The Blog of an Alevel Photography Student Part 97!

The Blog of an Alevel Photography Student Part 97!

Physically finished MY A2 PHOTOGRAPHY YAY! Though technically i just have to hand in my last essay thursday and I'm all signed off.... then its the wait for the results.

For my final pieces of my exam work I chose to create a collection of photographs, which to me portrayed different types of reading and what effect people get when they read. I did this through manipulation of eight photographs on the software Adobe Photoshop CS5 within my fifteen hours of exam time.

Photograph 1: Letters



This photograph I decided to edit the tones of to make the colours seem warm and friendlier rather than just white paper. I chose to portray letters as a form of reading as it is one of the most common things we all read in our life time whether it be letters from loved ones or letters to do with business we all read them.

I used the saturation tool on Adobe Photoshop I warmed up the warm tones and then preceded to sharpen up the text making it clear and much more of a focus point for the audience.


Photograph 2: In a world of her own



For this photograph I was trying to show my interpretation that the words come alive and into the readers imagination. I wanted to show a surrealistic view of what we might not see when a person reads a book, the unseen of what is being processed in their brain.

To Create this is used Adobe Photoshop CS5, I started off by using a warm tone filter over the top of the photograph to bring out the warm copper/orange tones in the book, skin and her hair. I next proceeded to make the book the centre focus by applying a light source to make it seem light was pouring out the book giving the surrealistic feel to the photograph. After that I started adding the letters to make them seem as if they where falling out the book making the viewer understand that they where floating towards the reader and the reader was putting them together to form a story in their mind.

Photograph 3: Pop Up Book


This photograph was inspired by artist research into pop up books. I created this photograph using 6 different photographs with elements from each. My idea was to show a simple road that once you open a fiction book you are taken on a journey following the story visually in your mind by reading the words.
To create this photograph I started by taking 6 photographs of – Sky, Wood, Book, Path, Grass and a Street Lamp. I then created my 3000x3000 canvas and imported my sky background and wood. After that I inserted my book, before using the quick selection took and removing the middle of the book using layers to separate each photo. I then inserted the grass below the layer of the book where I had cut the hole out. I then cut out the path and placed this above the grass layer but below the book layer. I then used the warp tool to make the path blend in the shape of the book, before using the paintbrush to paint grass over the path. On the grass layer I proceeded to burn down where the spin layer of the book would be to give it dimension. After that I placed a warm tone over all layers, before cutting out my street lamp and inserting into my work. My next target was the make the street lamp the focus of the photograph to show the reader the path to do this I used the lighting effects to make focal light point of the photograph with the rest slightly darker to make it seem as if the street lamp was lighting the photograph.

Photograph 4: Navigation



This photograph I wanted to portray what a lot of us these days do not necessarily use anymore…Maps. The reason I placed this map on a grass because I wanted to relate the fact maps are used to show roads and rivers and he earths landscape. I chose however to make the photograph black and white and only allow certain colour to make sure viewer understood that the maps detail was the focal point.

I used Adobe Photoshop CS5 to manipulate the colours, I placed black and white layer mask on the photograph, I then proceeded to draw on the layer mask with black to allow the points of colour I wanted through in this case it was the lines on the maps and the points of interest on the maps, but also too the water droplets on the grass to connect the two together.

Photograph 5: A Musical Reading


This photograph I barely touched editing wise, I feel this is because I doesn’t need any manipulation to show my portrayal of reading within it. It shows how the instrument needs a certain person to be able to read the sheet music. Reading sheet music is unique skill, which only certain people posses that therefore makes it a unique reading.
To edit this photograph I simply darkened the contrast slightly and then make a few of the music notes sharper to make the photograph’s focus more clearly.

Photograph 6: Instructions


Reading Instructions…. This is something not many of us do; however some of us do. I do when I get a new camera. Ironically I had my film camera instructions lying around and looking through I noticed most of it diagrams rather than words like we expect to read. We don’t always have to read words for it to be classed as reading, and this is what I was trying to portray in this photograph. I placed small camera key ring along the top line of the boxed diagram using the rule of thirds to make the viewers eyes follow the lines along the diagram to the little camera and also the main camera diagram too.
To capture this photograph I used a macro filter on top of my 18-70mm lens. I then imported this photograph into Adobe Photoshop CS5 to darken the contrast and burn in the diagrams outlines especially the green and red lines to draw the attention to them, as red is one of the first colours the viewer sees when viewing a photograph.

Photograph 7: Her Reading


This is my favourite photograph out of my eight because it was a portrayal of what I imagine I would look like if I where to sit reading. The innocents to her look surrounded by soft comforts of toys and the warm colours. To me this is the beginning portrait of reading. It is simple yet effective and makes the viewer question who and what she is reading.
To edit this photograph I used Adobe Photoshop CS5, there was not much manipulation to this photograph I simply once again used a warming filter over the photograph, however I did add lenses flair to the book to make it seem as if the book was glowing. To give it a little bit of that fair tale twist, making the imagine come alive. Making it unique rather than just another generic reading photograph like one of artist I researched said.

Photograph 8: The Mystery




My final photograph really comes from the inspiration of reading being soft, passionate but unique hobby, this photograph I feel portrays the softness with the pink petals and flowers, but shows the passion through the floating letters. But the enigma code for the viewer to solve is where are the letters floating too? Who’s reading the book and where is it in a field with flowers ECT?
To capture this photograph I once again used my macro filters to capture the detail of the petals and book. I then imported the photograph into Adobe Photoshop CS5, to edit.
In Adobe Photoshop I started by applying smaller letters to the spin of the book before making them progressively bigger as they floated higher, which each letter in a new layer


Anyways blog ill soon!

Tags: Photography Photoshop Student Finish Exam A level