Art with Ms. Djordjevic

Low Key vs. High Key

4/12/2021

We all love a black and white image. The mood, the feeling, the nostalgia...but did you know that black and white images generally fall into two categories? You can present your B&W photo as a high key photo or a low key photo. But what is the difference? In easy terms, low key means lower contrast and mostly dark and high key means higher contrast and mostly bright. But why do we have these two types of B&W photos? What do they do? In this particular case high key and low key effect the mood of the photos...the feeling it gives off. Low key is darker, usually a moodier and more dramatic image. While high key is brighter and airier, more open and more fun.

Assignment:
For this assignment you will photograph 50 digital frames with high key and low key B&W images in mind. During the shoot you'll want to consider what mood you are going for because that will dictate how you light and expose the image. If low key is moody and high key is more airy then consider not only your subject while you are shooting but also your lighting and camera settings. Some of this can be done after the fact with your editing in photoshop, and some has to be done in camera while you are shooting. You are showing me equal high key and low key photographs for this assignment. It may take two separate shoots with different ideas in mind.

Steps:
• Check out these 2 resources on low key photography (article #1, article #2)
• Check out this resource on high key photography
• Portraits work well for this project but really any subject works
• You do not need to show the same object as high key and low key, the subject you photograph may dictate the mood you are going for
• When you are focused on low key, be sure to have a darker background and expose it a little below what the light meter asks for.
• When you are exposing for high key, make sure to have a brighter background and expose maybe a little bit higher than the light meter dictates

Alternative Lens Effects

4/1/2021

In this project we are going to mess around with lens effects. There are several different types of strange lens filters out there that create these interesting effects, but for this project we are going to find and/or make our own. Think about making a soft lens effect with vaseline (don't you DARE put it directly on the lens) or colored cellophane in front of the lens. What about crystals that make kaleidoscope effects, or fairy lights, or even a good old CD. How can we add interesting effects to our photos with items we find in the house?

Assignment:
For this assignment you will photograph 50 digital frames with different lens effects. Consider what you want to create and try to be creative with what you find in your home to use. I don't care what effect you do use, but you cannot take a straight photo for this project. Remember you can do soft lens effect, halation effect, crystals, CD's, fairy lights, cracked glass, small mirrors, zoom the lens while photographing...anything at all that alters the image inside the lens.

Steps:
• If you are using crystals or CD's you may need a light source (hello sunshine!) to help throw the light inside the crystal
• Portraits work well for this but are not required
• Many of the objects you hold in front of the lens are small, so be sure to zoom the lens in so we can't see the item
• If you want to try the vaseline effect you HAVE to put plastic wrap in front of the lens...nothing is to go directly onto the lens!!!!!

Shadow Art

3/18/2021

In this project we are going to explore interactive shadow art. Shadows have always been important in photography—being that we are always dealing with light, shadows are the absence of light and therefore in most of our photos. How can you use the shadow to enhance your artwork? Tell a story? Or even interact with your viewer? You can set up items to photograph, go outside and look for natural shadow art in the world, allow someone to interact with the shadow, or even allow the shadow to interact with the world.

Assignment:
For this assignment you will photograph 50 digital frames of shadow art. Consider what you want to create. Do you want interactive shadow art, where the shadow becomes part of the world that the person is interacting with, or even becomes a character that interacts with the physical world? Would you prefer to make shadow art using objects or allow the organic world to naturally create shadow and add to the composition? You can approach this in a few different ways (or all the ways) and make something interesting.

Steps:
• Start this project on a sunny day...the sun is the easiest way to do this
• Walk around your house seeing if there are any interesting shadows that fall across the walls or the floor
• Consider making your own shadows and controlling the environment with a strong light source and enlist your friends and family for some help to make these more fun!

Natural Framing

3/4/2021

For this project we are going to focus on framing in the camera. This can be done with natural framing (windows, doors, etc.) or with organic frames (tree lines). Thin about how to use frames that are naturally occurring in your everyday life—what about a fence? or a mirror? or walking around with an empty frame? Or even a lock hole? You can also create your own shape and photograph through that, or walk around making sure the natural and organic environment offers an interesting framing technique for your photos.

Assignment:
For this assignment you will photography 50 digital frame of natural framing. Consider what you are looking through. What about using a pipe and shooting through that? Do you have windows that are interesting and show something curious on the other side? What about a cutout in your wall? Think about how to use your environment to create interest with your framing. Also don't be afraid to make your own frames to shoot through if you are having trouble finding them in the natural environment.

Steps:
• Start by finding researching interesting natural framing, do you already do this sometimes in your own work?
• Walk around your house seeing if there are any interesting objects to photograph through
• Consider making your own (or bringing your own) with you to enhance an image

Floating Food

2/25/2021

Ever wonder how these photos were taken? For this project we are going to explore the idea of floating food. This can be done with a whole meal, or something more simple, but there needs to be a lot of planning and some setup. You can do this with a single item, but using something that has several layers (sandwich, or hamburger, or a stack of pancakes) adds to the interest of the final image. Do you want this to be funny? How about holding your hand below to levitate the food. Or what about throwing something at the camera (please fake throw) to make it fun?

Assignment:

Create 2 floating food images. Remember items with more physical layers is more interesting, but having those layers be easily attached helps to make them interesting (i.e. it is very hard to float a layered trifle or an ice cream cone). You will need to take several images of each food to give yourself options, but the setup is most important. Think about a clean background to make it easier to use the content-aware fill option, also think about your lighting. Creating a mini studio is helpful in making this very clean in post production.

Steps:

Start by checking out this website on one way to photograph your floating food
Also check out this video on throwing a donut (this one was done with clear fishing wire)
Think of ideas—what kind of food do you want to float? Think back to your food photography project
You are creating 2 floating food images, you want to take several images for options but they may be of the same setup. Remember to change your lighting.
Post-production is where these are going to come together by erasing objects that hold the food up, so be sure to have a clean background that is easy to use for content-aware fill.

Objective: To create interest in your image by implementing photoshop editing techniques to make pieces of your photo disappear

The Composited Image

2/11/2021

In this project you are going to explore the composited image. This composite will be a series of photos taken in one place overlapped to help reinforce the ideas of memory and evoke a feeling from your viewer. Take us on a journey—of a space, or a memory, a conversation, or a roadtrip—and take several images in a short span of time. By overlapping these photos in post-production we are literally creating an image that focuses on the idea of time, capturing an emotion or a representation of a moment in time. Using color and movement to inform the image and explore the idea of the passing of time. Will your image be happy or melancholic? Is it a representation of your favorite childhood memory, or a conversation with your best friend? What about a walk through the woods? How can you use this technique to give us a story in one single image?

Assignment:

Create 3 composite journey images. You can use object, take a walk outside, photograph several portraits in a row, or explore even more conceptual ideas about the passing of time. Remember to take several images that overlap with one another, try 10 images or 50 images...how might more images be interesting?

Steps:

Start by checking out Al Wildey's website
Think of ideas—how can you best represent a journey or the passing of time?
You are creating 3 images, this will be 3 separate shoots to create the overlapped imagery
Post-production is where these will really come together, try to think about a lot of change in your images and also about small movements if you want the image to hold together more clearly

Objective: To use separate images (taken over a short period of time) to create the feeling of time and memory.

Frozen Flowers

2/4/2021

This project is an exploration in creating a design with frozen items (flowers work particularly well). Think of this like stained glass, don't be afraid to add color to your water, or include non organic items (toys, pieces of sea glass, money, etc.). Most important is making sure you give yourself time to freeze the items, then backlight them in a window or other bright light source. You can crop close to your flowers to make a more interesting layout, we should not see the edges of your ice block.

Assignment:

Create 3 frozen flower photos using both flowers and other items to create an interesting, and dynamic composition. Negative space is your friend here, you do not need to overload the ice block with items.

Steps:

Start by checking out this article and interview
Collect flowers and other items and lay them in a shallow large pan (an 8x8, or 9x13 work well) with only an inch or two of water (the deeper the water the less you'll be able to see through it, consider that when choosing items)
You are creating 3 images, you should probably create 3 different frozen designs
Freeze your designs overnight. In the daylight, take them out and place them in a window so you get the backlight coming through (might be particularly interesting with sunlight coming directly through but any bright space will work)

Resources:
- frozen flower tutorial

Objective: To use design elements to create a dynamic composition using items frozen in water and natural backlighting

Small World

12/21/2020

No...not like the song. Although that's probably going to be stuck in your head after I just said it. This is a small fun project that uses filters in Photoshop and a panorama image from your phone. If you have a 360 degree panorama those are best but if not you can use any panorama (or really any image). The panorama helps us to make a more fisheye looking small world image, also called a "stereographic projection" but you can also stretch a regular landscape.

Assignment:

Create 3 small world photos using either new or older panorama photographs from your phone. I will show you also how to stretch a landscape if you do not have a panorama or just want to use a different photo.

Steps:

Start by reading this online tutorial
Take (or find) a 360 degree panorama on your phone (using a panorama that starts and ends in the same spot helps you to make a more seamless image)
Landscapes work particularly well because they have sky and ground cover that creates a more seamless world
Remember to make the image square before you start

Resources:
- small world tutorial
- landscape stretching tutorial

Objective: To have some fun in photoshop using filters and digital techniques to add interest to our photographs

Food Photography

12/10/2020

At some point or another I'm sure every one of you has thought about being a food photographer. Maybe just with your phone because that donut looks sooooo good, or maybe even trying to make something more appealing. If you've ever perused instagram or magazines or cookbooks you've likely enjoyed looking at the photos of the food. This is true for everyone and this is an actual job, a really well paying job in fact. For this assignment we will be focusing on traditional and modern styles of food photography.

Assignment:

You must photograph 50 digital frames focusing on food photography. You can photograph meals, focus on a table scape, make a whole meal, just a dessert, you have many options. Think about shapes and making your food look appealing to your audience. Search instagram for cooks and even local favorite restaurants—how do they photograph their food?

Steps:

We eat every single day of our lives. Not all of our food is set up like a dinner spread, but think about ways to make each one of your meals look interesting
You'll notice that many of these photos are shot from above (birds eye view) but how else can you make an interesting food photo?
Watch your edges, notice that most foods are not perfectly centered...or alone. So consider breaking the frame with your food, or pouring a few bowls of food instead of just one
Consider your dish wear, the more beautiful (or simple) the serving dish the more interesting the image is
Lighting: definitely consider your lighting, many of the food photographers use natural window lighting to enhance their photos

Resources:
- Pinterest Food Photography board for more inspiration
- Food photography tips and tricks
@bakeritablog
@halfbakedharvest
@ambitiouskitchen

Objective: To use the camera and lighting to make a professional image that makes food more appealing to the viewer.

Photo II