DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY & IMAGING GCD61204 - WEEK 3

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY & IMAGING GCD61204 - WEEK 3

WEEK 1-5 (23.04.2025 - 21.05.2025)

Felice Lee (0381272)

Digital Photography & Imaging / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media - Taylor University

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INSTRUCTION

LECTURES

Week 3 - INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP

Lasso Tool - its a photoshop tool that's like pencil it allows you to draw in a specific area inside the document

Kinds of Lasso : 

• Lasso (freehand selection)
• Polygonal Lasso (click-to-create straight lines)
• Magnetic Lasso (snaps to edges)

Pen Tool - A tool that lets you draw path (line and curves), The less point u have the smoother the line.

Variation of Pen Tool :

• Straight Line paths

• U shaped curves 

• Simple S curve 

• Complex S curve 

The Bezier Game - Is a game to help you master the pen tool

Lasso vs Pen Tool

• Pen tool - shapes and paths
• Lasso - Object selection Tool

Layers - Are different images that stacked on top of each other

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WEEK 3 : TUTORIAL - BASIC COMPOSITION EXERCISE

Before starting my digital collage i watch this video tutorial about : blending mode, paths, masking, and layering.

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WEEK 3 : PRACTICAL (DIGITAL COLLAGE)

For this task, I was asked to create 3 different composition digital collage from the images given in photoshop with A4 canvas size (vertical).

Progress (Step by Step) :

16 Photos given :

Fig 1 Photos for digital collages

Collage 1 - Reversed Nature

Fig 2 Video step by step per layer

Fig 2.1 Rule of Thirds

Firstly, I decided to use the compositions Rule of Thirds. This grid will help me decide my elements placement later.

Fig 2.2 Object Placement on Rule of Thirds four points

Next, I select out the object that I wanted using quick selection and magic wand. Then I placed it on the 4 points so it will make it look balance.

Fig 2.3 Orange barrier / wall

After placing my main elements, I decided to modify and cut the texture photo into a wall / barrier with Polygonal Lasso Tool.

Fig 2.4 Texture on wall

Next, Using the same Polygonal Lasso Tool, I decided to cut some give some playful pattern to give the wall some texture so it doesn't look boring.

Fig 2.5 Background

After everything is placed, i decide to put circular black texture behind the left fish, to make the fish pops out and a little text on the top left corner.

Fig 2.6 Finishing

Lastly, I turned off the Rule of Thirds layer and put a  blue-red gradient filter above my collage to enhance the visual

Fig 2.7 Reversed Nature
Collage 1, Done :D !

Collage 2 - Duality of Personality

Fig 3 Video step by step per layer

Fig 3.1 Rule of Thirds

Firstly, I decided to use the compositions Rule of Thirds. This grid will help me decide my elements placement later.

Fig 3.2 Background

Next, I choose this orange texture as my background.

Fig 3.3 Change background color

I didn't really like the orange color for my background, so instead I made an adjustment  by -> go to Image (top left) -> select adjustment -> Hue / saturation (adjust my background into dark blue)

Fig 3.4 Object Placement on Rule of Thirds four points

Next, I select out the object that I wanted using quick selection and magic wand. Then I placed it on the top left and low right point. Then I made adjustment color with same technique that i use for my background and turn the fish into red.

Fig 3.5 Create new element from cutting and stacking

Next, I select the fish fin and cut it out then stack it to create new element. 

Fig 3.6 Place created elements

After done with the stacking and editing, I placed in the element below the fishes eye and adjust the color. 

Fig 3.7 Adding more elements

Before, I feel the left side is imbalance and quite empty, so i decided to add 1 more fish on left bottom and a small text on left right. Now it looks better.

Fig 3.9 Finishing

Lastly, I added some texture to make the visual more appealing and turned off the Rules of Third layer.

Fig 3.10 Duality of Personality

Collage 2, Done :D !

Collage 3 - Battle Beneath the Waves

Fig 4 Video step by step per layer

Fig 4.1 Background

This time, I didn't use any grid. I choose this orange texture as my background.

Fig 4.3 Video step by step per layer

I didn't really like the orange color for my background, so instead I made an adjustment  by -> go to Image (top left) -> select adjustment -> Hue / saturation (adjust to redish color & set) -> Brightness / Contrast -> adjust my background into dark red.

Fig 4.4 Object placement

As usual, I select out the object that I wanted using quick selection and magic wand. Then I place and arrange it on the layer.

Fig 4.5 Light

I then place a  small text in the middle bottom and create a tosca triangular shape with pen tool in a new layer and placed it above the fishes and under the old projector layer. After that, I set the layer to divide mode. 

Fig 4.6 Small fishes

After done with the light, I decided to put some small fishes around the building since it looks a bit plain.

Fig 4.7 Final touches

Lastly, I cut out small pieces of texture and placed it on the layer. 

Fig 4.8 Battle Beneath the Waves

Collage 3, Done :D !

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CONCEPT

Fig 5 Layouts of digital Collage

Collage 1 - Reversed Nature

In this collage, nature feels flipped. Fishes usually who lives in water and are small creature, now appear giant and powerful. Floating in the sky and breaking the barrier between them and human. They don't belong here, but they dominate the room. Their cold eyes look forward to the human, not afraid, not confused as if they understand what they did. The nature order is broken. This is a quite criticism of how humans often take over the natural habitats of other creature for their own benefit. I feel this design is suitable for magazine cover since it has playful color.

Collage 2 - Duality of Personality

This collage shows different sides of personality. The fish on the left looks cold but has a warm orange glow inside, which mean as a tough figure with warm heart. The fish on the right looks bright but hides a dark side, like someone who looks fine from outside but shows a hidden sadness inside. Another fish on the bottom left behind a soft layer looks visible but distant, like he didn't belong there. Just being present but not feeling it. It shows how people can have many layers of emotions and personalities, and everyone has bright and dark side inside them. For me, this design felt like a conceptual poster.

Collage 3 - Battle Beneath the Waves

This collage shows 2 giant fish fighting in the middle of an underwater fish city. The small fishes got scared by the tense fight, hiding and peeking between buildings. The glowing light and text in the bottom middle makes it look like a poster movie. 

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MY CHOICE FOR SUBMISSION

Fig 6 Submission

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EXPERIMENT

This is the collage I didn't use and choose for my task because I'm not very satisfied of it.

Fig 7 Timelapse

Fig 7.1 Unchosen collage result

This collage was made using the golden ratio grid.

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FEEDBACK

All of them looks nice, between 3 of the collage, Duality of Personality (collage 2) looks the best, something unusual and unique. At the end i choose it as my submission.

REFLECTION

Experience - I finally know how to use grid to assist my design composition

Observation - I realized that using grid improve the design visual, they look more neat and organized

 

Findings - I find this task quite fun since I can explore and pour my wild imagination into life, thanks to photoshop.