Project evaluation

Project brief...And evaluation...
 
Produce an elaborate and intricate body of work which is created and produced using digital technologies and image manipulation techniques.  The portfolio can be anything from a single elaborate composite image, or a portfolio of several images.  The work must be critically and conceptually informed, communicating about a particular topic appropriately. 


This project has been a really interesting learning experience, I have learn many new valuable editorial techniques. I have also discovered new ways of looking and thinking about how i put my images together.


My project has been based on the idea of multi tasking, and how young women today worry about juggling all areas of their lives successfully. 
I initaly thought of making a portrait of a woman with many arms but i didn't think that this would fully put across my thoughts. The idea that i have gone with i think fits the notion of multitasking fairly well. I decided to use multiple composites of a 'woman ' character in different life roles. I have 'University girl', 'Work girl' and 'party girl'. I wanted to fill the images with all aspects of the role they were undertaking, but for there still to be an element of their 'other selves' some where in the image.

I'm happy with the final images although i know i could have done a lot more a lot better.
 At the start of this project i was very enthusiastic about the project and had been really inspired by examples of photographers that i had seen. As the project went on i did not give myself enough time to complete the the project to the standard i know i am capable of.

I think my main downfall with the images was the actual shoots. I used various pieces of equipment that i was not familiar with and I didnt spend enough time learning/practicing  lighting techniques and thinking about compositions, therefore the blending and overal final look of the photographs suffered. If i were to re do this project there are things that i would seriously take into consideration.

Final images...

Party Girl.......

This shoot was alot of fun...but not so fun to edit ! I had a few problems in the beginning as i hadnt shot location with the correct amount of light there fore many of my images are very dark..not good ! but im hoping it will ad to the ' at the bar' feel to the image !.

This is my base image ..Its very dark but im hopeing a few of my other images are lighter so i can blend in highlights later....

I used the clone stamp tool and the spot healing 

tool to correct any lines and dark patches

 from the bad lighting.

Office Girl !...

I found this shoot the hardest to edit. I think this was because many of the images over lapped due to the smaller space, i had to take alot more care when cutting around the images.

The lecture hall.......University Girl !

This is the first of my shoots. It was quite fun to to as myself and the model had to use our imaginations to put 'university girl' in the right places. The lecture hall is quite big and spacious and i wanted to keep that feel. Ive seen a few images by other photographers that fill whole rooms and cinemas with people but i want to keep it simple, after all i don't think i've been to a lecture that had ever had every seat filled !

























I  began by importing my images into light room to make sure they were all matching. I did this by first selecting a base image and correcting the colours and levels until i was satisfied with the look of the image. Next i used the sync tool to make sure every image was the same as the base.

This is my starting image...

Once i was ready to start i began by cutting out each person from every image and gave them their own layer. I then transported this layer on the the base image.


At first i found it quite hard to cut out the individual people, its quite tricky to draw a smooth line when your not drawing pen on paper.


The eraser tool be came my best friend after a while as i used it to rub away the layers underneath that i did not need, as you can see from the image below my edges got a bit soft after a few hours of erasing ....

A Particualar problem that i came across was 'the halo' you can see it in both of these sections, my original image had a very blown out back ground, so the people at the back of the picture ended up with a strange white glow...which i correct later...

Because of the way i had my flash in the hall, i blew out the background. I fixed this by droping in a darker background fron a test shot i had taken beforehand.....


Before...

After.......

location location location

Here are the 3 locations i have chosen for my shoots.......

  

I am fairly happy with my 3 locations although unfortunately the original office space i wanted was unavailable, But its not a problem i will just need to adjust my image accordingly.

Now the fun begins......

So now i have practiced a few composites i think i'm about ready to try something bigger. I initially wanted to make my images quite fine art in the style of julia fullerton batten, but after experimenting with a few effects i have decided that my images would make more sense in the style of paul m smith. I think this style will suit better as it is slightly comical and truer to life.

I have thought about the characters i am going to use in my images and have chosen to have :

Party girl
University Girl
Work Girl

Thinking back on my initial concept i think these characters will best portray the social standing of most young women today, The career girls who study hard, while at the same time partying hard and maintaining a job.