PhoBlog - Depth of Field week13

This assignment was fun and easy. In addition to creating the depth of field using blur and gradient, I modified the brightness and contrast to add more depth.

Before:

After:

Magazine PhoBlog - DMIS010 Final

This is probably my most enjoyable final project ever. My friend, Megan, was masked out of the original image that was taken on the beaches of Mexico. The background is multiple layers of a picture taken in Donner Lake and I used filters on the different layers to add different effects. Using the "Pictures Married to Type" layout, I chose white colored font because it pops against the darker blue background and the orange colored font tying in the sun highlight from the inner circle. Using the green colored font on the super-header tying in "greener" world and so it provides a more subtle impact while elaborating on the focus of the magazine.

more Mask PhoBlog - DMIS010 week 12

Masking was a lot more fun this time around. I used a picture taken seaside of a friend in Mexico, and masked my friend with backpack and gear. Then, I used this mask as if she were a gnome traveling the world.

Plug-ins PhoBlog DMIS010 - week 11

The AutoFX plug-ins were the most interesting to me. So, I decided to download the Photo / Graphic Edges 7.0 trial version. It was a big file, but easy enough to download and install on the Mac. What I didn't realize until after a few trial and errors is...

once an image was open in Photoshop, the only way to activate the AutoFX program was to convert to "Edit in ImageReady". Also, being that it was a trial version it only allowed using the tool and the ability to save. So, the attached image is a snapshot.

Retouch, Heal, and Patch Images PhoBlog - week9

It was great exploring all the tools that can turn an ok picture into something picture perfect. The true magic of Photoshop.

Task 1 - before:

Task 1 - after:

Task 1 redeye - before:

Task 1 redeye - after:

Task 2 - before:

Task 2 - after:

Color PhoBlog - week 4

Experimenting with the Hue/Saturation tool versus the Gradient Map tool was a lot of fun. This was a great exercise in understanding the capability and limitations of the hue/saturation tool and the creative diversity that the gradient map has to offer. The hue/saturation tool produces similar and quicker results compared to the duotone manipulation from the previous chapter and exercises. Where as, I had a lot of fun with the gradient map and its diverse, flexible colorization capabilities. I can see myself referring often to the gradient map to quickly and easily produce unique images.

Hue/Saturation:

Gradient Map:

Just for Fun 1:

Just for Fun 2:

I first started looking for a website that provided a color scheme tool and found: http://colorschemedesigner.com/ I love this site!!

Using the scheme tool, I found an "accented analogic" color set that was pleasing to my eyes. (pictures 1 & 2)

After taking snapshots of my chosen color set, I proceeded to get creative. I decided to do an Andy Warhol type of block layout using the four primary colors and their secondary colors identified in the color set.

Then, I went to my personal catalog of picture and found images that contained the same primary colors. With the images, I decided to grayscale the colors that did not apply. Finally, putting all the pieces together like a puzzle... blending and adjusting until it finally felt right. (picture 3)

Surreal PhoBlog - week 10

Surreal, for sure. Had no idea in mind, just started out making the background that ended up being kind of a space-face using the gradient tool once on the main background and then two smaller times as eyes.

The statue is part of a picture that was taken at the Min Son Monastery in Watsonville. And, since she had three fingers displayed, a theme of 3 started to appear.

So, then I used the pen tool to create 3 balloons and an animated figure holding them.

Typography PhoBlog - week 7

I wanted to incorporate movement and texture of the typography seamlessly into the image. The picture is of a rose that was taken at a local rose garden and I liked the way it uniformly swirled as it was blooming. I decided to explore manipulating the picture using filters. Once I found a filter that I liked, I needed to incorporate a saying. The swirl of the rose blossom reminded me of "Round and round she goes". I wanted to design the typography in a way that would have the viewer see the entire image in this circular swirling motion.

Below, is typography assignment part 2.

Mid-Term : This Little Piggy - week 8

I started out wanting to build a montage on man's first steps on the moon, but instead my mind kept singing "This Little Piggy". So, I switched gears and started looking for images that would represent counting of a babies toes while singing the song, “This Little Piggy”. If a hundred years from now, the interaction of playing with a babies toes while singing this nursery rhyme were to cease to exist than my image may provoke curious thoughts.

Masking PhoBlog - week 5

A mask is an independent channel that can be converted to a selection outline and saved for later use.

The lesson this week involved selecting two images, creating a mask on one of the images, and inserting the masked image into the second image.

There seems to be several different ways to mask an image, but this week's assignment was to mask from scratch. This involved many steps that were sometimes very tedious, but the end result was amazing.

This is image #1 that was used to create the mask:

This is image #2 that was used as the background for the final image:

And, this is the final image:

Duotone PhoBlog - week 3

In the world of imagery, duotone relates to an image that is a combination of two colors, superimposing one contrasting color over another.

This photo was created by extracting the swan from a picture taken at the Campbell Peculation Ponds and inserting it on a fishing boat of a picture taken in Baja Mexico. Then, creating a duotone of grey and blue.

The lighting issues, specifically on the swan, posed the greatest challenge for me. I wasn't able to tone down the bright white enough to have the swan blend in seamlessly.