CAGD 112

Panorama

• In this Assignment we were to go out in a scenic area in order to take multiple photos to create our own panorama using Photoshop rather than any panorama mode some cameras already have. In my panorama I decided that around 6 photos would be sufficient enough however without the use of a tripod I found it to be somewhat difficult to take steady shots.

• For my scene the composition that I had kept in mind is keeping a leading line within the image since with panoramas there seems to be a bit less room for different elements such as framing, vanishing points, and rule of thirds.

• The focal point of my image would have to be the lake in the middle, while the walkways on either side of it serve as a border to what it is I wanted the viewer to pay attention to. In my opinion I think the only complications I had with this assignment would be steadily taking each shot without much movement. This was more or less all solved in Photoshop with the editing I had done to it. In Photoshop I had used a layer clipping mask as well as the patch tool in order to create the seamless panorama you see above. After I had pieced the image together I had used the curves tool to adjust the exposure on the image which I believe made it stand out much more and look much more appealing

On The Edge

• In this assignment we were tasked with taking a photo with the focal point and subject in mind using the various techniques and compositions we had learned in class. The subject was to be no more than 5 feet away. Most importantly the final product of the image was to be on the edge of the image with a grey-scale filter applied to it.

• Our main goal in terms of what we were to accomplish for this assignment was not only understanding how composition elements are used, but also the use of various Photoshop post processing techniques. For my photo specifically I had decided that the best thing to enhance this image apart from the required grey scale would have to be adjusting the contrast of the scene to exaggerate the lights and darks in the photo making it look much more visually appealing in black and white. 

• Understanding how the rule of thirds is utilized was very important for this assignment, which I had implemented after cropping the photo in Photoshop. The focal point of my image was meant to be my roommate Roman who was having a morning coffee and cigarette on the back of his truck bed. I decided this would be my focal point mainly because of how the lighting appeared in my photo, coming from the left down. I believe I achieved drawing the viewer's eye to the focal point simply by use of the rule of thirds and changing the contrast values of the image. Most of the problems that I had with this certain assignment would've came from just understanding how the different tools in Photoshop are used yet nothing too problematic past that

Things

• In this assignment we were to take a photo of a subject while manually adjusting the aperture of the camera in order to achieve a depth of field effect. Aside from this we were supposed to learn recognizing form, sense of scale, and composition guidelines in photographs. Lastly learning to use compositional elements to place emphasis on subjects.

•  Our main goal for this assignment was to understand how to utilize the cameras aperture settings and create the depth of field effect efficiently. This would allow for emphasis on the subject much greater than the background of the photo. Aside from this I had also utilized different compositional elements such as leading lines and the rule of thirds to further enhance the image. The focal point of my image is the glass jar on the fence post. I believe this was a good choice because since the jar is see through it was just subtle enough to be visually appealing seeing the colors of the fence behind it.

• Most of the problems I had encountered in this project was during the photo shoot phase since I was having a lot of trouble figuring out the placement of the jar. Especially with it being taken during the day, it was easy to have an over-exposed shot

• Overall however I believe the image turned out much better than I had anticipated once I applied the post-processing Photoshop procedures to it. Specifically I had played with  the Hue/saturation adjustment as well as using the sharpen tool, levels adjustment, and curves adjustment. All of this was done in order to achieve my desired effect of having the black background on a bright day.

Hyper-Realism (Composting) 

 In this assignment we were tasked with following various different tutorials guiding us through different Photoshop techniques in blending two images together.

What we were tasked to accomplish in this assignment was to successfully and seamlessly blend the two images that are given to create a sort of hyper realistic image; while still maintaining a sense of realism.

The focal point of my first image is the door that stands right over the vanishing point of the image. I believe I was able to draw the viewers attention rather easily, especially since the vanishing point leads directly to the door. The focal point of my second image is toward the center of the clock where the smoke is emerging. Since the smoke spreads it's easy to draw the viewers eyes toward the base of the smoke. In this case I also had a texture layer giving the clock an antique and worn down look.

Portrait

In this assignment we were tasked with creating an aesthetically appealing portrait image with the person as the subject using compositional elements and various photoshop techniques.

 Unfortunately in mine I had not taken a closer shot to really emphasize the subject being me in the photo. However, I do feel as though I achieved drawing the viewers eye to the focal point (me). I felt I did this by simply wearing dark clothing which contrasts with the rest of the image. 

I used many Photoshop techniques including: Clone stamp, sponge tool, burn tool, Sharpen tool, etc. I was trying to follow the rule of thirds by cropping the original but I was only able to trim it slightly. The only issue I had with this assignment was the process of taking the photo itself, as getting to the waterfall Shown above.

HDRI

In this assignment we were tasked with taking multiple exposures (over, normal, and under) of a single composition and merge them together to create an HDRI image. Unfortunately I'm missing my HDRI Picture because I'm unable to open on blackboard however, I do know the issues I had with the assignment. For one, Taking multiple photos in the exact same position without a tripod posed to be a true challenge for me. Thankfully after lying on the ground I was able to take the three exposures and later merge them in light room and then Photoshop. In the photo itself it was a picture of the three statues watching over the rose garden on the Chico university campus. I believe I made my intentions with the photograph very clear by simply enhancing the color range within the photo.