MEDIA ARTS 11 ASSIGNMENT 1PHOTOGRAPHING AND CUTTING OUT IMAGES

FOCUS: Most cameras automatically focus correctly. However, you should nite that you need to let cameras focus before you shoot. To do this, you need to press the shutter button half-way down, which lets the camera to focus, then you proceed to fully press the shutter button. To ensure success, you may want to take multiple shots of the same image.

Out of Focus In Focus

EXPOSURE: Basically, you want the images to be not too dark or not too bright. Avoid direct sungligh or bright indoor lights so that you can see the object clearly with little shadows. Also, some lights may cause the color to appear differently. Try to find a place where you can get desirable colors, brightness, and clarity. To keep the photos simple, we want to place the object on the white paper.

Use white paper. Achieve good colors and clarity.

Underexposed (too dark) Overexposed (too light)

INSTRUCTION: Take 3 photos of any objects. At least one object must contain curved lines. Your photos will be evaluated with regards to Composition, Core Themes, Quality, and Variation.

CORE THEMES:- Bring about good colors and lighting (correct exposure).- Have little shadows.- Have simple white background.

A) PHOTOGRAPHING OBJECTSPhotographing objects is an art form especially in consumerist society such as ours. The good news is that even before we attempt to take good photographs of objects, we alreday sort of know what constitude as good ones.

HORIZON LINE AND FOCAL POINT: The Rule of Thirds is a rule for composing images. It suggests that we should never place anything in the middle of a frame. This includes any strong line(s) in a frame, but in particualr the horizon line, the line where the land (or the sea) meets the sky. The horizon line should be placed either at the bottom or at the top of a frame as seen in the examples below. The horizon line also needs to be leveled (i.e. do not tilt the horizon line). Sometimes there is a single object or element that stands out in comparison with other objects or elements in a frame. In the examples below, that is the setting sun. In that case, that single object or element needs to be placed at one of the 1/3 intersections (focal points) while keeping the horizon line out of the middle, thereby avoiding anything attactive in the middle frame. The object at the focal point sometimes points to a certain direction. The sun in the example doesn’t have such a direction, but a boat in another example is going towards right. The boat needs to be placed on the left side of the frame to allow spcae for it to move. Finally, the horizon line needs to be leveled, i.e. do not tilt the horizon line.

Do not place the horizon line or an attractive object in the middle.

HIGH CONTRASTFor the purpose of this assignment, you need to have the sky and the landscape in high contast, so the edges of where the land meets the sky are crisp and sharp. For that, you need to avoid hazy horizon line. The examples below don’t have sharp and crisp edges.

INSTRUCTION: Take 3 landscape photos with horizon lines either at the bottom or at the top (as seen in the examples at the top of the page). Make sure that the skies and the landscapes are in high contrast. Your photos will be evaluated with regards to Composition, Theme, Quality, and Variation.

CORE THEMES:- Place the horizon line at the top or bottom 1/3 (the Rule of Thirds). - Do not tilt the horizon line. - If the focal point object has a direction, place it at the opposite side of the direction. - The skies and the landscpaes are in high contrast.

Placa an object that points to a direction at the opposite side of that direction.

Do not tilt the horizon line.

B) PHOTOGRAPHING LANDSCAPE

INSTRUCTION: Create and photograph one illustrations using a black felt pen. Be sure to have fancy fonts, one or more drawing, and frame (examples on the following page).

CORE THEMES:- Learn how to photography a paper.- Spend time and effort on each illustration to make it neat.

C) ILLUSTRATIONIllustartions (drawing and/or texts) can be made into Media Arts work by turing a piece of paper with your drawings and/or texts into a degital file. You can do so by taking a photo of an illustrations, but be sure that the lens is parallel to the paper as to ensure that the entire illustartion is in focus. Illustrations can be difficult (after all, there are professional illustrators), but for our purpose illustrations don’t have to be difficult by following simple instructions. You may not be a good drawer or handwriter, but that is actually a good thing for this type of illustration because the worse the drawer or handwriter you are, the more character your illustrations will have. You must, however, try to draw or handwrite as neatly as you can (like you did when you were a 7 year old). For this type of illustration, the most of the artistic merit reside in the neatness. If you can make the viewers feel that you spend the time and effort in illustrating, your mission is accomplished.

PEN TOOL: There are a number of ways to cut out images, but the most effective and cleanest way is by using a Pen Tool. Study the Tutorial found in the Group folder and cut out objects from the photos you have taken in the previous assignment. Pen Tool will allow you to have sharp edges and cut out images like you would using scissors. Just as you cut images on paper with scissors, you wish to cut just inside the images as smoothly as possible.

PHOTO QUALITY: Take more object photos if you are not satisfied with the quality. You may not notice it at first, but upon examining it closely (because you will zoom in as you cut out the objects), you may notice that the focus and exposure may be poor in addition to the resolution.

INSTRUCTION: Cut out 3 objects using the photos you have taken. Your images will be evaluated with regards to Composition, Core Themes, Quality, and Variation.

CORE THEMES:- Identify the quality of photos (eg, in focus, resolution, exposure).- Retake photos if the quality is poor.- Cutting edges are smooth and just inside the object.

TUTORIAL: SEE TUTORIAL LIST

The photo on the left seems to be fine, but upon zooming in (image on the right), the same image becomes pixilated.

A’) CUTTING OUT OBJECTS USING PEN TOOLIn advertisements, particularly in product catalogues, you see many cutouts of objects. Usually, higher end products tend to have better quality cutouts.

LEVEL: Using Pen Tool and other selection tools, it is possible to separate a land and a sky in a landscape photo. However, you can easily do this if we have a clear sky that contrasts with a land. Study the Tutorial found in the Media Arts folder and cut out objects from the photos you have taken in the previous assignment.

QUALITY: Just like object photos, you need to take more landscape photos if you are not satisfied with the quality. There is one more factor you need to consider for this assignment. That is the separation of the land and the sky. The landline and the sky need to have high enough contrast to separate the two sharply into black and white. Once you apply the curve, you will quickly find out if you can separate the two. If you can’t, go take more photos but be sure to have higher contrast landline and sky to ensure success.

INSTRUCTION: Cut out 3 landscape photos you have taken. Your images will be evaluated with regards to Composition, Core Themes, Quality, and Variation.

CORE THEMES:- Identify the quality of photos (eg, in focus, resolution, exposure).- Retake photos if the quality is poor.- Retake photos if you can’t sharply cut out the landscape.

TUTORIAL: SEE TUTORIAL LIST

B’) CUTTING OUT LANDSCAPE USING LEVELSThis is another way of cutting out images. When you have a high contrast image where the edges are sharp and crisp, you can use levels to cut out images.

LIFTING TEXTS AND DRAWINGS OFF OF THE PAPER: This is also a usuful technique to have for Media Arts as many media art work can incorporate texts and drawings.

LEVELS: Selecting using Levels is very useful for scanned texts and drawings. We can also easily change colors.

INSTRUCTION: Cut out 1 scanned images you have prepared in the previous assignment and color it. Your images will be evaluated with regards to Composition, Core Themes, Quality, and Variation.

CORE THEMES:- Neatly cut out the texts and drawings.- Color the texts and drawings.

TUTORIAL: SEE TUTORIAL LIST

B’) CUTTING OUT ILLISTRATION USING LEVELSThis is practiclly the same method as landscape cutout except you will also learn to change colors.