and sights of Sheffield's forest. It could also open up peoples minds who are otherwise not very economical and change there thought on nature.

Key Dates and Milestones:
Planning the photo-shoot: 26th February - 8th April
Photo-shoot 1: 8th April
Final Photo-shoot: 21st April
Planning the Editing: 21st April - 29th April
Editing: 29th April
Presenting and Deadline: 20th May

Equipment:
The only equipment I will need is a Cannon DSLR 650D to take the photos as I will not need a tripod.

Props and Models:
I will not need any props or models as the photos will only have natural things from the forest.

Health and Safety considerations:
 There are only 2 risks that could be a danger to me; the first one being steep hills, as I could easily fall down going up or down the slopes and the worst could be that I either strain or even break my ankle. the second is very minor as it is just a tripping hazard when walking in the forests and the worst that could happen is that I get a scratch.

Legal and Ethical Considerations:
Firstly, I do not need a location release and consent form to give permission to use this location as the land is public and isn't privately owned, I won't need a model release and consent form as there are no models involved. I will not show anything obscene and I will not misrepresent a group of people or cause defamatory. Finally, there is the consideration of copyright, this being two things, if I was to use my image for profit reasons and I sell my work, but there's a companies logo or anything that is under copyright I will have to seek consent to use it from the owner and the other being that I have to be wary about my photos being taken by someone, without my consent they would be breaking the law as long as they are using it for profit reasons, on the other hand, if it's not then they are not.