Hello, 2012!

Welcome back!  It's been a long and relaxing 2 weeks off... So, let's get back into Digital Art slowly.

For the first two days back, I have some PhotoShop tasks for you.  Here they are:

1. Find a landscape photo and transform it.  
• Use the quick selection/magnetic lasso tools to alter specific parts of the image. Change hue/saturation, layer different images on top, change blending modes, add text, etc.  Add and change whatever you need to in order to make a big transformation to it.
2. Transform one person into another person.
• Put someone's head on someone else's body.  Make it look realistic.  The more crazy and bizarre, the better!
3. Create an interesting composition using shapes.
• Use the shape tool (what we used when we made tessellations) to create an interesting image.  Overlap and place shapes near each other to create a balanced (symmetrical) composition.  Use different colors.  Use the Transform tools too (Edit>Transform).

All 3 of these are due by the end of class on Thursday! Uploaded to your blog with a title.

Transformation Project

You don't look like yourself today!  Just kidding, it's because of your transformation project!

Please turn in all 5 of your transformation photos.  Title each photo, and tell me which 2 photos have been dramatically changed in PhotoShop.

(Remember to flatten your design and SAVE AS a jpg in order to upload to blogger)

Then answer the following questions:

1. Who did you transform yourself into? Why?
2. What was most challenging about this project? Why?
3. What was simple about this project? Why?
4. If you could choose one more photo to add to this transformation project, what would you add?

Then, choose one photo that you are most proud of and would like to share with the class tomorrow. Prepare a statement about the photo - what it is? what you did to create the photo? anything special about the photo?

Transformation Brainstorm

Yesterday we learned about the idea of Transformation in contemporary photography.  We looked at the work of Cindy Sherman and Nikki S. Lee and saw how they transformed their identity in their photography.

For this next project, you will transform yourself into someone else.

Let's Brainstorm!

1. If you could transform yourself into another person, who would it be?  Would it be a person of a certain occupation?  A celebrity?  A family member? A fictional character?
2. Why do you want to transform yourself into this person?
3. What locations will you photograph yourself in?
4. What props will you need in order to complete this transformation?
5. What research will you need to do in order to photograph yourself as this person?
6. Upload a photo of inspiration for your new character. Explain how you will create the mood and expression of that person in your photo series.

American Photography (part 3)

We finished our last segment of American Photography, learning about 1960-1999.

Answer the following questions:

1. What event from this segment was most eye-opening for you? Why?
2. How have photographs changed the way we see the world?
3. What impact have digital photos had on the world?
4. If this video were to continue on to 2011, what events would be covered? What new technologies would you see?

Digital Collage

It's time to turn in your digital collage!  Remember to Flatten your collage, and Save As a JPEG. Then upload your collage to your blog, give it a title and tell me a bit about it.

Answer the following questions in paragraph form:

• What imagery appears in your collage? 
• What types of changes did you make to the layers of your collage?
• How did your idea for your collage change as you were working on it?
• What new ideas did you try out in your collage?
• What is most successful in your collage?
• What would you change and why?
• Anything else?

Then, save a JPEG copy of your digital collage to the To Print folder.

Quarter 2... and your ideal world.

Welcome to Quarter 2!  This quarter we will dive deeper into the world of digital art by manipulating photos on PhotoShop.  But first please answer this question on your blog:

Is there anything related to photography that you would like to know that I haven't yet taught you?

Now.... let's start with getting ideas for our first project in Quarter 2.

Answer the following questions:

1. If you lived in your ideal world, what would it look like?
2. Where would it be?
3. What colors would you see?
4. What objects or things would be common?
5. What objects or things wouldn't be common?
6. What type of people would live there?
7. How would people interact with each other?
8. What else?  Tell me something unique about your perfect world.

Documentary Photography Project

Well, you did it.  The 1st quarter is almost over.  Let's celebrate by uploading your series of Documentary Photographs!

Please upload all 6 photos and give each a title.

Then, at the end write a paragraph that answers the following questions (do NOT answer for each individual image):

• What did you photograph for your documentary photography series?
• Why did you choose to document this?
• What did you want to reveal or show about it?
• What did you learn about what you documented during this process?
• What is your favorite image and why?

These photos and the paragraph must be uploaded by the end of class on Friday, Nov. 4th.