Digital Photography and Imaging - Project 2A

Combining many photos together is known as double exposure photography. To make them funny, poignant, or weird is the aim. Usually, they have silhouettes in them.

The double exposure effect might initially appear difficult. However, it's simple to create with Adobe Photoshop and in-camera.

These methods being:

Using the Tilt-Shift Effect : blurring a single photo instead of the entire image, using a Photoshop tool/feature - Filter > Blur Gallery > Tilt-Shift.
Create a fake reflection : adding a separate window photo above the original picture to add texture and shine.
Simple portraits with detail textures : combining simple and detailed textures to create a balanced look.
Convert results to black-and-white : gives unique depth and boldness to the image as well as better highlight emotion.
Work with silhouette : creates a fun challenge for designers.
Pick 2 random photos : spontaneity can give rise to undiscovered design ideas.
Make simple objects look fascinating : taking a dull-looking object and transforming it into a fantastical piece.
Use shadow : shadow outlines greatly help in double exposure photography.

double-exposure image of a male silhouette and a forest

Fig 1.1.1 Working with Silhouettes

Photoshop Blending Modes

Fig 1.1.2 Blend Mode groups in Photoshop.

Fig 1.1.3 Commonly Used Blend Modes.

Lecture 8: Digital Surrealism

Realism vs Surrealism

Realism takes from actual "reality" meaning it takes non-exotic and common things from the real world.

Surrealism is a twist on realism; It delves into the subconscious, focusing mostly on dream imagery and frequently seeking to warp the commonplace and what we take to be reality.

Fig 1.1.4 Salvador Dali's Surrealistic Work.

What is Surrealism and how to achieve it

Surrealism refers to an art movement that focuses on using art forms to convey the ideas and thoughts of the artist themselves in a dream-like manner.

To achieve surrealism, one must have the imagination to create:

Dream-like scenes and symbolic images
Unexpected, illogical justapositions
Bizarre assemblages of ordinary objects
Primitive or child-like images

You can go to Sir Fauzi's website for his students' beautiful works on digital surrealism!

✧｡٩(ˊᗜˋ )و✧*｡

1.2 Class Summaries

Week 7 :

We were briefed on the assignment and showed our progress so far to Sir Fauzi. He also said that after ILW, he'd show us around the Taylor's photography studio in preparation for Project 2B.

Week 8 :

This week was an individual learning week so there were no classes. After a final check-up with Sir Fauzi online, we finalised our works and submitted.

2. INSTRUCTIONS

File 2.1 Module Information Booklet

3. DOUBLE EXPOSURE

3.1 Research

For research I mostly searched through YouTube for inspiration just to see how others did them. These were ones I mostly looked into :^)

Video 3.1.1 "Create a Double Exposure in 74 seconds with Photoshop" by PiXimperfect.

Video 3.1.2 "How to shoot a DOUBLE EXPOSURE in-camera" by Eric Floberg.

Video 3.1.3 "Double Exposure Effect - Photoshop Tutorial" by LetsPhotoshop.

3.2 Ideation

Following as per instructions, I went to creating the double exposure. Like the previous assignment, I feel like it'd be repetitive to show my progress. But this time I'd actually lost some screenshots since my laptop was running out of storage space. Nonetheless, I managed to get back this one screenshot

(╥﹏╥)

Fig 3.2.1 Problem I faced with Double Exposure

I encountered a bit of a problem when it came to matching the background to the sky in the forest scene, I managed to figure out though that I was colour-picking whilst there was a Curves layer above it. So, I got through it smoothly after that (´ ∀ ` *)

Aside from that, all I really changed were the colours.

3.3 Final Outcome

Fig 3.2.2 Double Exposure Final

4. MY OWN DOUBLE EXPOSURE

4.1 Research

I started by picking out a photo of myself that I took for a Foundation module I took in 2022. I tried my best to look photogenic but not sure it really worked (ᵕ- ᴗ -)... Moving on though, I actually tried out a monotone double exposure before I did the final artwork but it didn't really look right to me so I'll include it here as an extra.

Fig 4.1.1 Main Photo

Fig 4.1.2 Failed Attempt

4.2 Ideation

With the bit of research I had with my failed attempt, I started to continue with a proper one; a piece where I would experiment with coloured double exposure.

Fig 4.2.1 My Own Double Exposure Progress #1

I first started by masking out my head and the mirror.

Fig 4.2.2 My Own Double Exposure Progress #2

Then I started trying out double exposure on my hijab. The picture within my Hijab is actually of cherry blossoms ✿ ! I went for cherry blossoms because I liked how the blue sky complimented it colours. I color corrected my face and mirror to fit with the tone of the cherry blossoms using different Curves layers and also an Overlay layer.

Fig 4.2.3 My Own Double Exposure Progress #3

I wanted the mirror to be sort of a portal with water rushing out of it, creating a surreal-ish feeling. Also, I adjusted the double exposure slightly on my Hijab to better utilise the negative space in my hijab.

Fig 4.2.4 My Own Double Exposure Progress #4

I adjusted the opacity and also the colour of the water ripple in the mirror to fit the tone of the whole image. Changing the opacity also made it so my reflection in the mirror is ever-so-slightly visible.

As for the background, I added mountains at the bottom and also butterflies surrounding the cherry blossoms.

Fig 4.2.5 My Own Double Exposure Progress #5

Finally, I added some finishing touches like the clouds and adjusted the right mountain to slightly hid my disembodied finger (>﹏<)

4.3 Final Outcome

Fig 4.3.1 My Own Double Exposure Final!

5. REFLECTION

I will be honest in that I wasn't really having as much fun on this part than I did with the previous one. It's mostly because of my workflow throughout this part of the assignment specifically. I kept backtracking on things I should've moved on from and also I had the added stress of my laptop malfunctioning. Which in turn made my anxiety worsen slightly.

Other than my personal problems that interfered with this part of Project 2, I still found some things fun like when I created the waterfall effect in the "My Own Double Exposure". Though I didn't properly handle this part of the project, I found to still be satisfactory enough to my eyes.

🐋

Qistina Nuralya Maria Binti Azly (0354180)

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