I think this unit was hard to start the work, I say this because of the tittle "Expanding Horizons" had confused me at first. I had got confused because I wanted to base my work of what I thought the phase "Expanding Horizons" mean to me. The first idea I had got from the tittle was about sun sets and sun rise, I don't want to do that idea because I don't want the work to be too obvious ro the tittle of the work. After some research and looking at some photos the tittle "Expanding Horizon" reminds me of mediation and martial arts. After getting a theme on what I want to do for my work I then have to do some research to construct an idea for my work.
After seeing other photographers work and some movies I got an idea on what I want in my photos. My main idea was having a lot of martial arts moves and weapons in the photo. The problem with that idea was I wasn't thinking about what I want in the photo I just focused my photos on the fighting and weapons. After doing some more research I then came up with the idea of one photo showing a soft side of martial arts and one photo showing a agressive side of martial arts. I wanted to do this because I want my photo to have a message in it that people who do any for of martial arts can relate to.
My main influence of my final work was Stefanie Jung and Clifton Li. Jung had gave me inspiration for my photo because of the way she overlay her photos, I think it was a great way to show two sides next to each other to see what it looks like as one photo over each other.
Clifton Li had inspired me for my martial arts photo because of the was he looked at the motion and the impact of the move in the photos. His photos had inspired the pose and how to get a martial arts feeling from the photos. Before doing any photo shoot I have to write up a health and safety list to make sure it will be followed to prevent any accidents
After some planning and some test photos I then saw that I needed to improve some of my ideas. My original idea was to have a sword pose in a urban landscape at night, the problem with that idea was the photo was hard to look at due to the overlay effects and the way the photo was taken. In the photo the background did not match the theme of the photo, I say this because it was really hard to see some areas of the subject and the photos was taken around dusk when it was starting to get dark. The way the photos turned out then was really hard to work with. My editing on the photo didn't really work but I had recorded the processe so I can use it to improve on.
My second idea was to have a photo of me doing a fighting style that dose not include any weapons in it but still in the urban theme. The photo worked because of the poses that was struck and the background was not noticed. The message of the photo was not clear because of the limited use of photos.
After my two failed ideas I had to stop with the photos and break my ideas down, this is what I came up with,
Martial arts is:
- Peaceful - shoalin monks use martial arts for meditating
- Chinese martial arts are more defensive the offensive
- Defensive martial arts has little weapons and have a strong pose.
- Agressive - Japanese warriors sue martial arts to fight in war
- Japanese martial arts are more offensive then defensive
- Offensive martial arts has more weapons and more agressive pose
After looking back at the list I have broken down I then know what type of photo I was after. I had to do some research on looking at the different martial arts to see which one would be used in my photo (Baji Quan - Chinese and Aikido - Japanese).
Before I take any photos I hade to look for a location that the photo will be legal to take due to the weapons and to make sure the weapons won't hurt anyone around. After finding a location I then start my photo shoot.
This time my photos work and I was ready to edit the photos. After a long think about how the photos will be edited I was then ready to present my final image.
What I like about this module was it was challenging and it pushed my mental skill in photography to the limit. I like how the module helped me find solutions around problems that I have encountered. I think after all the research I then have a strong final image, I say this because the message of the photo was clear, the way everything in the photo was though about and I had got a person who knows how to perform these moves to make the moves real not staged so the photo is more real to the viewers.
What I don't like about the module was it took so long to produce work, this is because of the understanding of the tittle; I also found the module very frustrating because of the constant change I ha done to my work.
If I was to do this module again I would pick one theme to begin with and stick with the idea and find research to back the idea up instead of constantly changing the idea. I would also consider picking a different theme then martial arts, I say this because this module was ment to be in friendly to younger viewers and some people have the impression that martial arts is not friendly to younger viewers. I would also experiment more with my work then just stick to one technique and use all the way.
After a long look at my photos I had chosen a final photo.
I had chosen this photo to be my final photo because the message it shows in the photo (only the people who do martial arts get). My photo shows two style of martial arts coming together, one martial arts is Chinese and one is Japanese, both have different style and have different styles to the motion showing meditation.
This is a photo showing a Chinese martial arts in a meditation sparing pose. The person in the photo is me; the reason why I am in my own photo is because I was unable to find another person who can do a certain style of martial arts for the Chinese style. I want a certain style because I want to have a clear message in the photo. The martial art style that is shown in the photo is Baji Quan. I Quan wanted a Baji pose in my photo because it has a strong striking pose so it would make it easier to edit around. This pose shows a defensive style because it shows the soft side in martial arts.
This photo is showing a Japanese style of martial arts with a more offensive pose. I have told my model to strike this pose because it show a form of a stage that is ready to attack, I say this because of the way the sword is a parts and the arm is out and tensed up. This pose is the oppersite with the Chinese pose, I say this because instead of striking a pose of defence this pose shows the model is getting ready to attack. This martial art style is a mix of Kendo and Aikido, the reason why I have chosen this martial arts because it has more offensive pose then a defensive pose.
Evaluation
I think that this photo is a really well thought of photo; I say this because I was focusing on every details in the photo, this is because of the location, the location I have chosen for the photo shoot is at the very back of the garden, I have chosen this location because the setting, layout and surrounding of the area looks like a training court outside a temple for monks.
I had also put some focus into the dressing, the reason for this is without a martial arts uniform I have to find clothes that can simulate the uniform. For the Chinese style I have chosen a white long sleeve shirt with a black lose trousers. The white shirt and the black lose trousers shows that the clothes are a little baggy, Chinese style of martial arts clothes are a little baggy to allow more movement.
The colour of the shirt is white because it shows peace and mediation.
For the Japanese style I had made my modle wear black lose trousers and a black short sleeve shirt, the reason why I have done this is because Japanese style clothing is only lose at the bottom and more tight at he top.
Normally the uniform has to have a long sleeve shirt but I shown it in a short sleeve shirt to make a the photo look more agressive, the colour black was meant to bring out the aggression in the photo.
The weapons were also placed in the photo in such a manor; I say this because in Chinese martial arts they normally use oak staff to train. I had found a oak staff to use in the photo shoot to push the photo into it's ethnic origin.
The katanas (swords) are a authentic Japanese style sword, it's very obvious that the sword is Japanese because of the way the sword is shaped, the handle, hand guard and the case. By having that sword into the photo it sows the martial arts ethnic origin.
What I really like about this photo is the amount of thought that was put into the photo every detail was thought of. I think the location of the photo makes the photo more ancient, I say this because of green surroundings and the stone ground.
I don't think there is anything in the photo that I do not like, this is because of the details in the photo.
If I was to do this again I would experiment with the way I present my photos i.e. taking a location photo and overlay two photos over the location photo. I could also cut both subjects out and paste them on a location photo with faded effects.
For my final work I had came up with a series of photos that will picked out to use my final image. For my final images I had found another way of overlaying a photo.
The first thing I had done was upload two photos on to Photoshop, I have to make sure i drag the second photo on the same window on top of the first window to make the image layer on top of the other.
After doing that I then go to the left of the window and look for a small section that shows the layers and the layer style, when I find a small box that say "normal" I click on the box and go down to overlay, after highlighting overlay I then click on it then my image will come up like this.
After the image come up like this I can then adjust the photo by changing the curves, exposure or anything else if necessary.
Here are more images I want to use for my final:
1
2
3
I think all of these images were well though of; I say this because of the way the photos really blend in together with the over layer effect. I like how the image is more sharper and the curves had been changed to balance out the colour, I also like how the photo had been blended in together. I think this effect is more effective then the changing the opacity, I say this because the way the photo is easier to look at.
There is nothing about the photo I don't like; the only thing I don't like is how the photo was made, I say this because of the computer had done all the editing for me, the only thing I had done was take the photos, upload it and set the layer, the computer had made my work easier but I didn't do much for my photos
If I was to do this again I would try and edit the my photos the way the computer had edit my photos to change other features and to experiment with what I know or can do.
Due to recent change of ideas and lack of locations I had to change my idea for my final image. I was going to overlay one weapon in my photo this is because of location and crowd, I am still going to use a proper martial artsist to perform the moves for safety reasons.
I am still going to stick with the original plan with the multi layer photo and the martial arts theme, the only thing that is changing is the amount of weapons used in the photo shoot. My modle will be my twin sister, the reason for this is she can do martial arts, train in weapon marial arts and she' easier to get a hold of.
In some photos I will be in it; this is because of a limited amount of people I know who can do martial arts or properly use a weapon. Not all of my photos will have weapons in it, I want to experiment with hand to hand martial arts as well as weapons.
I wanted to try something fun and have some Photoshop practice so I had made this photo for you to enjoy.
I had made this photo by finding a large JPEG file on google and saving it to the desktop. I had made this picture by Dragging the original on Photoshop and by using the clone tool I had cloned out the character on the left and then fix up the background. Then using the previous work's left overs I had decided to paste myself on the layer. How I made my photo as I was turned around I just go on image rotation in image what is located on the top bar in Photoshop. After doing that I then fix up photo by tilting me reposition and resize me to match the picture. After doing that I then drop the shadow to make the photo more realistic.
I like this photo because the way I cannot see the colone tool marks and the way the photo had come together in the image.
This photo was made for fun but if I was to do this again I would try and match the text up with the other text. I would do this by making my text bigger, bolder and brighter.
I have decided to make more photos to practice my expanding horizon work, I wanted to add some martial art theme for my work, I want it to be part of my theme in the project. I want to keep with the multilayer photo so I had to approach the way I make my photos the same way I make my other over layer photos.
I had no one to take photos of for this photo so I had to make a self portrait, I had made my photo by setting the camera shutter speed on 1/2000 before I start the shoot I have to test the camera and the ISO of the camera. After the camera is set I can then perform my move. It took a few goes to get the photo buT I manage to time my moves right.
After the photo shoot I have to then upload my photos on the computer to sort out which photos are worth using. After sorting out the photos I then go on Photoshop with my best photo and start editing. I start my editing with using the quick selection tool and only select me in the photo. After I select myself I then copy the selected area and paste it on a new layer.
After pasting on a new layer I will have some unwanted parts in my photo, to get rid of the unwanted parts in my photo I have to use a rubber with a soft edge and go around the photo. after going around the photo I can the use the quick selection again and clear the unwanted area, after doing that I can then copy that image and paste again on a new layer.
I have to remember to change the opacity of the photo to match the motion. After I was done with the photo I looked back at the photo of it and thought the thing was plain, I wanted to add more life or feelings into the photos. So what I have done to the photo was choose a layer of me in it and in one of the layers I changed the hue and saturation of the photo and the other layer I had changed the colour of the photo, I had left the back ground the same colour, I had done this because I thought the photo would work out more if there are at least one normal colour layer.
This is my finished photo.
I think my finished photo turned out better then I though it would, I say this because the order of the photo is normal hue and colour, I had done it in this order because I want the photo to look 3D. I think I had achieved a 3D like effect but not fully 3D, I say this because when I look at the photo I see that the photo is descending into the background by being faded away from the photo.
What I like about this photo is I has made one of me a block colour and one of me as a faded colour, I think this really works as a whole photo because I look at the photo and see it as a pop art like form.
What I don't like about this photo is I cannot see any of references of Jung's photos. I may have used a multilayer effect but I can not relate to her photos.
I think this photos can relate to Harold Edgerton because of the motion and how it's being presented on the screen.
If I was to do this again I would reshoot this motion in a still position and perform a move thought the photo and over layer them on that way like the way Edgerton makes his photos.
