Objective:
Through photographing in the studio and on location (OUT IN THE WORLD) you will conceive an idea and execute that idea, by shooting images and combining the frames in Adobe Photoshop to explore a new reality -The Constructed Reality.
Constructed
1. To form by assembling or combining parts; build. 2. To create (an argument or a sentence, for example) by systematically arranging ideas or terms
Realities
1. The quality or state of being actual or true. 2. One, such as a person, an entity, or an event, that is actual: “the weight of history and political realities” (Benno C. Schmidt, Jr.). 3. The totality of all things possessing actuality, existence, or essence. 4. That which exists objectively and in fact: Your observations do not seem to be about reality.
Studio: A place where you control what is happening, the lighting, the angle of your image, etc. Could be here at school or home in the spare room. You must have control. This is a staged environment
Location: A found place with variables out of your control. Lighting, cars, people. Location does not mean anything that is in the shot is OK, (It was out of my control). It means you must deal with environmental situations, wait, plan, execute the moment. You are in control here as well. Your control may be to control yourself.
-Shoot -explore -have fun. All is correct for this assignment. Explore, try, experiment. Let your imagination run free. There is not always an art director around setting the stage for you. You may want to sketch your ideas, plan in advance what you images will look like. Look at books, magazines, TV, movies, you surroundings for inspiration. Use your childhood, your teenage years, maybe even your future for your content.
CONTENT: What your image says to the viewer. What you are trying to communicate as the photographer. Essential meaning
Turn In:
•2 constructed realities.
•Printed on 8.5 x 11 paper or 13 x 19 paper.
•Matting the images would be a nice touch, but not required
•Folder containing 2 layered constructed reality files
•Folder containing working elements (the images you used to create your constructed realities)
•What does the word cropping mean to you in this context? type it up.
•Typed summary of techniques and thoughts about constructed realities
Turn in envelope containing images, CD and summary -Name, project, class day and time, date, email and phone#
Images must have Layer Masks. NO Cutting and Pasting. Cutting and Pasting will result in an “F”
HOW TO: Constructed Reality
1) Conceive your idea. Content, what is the image about? Who are you speaking to? What is the significance of your work in today’s society? look at the web, magazines, find inspiration and create.
2) Sketch your idea, write down what your goals with the images are.
Plan the shot. What will the lighting be like? Direction, contrast, tone.
3) Shoot the images for your Constructed Reality
4) Bring your images into Photoshop
5) What will be your base image?
6) Make selections from the other images, these selections will be placed on the base image. -The selections should be made with a mask. DO NOT CUT AND PASTE, this will limit what you can do with the image. When constructing images, at times you may need more or less of the placed image to keep the reality.
what does that mean?
7) Use the move tool to position the images in the proper space on the canvas.
8) Transform to change scale, distort or skew the image.
9) Things do overlap, objects have shadows. Create depth in the image, foreground, middle ground, background, remember the replacement background assignment? Many of those concepts apply here.
10) Each layer can have its own adjustment layer -Affecting only that layer, not every thing below.
-Create an adjustment, place the curser between the adjustment and the layer to be adjusted. A link symbol will appear. Click the mouse and the adjustment layer will move to the right and the layers will be linked.
11) TRY
•explore
•Add noise to unify the new image
•Colorize
•Explore
•Add to this list
•What does that do?
Cool Sites:
Lori Nix
http://www.lorinix.net/
Gregory Crewdson
http://www.artnet.com/ag/fineartthumbnails.asp?aid=4589
David Levinthal
http://www.artnet.com/artist/10457/David_Levinthal.html
Doug and Mike Starn
http://www.artnet.com/artist/16025/Doug_and_Mike_Starn.html
