DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND IMAGING - WEEK 3

 DIGITAL COLLAGE

After being assigned to create a physical collage with magazine scraps the previous week, we have moved on to creating collages in a digital format, with the usage of Adobe Illustrator. In order to help aid us in creating a collage, we have been provided with sample images to bypass the process of image searching.

(Fig 0.1, Thumbnail, 15/4/2021)

Process

By far the most tedious step of the entire process was cropping the images with the use of a clipping mask. Generating the clip art for a collage can range from just under a minute (buildings with very geometric structures can take just a few clicks), to an extremely lengthy 30 minutes (The fish fins were notably difficult). 

(Fig 01, Cropping, 15/4/2021)

Composition was a more interesting process. I tried to be more mindful about elements such as the rule of thirds and the golden ratio. Ideally it should be noticeable that it is being subtly applied but not being shoehorned into the picture. Using elements to direct attention to the subject of focus was also another technique that I wished to utilize.

(Fig 02, Composing, 15/4/2021)

Compositions

(Fig 03, Fever Dream, 15/4/2021)

FEVER DREAM

With this piece, I went for a strong design with bold patterns and elements that really pop. The use of flipping in order to convert a background which converged at a corner into one that converged at a quadrant was interesting, to say the least. I also took a liking to fish fins and its vibrant colours, which are reminiscent of flower petals, which I utilized to this effect in the collage.

(Fig 04, Coexistence, 15/4/2021)

Coexistence

Inspiration for this piece came about during the lesson itself, when we learned that the Golden Ratio originated from natural settings, which meant that even the geometric structures of human creation were created with help from nature itself. It was really some food for thought. The typewriter keys sounded good on paper, but the low resolution when enlarged, as well as the inconsistent angles of the keys really brought down the overall quality of the piece. This collage didn't really test myself too much technically, but the inclusion of the golden ratio itself into the collage wasn't exactly prohibited and the concept was fun to think about. 

(Fig 05, Journey, 15/4/2021)

Journey

This collage required a bit more technique than the previous two. Cropping out a walkway from another picture, I intended to use it as a path leading into the door as seen in the picture. Masking the floor without affecting the mans legs proved to be challenge given the tools of Illustrator. Eventually I managed to layer just the legs over the path to create the illusion of the path entering the doorway. I do wish I was able to incorporate more elements without causing too much visual clutter, though.

Reflection for the week

Transitioning from a physical medium to digital made me feel more at ease, just a little however. Illustrator still proves to have quite substantial differences from its other brethren, after a little more adjustment I should be fine. Being limited to a set of images really tested my imagination, due to the limited options encouraging me to think of situations in which an image can be used, rather than the other way around. I appreciate that the technical aspects of these assignments have yet to become too complicated, otherwise I would be rather overwhelmed. All in all, this assignment was rather enjoyable in its own way.