Week #6 Discussion: Social Media

In this day and age technology is the epicenter.  Likewise, social media and networking has gained dominance as a quintessential communication outlet.  Emerging as the popular networks are Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and Tumblr.  It has gotten to the point where it would be considered odd for someone to not have an account on either site.  For this reason businesses are beginning to use these social networks as their top means of advertising and attracting business.
I too have a Facebook account, and since day one I have been hooked.  Personally, I have not had to use Facebook to accomplish any goals in particular--unless keeping in touch with friends counts as one.  After graduation I made a promise to myself that would make every effort to stay close with my friends and not lose touch with them; Facebook makes this possible.  I check my account daily and am obsessed with the ability to keep in touch with all of my friends, and even find friends that I have not seen for a long time.  Especially now that I am away at college and all of my classmates and friends have gone their separate ways, Facebook makes it possible for us to keep our relationships.  With Facebook I am able to keep up with what my friends are up to as well as what is going on at home.
I also like how Facebook brings the world closer together.  I can become a fan of pages and keep up with the latest information.  For example, I can be among the first to know about a sale at my favorite store, notified when my favorite bands will be in concert near me, or that my favorite celebrity got a new hairdo; the possibilities are endless.  A new fad is that people are now making pages to showcase their talents (i.e. singing, dancing, photography, etc.).  I can better use these facilities for inspiration.  Whether it be a writing topic for a class assignment, subject for a documentary, a subject to draw, to learn on photography techniques, or get new ideas for a photo shoot.  The Internet is an never ending giver, to fail to utilize it at its full potential would be a waste. ~~~RL

Week #4 Sketchbook: Digital Darkroom Refined

The critique was very beneficial for me. I felt every comment was constructive and, when put together, would improve the overall look of my photo. The first photo is the original image submitted for critiquing. In class it was suggested that I blur and darken the background, change the lower leaf so that it goes from green to yellow gradually, and lastly to see what else I can do with the light.

I made several layers to accomplish all that was suggested. I colored the background black and used a soft light blending mode. Then I made a green gradient over the two main leaves (each had its own gradient layer) to add green and to make the light to color shift seem more natural. I ended up having to use the dropper tool and brushing in green for the lower leaf because it worked better than the gradient. I also put a rainbow gradient over the light to add different elements of color. I brought the opacity to a minimal to keep it as natural as possible. I also tried to use the stamp tool to try and either duplicate or move the light rays around, however, I was unable to do so.  ~~~RL

Submitted for critique                          Refined Image

Original Image | Unedited

Week #3 Discussion: Giving Criticism

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but there is a time and a place to voice them. Not everyone can take criticism as a constructive venue for which to improve; for some it is their kryptonite. Scenarios for which criticism is acceptable or appropriate are: when judging talents or events, and when asked specifically for feedback. However, criticism does not have to be harsh. It is of more value when put in nicer terms--constructive vs. destructive. For example, if asked what you think of one's painting which you happen to not like, you can offer suggestions in which they can apply to their work to improve. This is done by pointing out a specific aspect, explaining what you don't like (nicely), then offering a solution to fix it. This helps to keep the friendly atmosphere and establish trust and respect.

My views on criticism depend on the situation and environment in which I am receiving it. Usually I can keep my composure and take each comment as constructive criticism, and nothing personal. However I am particularly sensitive about things having to do with art. I love any form of art, creativity, and self expression. I pour my heart and soul into any piece, therefore, when those subjects are put up for criticism, I feel vulnerable. It is different then being judged on the way you swing a bat, or kick a ball, it is much deeper. When being judged on an art piece, it is like I am being judged as a person, not just the product I produced. My art is an extension of me and how I think and feel, and to have it out in the open, free for anyone's ridicule and torment, is something frightening to me. However, I have worked up a front, a coping mechanism to deal with the anxiety; which all comes from experience. Throughout the process I repeat to myself over and over to stay calm, show no sign of fear, smile, nod, agree with what is being said say thank you, and most of all to remember that the comments I receive are opportunities to measure and improve on my skills. Perhaps the most important thing that I've learned is you dictate how something will affect you. You can either let it get to you and break you down. Or you can use it as fuel to better yourself.    ~~~RL

Week #3: Digital Darkroom

Original Image

ROAD MAP:
-emphasize main leaves
     -brighten main leaves
-more green saturation
-intensify shining light with more color
-black and white?

With this picture I felt that I didn't have to do much, just a few minor adjustments here and there to improve its overall look. Mainly I wanted to adjust the lighting and color of the main leaves. They were too bright and lacked green, so I wanted to add that element to make it stand out in the image. To do that I made a mask over the leaves, then made curve and level adjustments. Then I went through and made adjustments to all the colors in the hue and saturation. I then made a mask for the spotlight and added a bit of magenta, green, and yellow tones to make it seem more mystical. Also, due to the powerful light, I thought it would be a great black and white image because it provided many different tones and levels of brightness. I used the same layers as I did with the colored photo, emphasizing the leaves. Since I didn't necessarily have to worry about color, I was able to bring down the brightness of the background leaves and add more luminance to the main leaves. I think the dynamics of the photo make it work both with and without color.    ~~~RL

Week #2 Sketchbook: Curves Adjustments

The original photo has a sky that is too bright, and mountain that is too dark. Both factors prevent any detail from coming through. There is also a lack in vibrant colors.

To improve the photo I enhanced the amount of detail in both the sky and the mountain. To do this I altered the levels. I left the white tone where it was because the photo could use all the brightness it could get as there were more dark features than bright in the image. I moved the mid tone towards the darker end of the spectrum, which brought in detail from the sky. I then brought the black tone up to brighten up the mountain as best I could without taking away from the detail in the sky. I also made a curve layer to clean/pick up what the layer adjustments didn't. Last I adjusted the overall look of the image by changing the contrast and saturation accordingly. 

~~~RL

Photo Hero

Kim Taylor Reece
Alyssa Carvalho
~~~RL

Level Adjustments

I chose this picture of the Oceanside Beach to demonstrate level adjustments. I wanted to enhance the saturations of colors throughout the image and bring out the detail of the clouds. To do this I went to the levels command in Photoshop and moved around the scale buttons to see the level fluctuations. I decided not to touch the white scale because white is already prominent throughout the image and the photo is bright as it is. Accordingly, I also left the black scale where it was to keep whatever dark components the image had. I moved the gray scale higher to bring more contrast and color saturation, which also enhanced the detail in the clouds. Next I made a new layer and put a dark gray gradient over the sky to bring even more depth and detail into the clouds. The end result is the image you see to the right.
As a side note, I used the stamp/cloning button to sample the cloud color around the date and time label to eliminate it from the picture.   ~~~RL