Photoshop induction and brief...

The Brief:

- Produce a set of ten postcards that explore your given colour: BLUE

- You must work in CMYK mode.

- You should use your research and experience to date as well as studio based visual investigations as a    starting point.

 Mandatory requirements:

- The postcards must exist as part of a set/ series and must focus on your given colour.

Deliverables:

- A set/ series of ten A6 double-sided postcards.

- A quantity of visual investigation/ research.

The induction:

Things to remember to set before starting work:

- Size

- Colour mode : CMYK for print, RGB for screen

- Resolution : DPI/ PPI (dots per inch/ pixels per inch) 300 DPI for print, 72 DPI for screen.

Destructive and non destructive:

Destructive: Destructive is when you change the original image and then cant go back and edit the original. For example, when applying filters, if you apply it directly to the image layer and then save, you cant then take that filter off at a later date.

Non-destructive: Non-destructive is when you make a change to your work that you can go back at a later date and change back to the original idea. For example adjustment layers are when you create a new layer above the original layer to place the filter on.

After completing the photoshop induction, i learnt how to create images like the above using a non destructive method. I created a non destructive hue and saturation layer over my original image and brought the saturation down till the image became grey scale, i then used the selection tool to select the parts of the image that i wanted to stay colour. Once i had selected these i deleted what i had selected which revealed the colour. I had always wondered how people did this, so once i knew how i continued to experiment with this technique on a variety of other images.

For this brief i was given the colour blue to focus on, so i tried out the same technique on a photograph of a collection of blue objects. The bear was a very royal blue so i decided to select the colour on him. This was a tester, i think that he looks a bit lost and the image becomes a bit 'empty' with only the small bit of colour. Although in some cases this works really well. 

I really like this edited photograph, it is from the student protests about uni fees rising under the new government, i decided to highlight just the flag as it has a very powerful word on it REVOLUTION, it works really well with the police horse in black and white, the horse is in a powerful stance and it makes the photo very 'emotional' and powerful.

This old man was stood in the crowd with the students to show the support from OAPs, i have highlighted him in colour as as i felt the way in which he was standing and holding his placard was again very powerful.

The mask has just been highlighted on this photo, as its the mask of Guy Falkes which is very powerful symbol in history.

I then tried this technique on coloured objects, i really like the set of nail varnishes and how each one as it goes across gains its colour as the one before loses it. Very simple yet effective photographs.

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Sample ideas for 10 double sided postcards

The original photographs

I gathered and collected more blue objects and arranged them for photographing to then edit in photoshop, the brief is to experiment with the colour blue and how i can manipulate the colour and the images to come up with 10 A5 double sided postcards. I want my images to be original and experimental.

The edits

This is one of the first ones i did, what i have done is use the non destructive selection tool and hue and saturation to select a part of the book, i have then altered its hue and turned it orange, which is the opposite to blue on the colour wheel. I have then de saturated the background and other items and also selected one lens of the glasses and kept it at its original state.

I have simply used the selection tool as before on the glasses and then changing the hue to orange. I like this particular photograph because only the glasses are in focus and the rest has been blurred. The orange has almost become the dominant colour within this edit.

I have used various methods on this edit, using techniques such as non destructive gradients and using different blend modes, playing with the hue and selection tool. The colours are pastel shades and it is very soft.

Using a different photograph i have experimented with a blue and an orange gradient and the selection tool again in order to be able to pick and choose what effects i want to have on certain parts of the image. I have also overlaid a pattern onto this edit to give it texture.

This is two photographs laid over the top of each other and then i have experimented with the blend tool, the two images that i combined already had effects on them, so when brought altogether the image became quite dark in some areas, but i think it makes it look more interesting.

Again this a mixture of two images that have effects on them, once i had merged them together using the blending options for the layer, i selected one lens and used the selection tool and changed the hue, so it stood out slightly more than the background. This edit has a texture over laid too.

I copied the same image and enlarged it over the top of itself and changed the angle. Using the blending tools i changed it to luminosity which gave it this dulled, yellow cast. The smaller pair of glasses on the top have been changed slightly but remain the main part of blue within the image. I have tried using a washed out orange in this edit to show contrast between that and the blue of the glasses.

Almost the same as the one above, but i have experimented again with the blending options, the position of the second image has also changed, which bleeds into the blue glasses. The blurred objects to the bottom of the image have been turned a turquoise tone, they look very old.

I have selected different parts of this image to change the hue and saturation, the lenses have a slight difference in colour to one another, and an enlarged washed out orange lens is in the centre of the image to add contrast. I have changed the hue of the bear, but he looks a bit out of place.

This is one of my favourite edits so far, i really like the dark tones and the richness of the glasses lenses. I have used the same image with same effects as a copy and placed it upside done to the first. The objects that are upside down at the top look as though they have been printed onto the t-shirt.

This is the same image as above but i have de saturated the two overlaid images and then kept the glasses the same bright blue. The angle i have taken the photo helps this edit work really well, it just adds some depth and direction which looks more interesting than just taking it from straight on.

I used the selection tool on this image and cut it in half, i then copied the half i had kept and turned it upside down and along side the other image. The circle is the blurred glasses lens, which meant the background objects were in focus. I have placed a colour overlay on top of both images and experimented with the layer blending options. I then created a circle using the shape tool and coloured it orange which has then been blended into the lens.

This edit has the same principle as the above image but i have desaturated the colours and then changed the layer blending option. The blue and orange look very washed out.

I really liked the original photograph of this image, as it worked really well so i kept the editing to a minimal to experiment. I have added a colour overlay of blue and used the multiply layer blending option, i then reduced the fill and opacity so it didn't wash away the objects. I then decided to add type, i have written the word blue but in orange and then blended it into the edited photograph. I think the type works well as part of the image, and especially how i have coloured the text orange.

I used one of the existing edited photos with this experimentation then inverted it, a simple way to create another visual experiment.

With this postcard design i added numerous layers of another image and then changed the blend mode to colour. The image goes from blue at the bottom to its contrasting colour colour as you reach the top of the image. The centre stands out more with the enlarged blue photograph of the blue bear and glasses.

Again i have used numerous layers of a different photograph and changed the blend mode, there is a mix of blue, orange and greyscale. It works in the sense that it has been sectioned up by the smaller images, so your eyes will automatically look at one section at a time which allows you to add more detail to each part without it being too messy and overwhelming.

This is the same image as above but i have inverted the whole thing, which has turned it mainly orange with a hint of light blue, again its still sectioned.

With this example i have cropped a photo of a blue plastic bag and repeated the section six times to fill the space, o have then added another photo on top and changed the blend mode to overlay, so it blends with the background but you can still make out what the image is and then added a hue and saturation level and altered it slightly which made it slightly darker. I quite like the subtlety of it.

I have overlaid two images and changed the blend mode on the top image, i have then placed an orange solid colour overlay on both images and set the blend mode to luminosity, it has produced pastel colour tones. I like how the text at the top left hand corner has been highlighted with like a black outline. I have then added text at the bottom and blended it in so you can hardly see it. Its all very subtle which i think works well.

I have changed the blend modes and added two solid colour overlays to this image, which have then also had the blend mode changed to colour dodge. I have changed the text and made it slightly more visible than the above image and it is a lot larger too. the centre bear looks glittery from the effects i have used which works well. In the top left corner i have added swatches of blues that have been found within the image, i have then changed the blend mode to multiply so they dont look awkward.

I have taken an image with a solid colour blue overlay set to screen blend mode and the used the effects tools and used a motion blur. I then added text and used the multiply blend mode and a box blur.