Fantasy Landscapes

We've been tasked to create some fantasy landscape images using our newly acquired Photoshop techniques!  I was really looking forward to this and sat down at the computer thinking i'd be churning out image after image ...... in reality, it took me so long i've only managed one tonight!   Here it is .......



I have used several tools to create this image, including magnetic lasso,
transform control, clone stamp, eraser, art history brush

It's taken me ages and i'm rather pleased with it!  I admit it's a bit rough around the edges (literally) but not bad for a first go.  The original image is the beach, sea and sky.  I've added the mannequin, canal boat, door and grass.  Can't wait to do the next one!

Photoshop

In our last class we spent some time getting to know our way around the basics of Photoshop, trying different techniques / tools and creating some ‘fantasy landscape’ type images, a selection of images below:

1. image given a soft border (vignette) using paint brush & gaussian blur



2. Then changed to black & white, I think this works,
makes the image look older and
Zac looks even more handsome ;o)



3.  Cut out part of an image using  magnetic lasso and pasted onto a landscape shot



4.  Image cropped further



5. This is the London Eye on an Anglesey beach 
One image overlaid onto another using multiply layers
and then changing the opacity to gain the best effect. 

6.  A street in Bath city centre with one of our studio shots
of a mannequin wearing a gas-mask and make-shift skirt. 
This was created using the same technique as above

I have really enjoyed creating the images above, Photoshop is definitely addictive and I could easily spend hours and hours experimenting with different techniques.   Watch this space ......

Ladybower Re-shoot

Following last weeks test shoot at Ladybower and not being entirely happy with how things had gone I decided to go again on Sunday.  I organised my equipment the night before including the following:

• Charging battery
• Checking memory card was empty
• Leaving tripod at the side of camera bag

I set off much earlier this time and arrived at Ladybower at approx 10am and managed to park with no problem.  It was a dull / overcast morning at the outset and the first few photographs taken with an iso of 100 were rather dark.  I slowed down the shutter speed and lowered the f stop to give a larger aperture and also tried setting the white balance on ‘cloudy’ and this showed some improvement, I also upped the iso to 200 but this seemed too bright in some instances.  I was determined to make the best of it so took numerous photographs with different white balance settings within the ‘cloudy’ option, an iso of 100 or 200 and also from different vantage points around the reservoir.

See below for a selection of images.  As last week I have shown the original un-edited image along with the edited version.  I’ve found that I have only needed to make minor adjustments this week and have not been so heavy-handed with the editing options available to me :o) 



1.  f/5.6, iso 100, shutter 1/60

 


1a. cropped out some foreground and sky, colours deepened



2. f/4.5, iso 100, shutter 1/80




2a. cropped out a little sky and foreground, colours deepened




3.  f/5.6, iso 200, shutter 1/60





3a.  cropped out some sky and foreground,
used contrast to deepen colours

 

Yesterday's Shoot

Well, the dust has settled on yesterday's fiasco and viewing the images with fresh eyes i'm thinking that they're not totally disasterous but have definitely improved with a little editing, although I've gone too far with the 'blue' sky in the last image.

When visiting a location for the first time it's important to do a little research even on the basics like parking, which is kind of an essential if you're planning on actually stopping to take any photographs.  Also, as  I discovered yesterday if you're visiting a tourist attraction timing is very important!  Early or late to avoid the crowds is always a winner!

Well that's the 'test shoot' out of the way, I'm planning another for the weekend and as i'll be travelling a little further I will do more research, check the weather so I know what i'm up against and put aside the whole day so i'm not rushing.  Better dust off the flask!

Looking forwad to this weeks lesson as I understand we are photoshopping!  Fab!

:o)

Test Shoot

The subject for my main assignment is landscape and the theme I have chosen is water.  My idea is to produce 6 images all featuring a body of water.  For example; lake, waterfall, river etc.  I intend to shoot at different times of the day, in all weathers (maybe not torrential rain) and from as many different angles / viewpoints as possible to give me the biggest range of shots to choose for my final 6.   

As most of my shoots will involve a fair amount of travelling and time is at a premium, as ever, I must ensure that I capture a winning shot on each trip as it is unlikely that I will have the time to return to each location to re-shoot.  

I had planned to do a test/first shoot today and had every intention of getting up at the crack of dawn to head over to Ladybower Dam to catch the sunrise.  However, this did not happen as I slept through my alarm!  This NEVER happens!!   So I did not get off the best start ......

I have never visited this location before so did some research on the internet, looking at photographs others had taken, seeing which looked like the best spots to set up camp etc.

Fortunately I had organised my equipment last night including the following:

• Check memory card was empty, which it always is as I remove images from my camera every time I download.  Memory card is 4GB so plenty of space.
• Put battery on charge
• Put battery back in camera once charged
• And put shiny new tripod with camera bag

So, although I was later than planned I was pretty much good to go without spending time doing the above.  Off I went ........ only to discover when I arrived that it was pretty much peak time and there was absolutely no parking to be found whatsoever!  This was also after a mishap with the sat nav which declared 'you have reached your destination' in the middle of a housing estate - I think not!  Grrrrrr

All in all, not a great start, I should know better really, I always like to get to places early or late to avoid the masses and this experience confirmed why I do that!!

Anyway, ended up finding a sliver of a parking space, nowhere near the dam or bridge that I wanted to photograph and it had started raining plus dropped about 10 degrees so now it's cold and raining and i'm on the verge of a serious sense of humour failure .......

I took a fair few shots but having reviewed them on the laptop this evening I'm not best pleased with any of them, none of them are particularly inspiring or interesting but here are a couple for your viewing pleasure.  I've posted the orignal shot and the edited version:



1. Original - too much foreground, possibly too much sky and sky has no colour
f/8, iso 100, shutter 1/60



2. Edited using crop, saturation & graduating filter
Brings out colours, makes sky bluer

 

3.  Cropped further, highlights the dark red/brown on the hills
as they now appear closer, distracting leaves in the top right have gone



1. Original - too much sky, too much foreground
f/11, iso 100, shutter 1/80

2. Edited using crop, contrast, saturation
Colours are brighter, less dead space to the foreground, still too much sky but
didn't want to crop past top of trees to the left

1.  Original - way too much foreground, dull
f/11, iso 100, shutter 1/80



2. Edited using crop, contrast, saturation
Colours better, reduced foreground and sky makes landscape
appear closer and more detail shown

  

3. Edited to black & white
I don't think this works, some of the detail lost,
doesn't do anything for the image



 

4. Edited again using graduating filter,
 sky is brighter and I think improved



 That's it for now, I will relect on today's events and post again tomorrow evening.

Composition

This week's lesson was about understanding composition, the different elements and their position that make up an image.  Off we all went with our camera's and a list of different aspects of which to take images of ...... It was raining outside and although this didn't really bother me, I didn't want to get my camera wet, nevertheless I ventured outside to try and capture some photographs and others were taken inside the college.  Results below:

1. Lines, Near/Far, Balance
f5/6, iso 3200, shutter 1/40






2. Lines, Near/Far
f5/6, iso 3200, shutter 1/125







3, Frame within a frame, reflection
f5/6, iso 3200, shutter 1/60





4. Patterns/Texture
f/5.6, iso 3200, shutter 1/40





5. Patterns/Texture
f/5.6, iso 3200, shutter 1/40




6.  Reflections
f/4, iso 3200, shutter 1/50




7.  Reflections, angle tilted
f/5.6, iso 3200, shutter 1/125



8.  Shadows
f5.6, iso 3200, shutter 1/25






9. Shadows
 f/5.6, iso 3200, shutter 1/25



10.  Colour, Abstract
f/5.6, iso 1600, shutter 1/40



11. Focus
F/4, iso 1600, shutter 1/40



12. Texture
F3.5, iso 3200, shutter 1/60

I'm fairly happy with the photos above, however most of were taken using a high iso of 1600 or 3200, i chose to do this as the light was fading outside, unfortunately the results mean that most of the photo's look 'grainy'.  What I should have done is slow the shutter speed down and lowered the f stop giving a larger aperture, both of which will increase the light, rather than upping the iso as a quick fix and losing the quality/sharpness of the image.  The other point I need to work on is not to rush!!

Now, at the time of taking these I had every intention of taking more during the week, however, I've had the busiest week on record and have been unable to get out with my camera at all (apart from at best friends wedding at the weekend ;o) ) I fully intend to make up for it this week!

Assignment theme .........

So, since last lesson i've been trying to decide on a theme for my assignment.  I've chosen landscape which gives lots of scope but that's not always a good thing as I can't decide what to go for, there are too many options.  I love 'traditional' landscape photography with rolling hills, woodland, waterfalls etc. but I feel like trying something new and maybe going for an urban theme but exactly what remains to be decided.  After having a squizz on the internet, I love the 'urban decay' type photography, showing abandoned buildings or rundown areas etc.  but not sure if that would be more suited to 'buildings' rather than landscapes.  Or back with the 'traditional' i'm thinking maybe a watery theme - sea, lake, waterfall, harbour etc.  I think i'm going to decide on two themes and go out and take some test shots, see what the outcome is and make a decision from there.

Also, decided on first research artist ..... Faye Godwin, I like her story, her work and the fact that she's a woman!  

Bye for now ......
:o)