Erin+Z



To create my final image, there were many things I needed to do to ensure that my three images looked like they were supposed to be together. I started with the “graves” image, which was the picture of the tombstone. I made the image black and white so that when I added color it would pop more. After that, I added the flower picture on top of the graves photo. I lowered the opacity of the picture to allow my first image to be seen through it. I then went on to adding in my last image, which was the skeleton picture. I made it brighter, and that made it fit in more with the lightness of the previous images. Then, I erased everything in the skeleton photo besides the bones, and then used the inverse lasso tool to select everything I didn’t erase, and I put that into my two images I already had combined. After that, I lowered the opacity of the bones to allow the other two photos to be seen under it. My three images were all together at that point, so I was able to make adjustments to the picture as a whole after that. I made the overall image brighter, and highered the contrast so that the colors stuck out more, and the darkness was darker. Finally, I adjusted the levels to 1.00 because as I was playing with it I felt that it made my final picture look better. While creating my Texture Combine Three, I played around with many of the tools in photoshop to eventually get the look I was hoping for.

In my final image, the compositional technique that is that most visible would be how I filled the frame. There isn’t any area on the photo that has more weight than another, and there also isn’t any blank space. Everything that is in the picture is vital to the image, and nothing is unnecessary. Also, nothing in the background is making my final image chaotic. Overall, filling the frame is the most visible compositional technique in my final piece.

The texture that I emphasized was the texture that came from the tombstone. Before actually taking the picture of this stone, I noticed how you could really see a lot of different minerals and rocks in it; it looked as if it was grainy. By adding the colored flowers and the skeleton on top of this, it allowed the texture to be seen in different ways. When the light and dark pink of the flowers were on the tomb, you could see the individual “grains” of it more. While in contrast to that, when the lighter gray colors were on the stone you couldn’t see the texture of it as well unless you look closely. In this piece, I wanted the one type of texture to be seen in various ways, and I feel like that was accomplished. Not only was texture emphasized in this piece, but I also think balance and unity were shown. The image is not perfectly symmetrical, but it is balanced for the reason that there isn’t just one corner of the picture with all the texture and interesting points in it. Also, unity was shown because all three of the images go together well. They all follow the same type of “theme” which always them to all be unified. Overall, the texture that I emphasized in this piece came from the tombstone, but there were also points of balance and unity.

The concept of my piece was bringing color and life to the grave even though the person buried underneath is no longer alive. Since it is the month of October, and Halloween is arriving I thought it would be cool to do something in that general theme. I knew I wanted to do this once we got the prompt for this project, so I tried to take pictures that I thought could go along with it. There is a grave in the way background that is black and white, but then vibrant pink flowers are shining through it, which brought in the color. The skeleton was placed in the image to show that there is indeed a dead person, but there can still be color and life. My concept had to do with not only color and life but also Halloween, and I think I accomplished this pretty well.

For this being the first project in Digital Photography, I think I was successful overall. I like the final look of my image because it has a concept, and it shows that there were originally three images, but now they all go along together. I liked how I lowered the opacity on the images so that another one could shine through. Although I like how I did this, if I were to do it again I would have done more actual photoshopping. I would have done more things like I did with the skeleton: removing parts of an image and keeping others. Also, I would have incorporated actual people, because I think that would allow for a really cool final image and concept. I’m proud of what I have accomplished in this image, but there would definitely be things I would change if I were to do it again.