Friday March 20, 2014

Multiple Me

Assignment #3: Multiple Me or Multiple Places

For this project you will create 2 images that composite different (multiple) photographs together.

It's very similar to the "Levitation" images we made using PS layers. 

• TIP: When you're shooting, be sure to set your camera exposure and focus to manual. And DO NOT move your camera! 

You want your two final photographs to be connected visually and thematically. 

• TIP: Be thoughtful about the content – what ideas are you addressing? How does the composited image facilitate these ideas? Is the work narrative-based – do you want to tell a story? Are you interested in blurring the boundaries between fantasy and reality? Etc.

We'll all do several in class, then you will do two more on your own. One of them should use you as the subject.

Assignment:

You will post your 2 photographs to your blog and bring in your 2 photographs to project in class for critique.

DUE: March 28

For inspiration look at artists: Kelli Connell, Anthony Goicolea, Deborah Oropollo, Peter Funch

  

The Space Between from "Double Life," Kelli Connell

Vimeo

Getting Up from "Double Life," Kelli Connell

From the series "You and What Army" by Anthony Goicolea

From the series "Deja Vu" by Peter Funch

Care Taker from the series "Babel Tales" by Peter Funch

From the series "Rapport" by Claudia Rogge

Think combination or montaged images are only a recent development from the advent of Photoshop?

Check these out: 

Oscar Gustave Rejlander's allegorical tableaux The Two Ways of Life consisted of over 32 negatives. 1857 

Henry Peach Robinson's famous morbid image Fading Away. 1858

Faking It: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop

Helpful Guides:

• http://content.photojojo.com/inspiration/a-digital-guide-to-cloning-yourself/
• http://paintthemoon.net/blog/2011/07/photoshop-actions-how-to-creating-a-composite-image-combining-multiple-photos-to-create-magic/

More inspiration:

• Danielle Khoury
• Elva Salinas

How to do this step by step:

1. Shoot 2 images. 1 with yourself in one position and 1 where you have moved to a new location.
2. Locate your images. 
• Process in Lightroom. (make sure color/exposure/density is the same!)
• "Sync" photos.
3. Open both images in Photoshop.
• Unlock background layers.
• Locate one image. Hit (Command)⌘A to select all, and then ⌘C to copy. Locate your other image and ⌘V to paste. (Or drag and drop)
• You can lower the opacity on one layer and use the move tool (v) to align the two images.

1. Once they are where you want them, Go to the Layers Palette. Make sure one layer is selected. Drag this layer onto the layer mask icon to create a layer mask.

5. It should now look like this: 

6. With the white box in the layer mask selected, press ⌘I to invert the layer. Your screen should now look like this:

7. Select your brush tool (B) and make sure that your painting with white. Using 100% opacity, paint out the subject to erase it from view. 

•  When finished, save one copy with the layers as a PSD. This is a working file for your records, in case you want to go in and change anything later. 
• Now go to Layer -- and Flatten Image.
• Save this copy as a TIFF (for print) and as a JPEG, to upload to blog.
1. Lastly, upload your 2 completed "Multiple Me" to your blog no later than before class on 3/28. 
2. We will critique the "Levitation," "Multiple Me," and "Hockney" assignments next class, March 28. Please post to the blog BEFORE class, and bring your files / cameras with you to class. We will learn to print, and if time allows, talk about the Final Portfolio.