Research

The general look and feel of college material such as the prospectus is aimed at being generally feel-good and fun place but also a strong underlying theme of a good learning environment with career direction. One example of this is the photo on prospectus page 31. The subject is smiling and appears to be enjoying themselves which is key to making people think the college is a nice place to be. The photo appears to be Arts/Fashion related and allow the subject to look glamourous and maybe slightly eccentric, showing the college offers different courses for all types of people. She is also shot on what appears to be outside of college, maybe backstage somewhere. This shows that there is life and career opportunity beyond Barnet. This photo fits the brief's concept of showing the college in a positive light.

A photo that could be viewed to not fit the brief would be on page 10 of the prospectus. To me, it feels invasive and a little uncomfortable to look at first off. I then move on to wonder what this photo actually says about the subject or the college and I come to the conclusion that it doesn't say anything, positive or negative. If we were to clutch at straws, we could argue it shows ethnic diversity on the college but other than that it deems itself an unsuccessful photo.

3 Final Likes and improvements

After finalising my images, here are 3 likes and 3 improvements regarding my work.

Likes

• The bad lighting
• The Clone stamping
• Subject matter

Improvements

• The images would have worked better as a series
• I would've used 'stereotypical' models
• The first image isn't lined up and has certain areas of bad manipulation.

How to make a multiple image on Photoshop

Making a multiple image on photoshop can be achieved if these steps are followed:

• Open the images in photoshop
• If uploading the images online, be sure to adjust the image size found under the 'image' tab in the menu bar. Optimum dimensions for uploading should 600mm for the longest dimension (height/width) and the resolution should be 72dpi. This will allow for a good quality image without a large file size.
• We can then adjust the levels if we feel the image can do with some slight adjustments. We go into Image in the menu bar and select adjustments > levels.
• We then need to create Layers. There are various ways of doing this. The way I used was to use the selection tool to drag one photo on top of the other. With the magnetic lasso I would then select the image i'd like to remove from the top layer. Next, go to layer in the menu bar and select layer mask > reveal all. I would then select the mask in the layer window, then use the brush tool (making sure the swatch is on black over white) to reveal what was on the layer underneath. The other option is to cut and paste objects from one canvas to the next. When doing this we must make sure the image size and resolution is the same for both canvas' before cutting and pasting.
• There are also other steps we can take to help 'finish' the image off. We can use such tools like the burn tool to create shadows to make areas look part of the image and help match the lighting. We can use the blur tool to soften any harsh areas that make the images look separate. Also, we can clone stamp to match and go over other parts of the image.
• Once you are happy with your image you can then save the image. It should be saved as a JPEG so that when you are uploading, you can be sure the website you are using will accept this file format.

Now that you have followed these steps, you should be sure to have a successful multiple image.

Multiple Image Evaluation

Creating a multiple image on photoshop, I have learnt, can be a challenge. There is a lot to learn, however the end result can be astounding as shown by my influence for this project, Paul M Smith. I tried to make my images less crass and in your face yet still convey a similar message regarding gender but hopefully relating it to a younger audience. I used the idea of facebook profile pictures and the vanity involved when this particular style of photo is taken, especially when talking about girls. Girls are often criticised for taking photos using their own reflection in the mirror, and I had noticed that this has also been seen with boys also. I decided to play on that and have a boy looking into a mirror but the reflection showing a girl in a 'facebook style' pose. This was in hope that it would show the idea that there has been a finer line, in recent generations at least, between 'gender behaviour' and what is often perceived effeminate. This 'feminine behaviour' is shown more and more by many 'alpha male' young men.

After creating the first image of a boy looking at a reflection of a girl, I decided to see what it may look like if I tried using the images the other way around. I thought this would also give me the opportunity to eradicate any mistakes I had made in the first multiple image. One of those mistakes is the alignment of the mirror. I had not realised until after finalising the image that the mirrors in the two original images are not lined up. This must have occurred during the shoot where the camera was knocked slightly out of position. This is obvious where the two mirrors on either door in the image do not line up as well as the doubling up of the handle of the left mirror door. On the second image, i decided a way around this mistake would be to be sure that when using the magnetic lasoo in photoshop that the selection was just inside the perimeter of the mirror. This worked a charm and allowed my image to look lined up, even though behind the scenes it may not have been.

I think on the whole my images are successful with the second image with the girl looking into the mirror with the boys reflection being more successful. This is purely because this image was probably easier to manipulate as there was less editing to in terms of clone stamping and and creating parts of the reflection that weren't in the original image. this is evident when looking at the girls hand holding her mobile phone in the reflection, it does not look natural barely resembling a real arm. On the other hand, other parts of that same image have worked really well i.e. creating the green wall and the headboard in the background of that reflection of the girl. Lastly, I feel I could have used much stronger, 'stereotypical' models when doing this image as I feel it may have brought the point of these images to the forefront of the audience's minds. The nudity and crassness in Paul M Smiths photographs bring home the point of his photos and I believe casting models appropriate to this concept would have done the same for me.

My Final Images

Original Images

Original Image

Original Image