Fetherston+Kiley+-+Texture

=__** Kiley Fetherston Texture Final Project **__=

Write an explanation of the 10 changes you made to create a final Combined 3 Image.
In order to produce a final image incorporating five other pictures, ten edits were created to form a realistic end-product. First, I changed the background picture to black and white, taking off any of the existing color; this brought an eerie vibe to the picture and my concept. Next, I adjusted and lowered the contrast level in the background to darken up white spots - such as the grass, the ice sliver in the center of the path, and certain leaves and trees in the background. As I inserted in each gravestone, I also lowered the brightness and contrast to make them look darker. This allowed the gravestones to better blend into the ground and to the black and white background. After adjusting the brightness and contrast of each gravestone, the opacity was then adjusted to, again, help blend the gravestones in with the background and make them more ghostly. When each gravestone was adjusted for color and brightness, I used a blurred paintbrush tool with a black color that had 50% opacity to create shadows. This made it look like the gravestones actually belong in the picture, that they are supposed to be there and not inserted. A small edit created was flipping the farthest gravestone to the left in order to make it look like its “normal” shape. As I then inserted the girl walking away, I adjusted the opacity on her to make her look more ghostlike which helped create my concept. With that girl, I also adjusted the brightness to make her look brighter to get that ghost figure. Subsequently, I added my final part, the flowers on the gravestone and the ground. I first flipped the flowers on the gravestones to make them fit better. And then I adjusted the brightness and opacity, but still kept the color to give the overall image a pop of brightness.

===Explain which compositional technique(s) you used in the main photograph final combined photograph. === In the main final combined photographed, I including three compositional techniques: framing, level horizon, and leading lines. Framing is when you use natural elements in the shot to create a frame on the subject. In my picture, my idea was to make the “ghost” to be the subject. I them attempted to frame her with the trees and the gravestones. This intrigues people when they look that the final images and leads their eyes to the main point of the picture: the ghost. Level horizon is when you make the horizon line straight across the frame. In my picture, I aligned the horizon to be straight across, trying not to make it diagonal which would confuse the viewer. This also makes the picture and horizon look more natural, a crooked horizon is not. Finally, leading lines are when you use lines to create direction and lead people in your image. I used leading lines in the pathway, the gravestones, and the flower path to show where the “ghost” is coming from. This will lead viewers to my point of view and make a sense of harmony.

===Describe the texture you emphasized and any other elements and principles of design that you feel you highlighted. === Texture was emphasized in the trees and the grass of the prairie in my final product. The point of including texture works with the degree of roughness or smoothness in object. Due to the fact that this is a darker piece with a darker theme, I wanted any texture to look more rough. Therefore, it is noticeable that the trees with their ragged edges and the grass sticking up in a messy fashion works with texture and my overall concept. Another element of design in my project was line, and using lines with the pathway in the center and with the gravestones. The lines built most of my concept: including lines to lead the viewers towards the ghost who is walking away from a specific grave. These lines were not actually created as a traditional line, however, but made with more natural features. To finish, a principle of design that I used was center of interest by incorporating a girl who was supposed to be ghostlike as the point of view in the overall picture.

Explain your concept for this project.
Within the three days of each different photoshoot, I found my greatest success with the graveyard. There was so much around with so much character: the old gravestones, the flowers, the dirt, the grass, the ice. My best pictures came out of this specific shoot. Therefore, I ended up making my concept for the picture to have a darker, eerie feel by incorporating the darker shades and the line of gravestones. My overall concept was to show a ghost leaving a specific grave, walking off into the distance, leaving everything behind. This is almost like they are leaving the gravestone and going towards heaven, or some type of afterlife. It could potentially bring thought to people’s minds when they view it to wonder where she is going, what she will be doing as this ghost leaving her new home - the graveyard. It order to make more of a story, in order to make this look real, I included more than just the one gravestone she was leaving, but multiple gravestones that create a line to the focal point of the picture: the ghost.

===Explain how successful you feel you were with the assignment and any changes you would consider for next time. === Overall, I am happy with how my final piece turned out. I have never been much of a photographer, or an artist for that matter, and I thought my concept was creative and different. Also, I feel successful on how I incorporated this dark theme into what I actually created: this fictional graveyard and ghost. The changes that I would have made or considered for next time involve the flowers and their path. It draws too much attention, in my opinion, and it distracts the viewer. The bright colors take away from the rest of the picture and its dark tones. Something that I would do differently to that is to make them darker, lower their brightness. That should help take away the attention from the bright flowers, however I do enjoy the pop of color they add to the overall image itself.