Edited Photographs

These images are the edited versions of the originals below. Instantly the photographs look miles better as the highlights and shadows have been emphasized hugely. The one on the left is the one I have choose to use for my book cover as I think the composition will work better than the image on the right. I might have to do a second edit as the photograph at the moment looks too happy and bright. I will darken the image and maybe dull out some of the colours.

I darkened this image on Photoshop because the original photograph looked far too bright and had a happy feel to it. I am trying to create a dramatic atmosphere therefore it wouldn’t have worked. Because I still wanted colour in the image I didn’t put it into monochrome so i lowered the saturation. This made the colours appear less vibrant which will now fit in with the mood I am trying to create. I also brought down the brightness level which made the sky in the background appear duller taking the attention away from this area.

Background image for book cover

These two images are the possible backgrounds for my book cover. I think they would both work effectively but cannot decide which one i prefer. These images were photographed in the Lake District as the original forest near home wasn’t going to work for this project. I really like the type of trees in this photograph as they are tall leading your eyes out and above the image. 

 I think the photograph of the right would fit the book cover template better as the stones at the bottom of the images will look nice on the front cover. Whereas the image on the left is more central therefore will be hard to fold in half and it still look good.

 I also like the fact you can see the light shining through the trees- creates a lovely effect. I would like to edit these images to make them look more dramatic highlighting and shadows in the photo. I will do this by using the curve tool on Photoshop. This will also emphasize the highlights in the photo.

 

Midpoint Evaluation

After starting a bit a research I have started to put some of my images together which will help me create my fairy tale book cover. A few changes have been made but everything seems to be going well at the moment.

As I am shooting my foreground and background separately I had to make sure I found the perfect locations for both. While shooting the background which is going to be the forest in the cover I found quite difficult to find the right location. Also in my statement of intent I said I was going to shoot the forest at night time to give it a spooky, gloomy effect, but it turned out it was easier to shoot during the day so that no detail in the image would be lost. In the image I have decided to use I really like the light shining through the trees.

I haven’t yet started my shoot of the model because I am not sure who I am going to choose to do the job. Also I need to purchase a little red riding hood cape for my models costume. I want my model to have long black hair coming out of the cape to show her feminine side.

I have decided not to use any props as this will make it too complicated and only have limited time to finish it. It would have been difficult to put the props onto the forest background as I would have to use the refine tool on Photoshop which could start to make it look fake as I already have the model with this technique.

I have also started to research into zoetrope’s and now have an understanding to how they work and what they are used for. I find them very interesting and think they are an amazing idea. I don’t think this will be an easy task for me to make but I am looking forward to the challenge. My idea so far is to have someone skipping with a skipping rope on a white background.

Zoetrope research

The zoetrope is one of several animation toys which were invented in the 19th century, as people experimented with ways to make moving pictures. It was invented in 1834 in England by William Horner. The American developer, William F. Lincoln, named his toy the 'zoetrope', which means 'wheel of life'.

When you place a strip of drawings inside the zoetrope's drum, spin it and look through the slots, you will see the images come to life. Of course, they are not really alive. This illusion of motion depends on two things; persistence of vision and the phi phenomenon. The faster the drum is spun, the smoother the image that is produced.

If you look over the top of the drum when the zoetrope is spinning instead of looking through the slots all you will see is a blur. The illusion of motion is gone. The slots of the zoetrope simulate flashes of light, creating a strobe. The images you see must be interrupted by moments of darkness in order for the illusion to work. Our brains strive to make meaning from what we perceive. When we see different images close together our brains quickly create a relationship between them.

This is a link to a video I found on YouTube. It’s the Toy Story Zoetrope created by Pixar, at the Disneyland Resort, Disney's California Adventure. I think of it like a flip book put instead of pictures it uses sculptures on a spinning wheel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjSxrVXsfVM

More links to zoetropes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKEM5sYnOjE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=kI1Y2RFfXh8&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfS2kGO5lg8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHa1Y4ljB64&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p93FaJ91gcs&feature=related