Project 7- Alternative Process Through Digital Means

Daguerreotype:

The daguerreotype was created by Louis Daguerre in 1939.  A daguerreotype is made by treating a sliver-coated copper plate with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing it with a camera, then finally developing it with mercury vapor.  The result of this process is a highly detailed, bold, silver colored photograph.

Before:

After:

This is an extremely up close photo of a dried flower.  I wanted to turn this photo into a daguerreotype to put emphasis on the details of the flower.  To edit this photo I brought it into Photoshop, merged a texture layer onto it, added a vignette, added a border, took down the saturation, and used a blending mode that gave it a metallic look.  This is a brief summary of my editing process; I can't remember every step I took to create these photos.  I loved creating these photos, and stopped the editing process when I felt satisfied with the results.    

Cyanotype:

The cyanotype was created by John Herschel in 1842.  A cyanotype is made by mixing Potassium ferricyanide and Ferric ammonium citrate (green) in water, the blending them together.  Next, the solution is poured onto a card, piece of paper, or textile and dried in the dark.  Next, the objects or negatives are placed on the material and printed using a UV light.  After it is exposed to light, the material is processed by rinsing it under water.   

Before:

After:

I love cyanotypes of plants, I so decided to use a photograph of cherry blossoms.  I brought it into Photoshop, cropped it into a square, then added a navy blue tint.  Next, I used a brush around the corners to complement the blues and give it an organic look.  

Wet Plate Collodion:
Fredrick Scot introduced the wet plate collodion in 1851.  To make a wet plate collodion, pour collodion on a tin plate, place it into a silver nitrate bath with the light off for about three minutes, expose it with a camera, then finally cover the plate with developer and rock it back and forth until the image appears.

Before:

After:

This is my favorite photograph from this assignment.  I love wet plate collodian portraits, so I took this portrait of my little sister.  I don't remember the whole editing process, but these are the main things I did- I brought it into Photoshop where I made it black and white and slightly took up the contrast.  Next, I increased the intensity of the blues to make my sister's eyes stand out.  After these small tweaks, I blended two different types of textures onto this photo, merged the layers, duplicated the layer, then blended the same two textures onto the photo again.  Next, I used a blending mode that gave his photo an intense, metallic look.

Gum Bichromate:
To create a Gum Bichromate, apply a mix of water color, gum arabic and ommonium potassium dichromate sensitizer onto paper.  After the emulsion is dried, put a UV light directly on it.  Finally, float the print on water to develop it.  This process can be done about three to sixteen times.   

Before:

After:

This is another photo of a dried flower... close up nature photos and portraits are interesting subjects for this assignment.  I brought this photo into Photoshop where I cropped it into a square, made it into a cyanotype, added a border and added a watercolor paper background.  Next, I used a brush to add splotches of different colors such as yellow, pink, purple, blue, green and red to the photo.  These edits make this photo look like a colorful, abstract painting. 

Project 6: Multiple Image Techniques

For project six, I learned how to combine layers in Photoshop to create multiple exposures, panoramas, and HDRs.  My favorite edits are the multiple exposure images, as I could be very creative with them.  I expanded my knowledge of Photoshop, and I'm satisfied with the final results. 

Multiple Exposure

For this image, I took multiple shots of the full moon, all of which are in the center, but each one slightly positioned to the left more.  The I brought them into Photoshop and blended the layers.  The line of moons gives this photo an out of this world kind of mood. 

I took multiple free lensing shots of this cherry tree, which let in light leaks and created bokehlicious images.  I gave the purples a slight hue and very slightly brought up the contrast. The warm colors, blended images, bokeh and light leaks creates a dreamy and inviting mood.   

This multiple exposure consists of two images- one normal shot and one free lensing shot.  I took this photo by a window where the light was soft and smooth.  I blended the two images, made it black and white, added a vignette and made a few more small tweaks. 

For the image above, I took a shot of Portland from a dock and a shot of a cherry tree near by.  I rotated the picture of the buildings sideways then blended the two pictures together.  I slightly took down the contrast and made it black and white, which draws attention to the subjects rather than the colors.   

This multiple exposure consists of three images.  I took a picture of the view of Portland from a dock, a picture of the moon, and a picture if a dusty window.  I added the picture of the dusty window to give it a grainy, dark look.  I added the picture of the moon to make the photo more compelling; the moon looks massive when next to the buildings.  Then I merged the layers in Photoshop and brought it into Lightroom where I made it black and white and brought up the blacks and contrast, which creates a dark and spooky mood.   

Panorama

I am surprised how well this photograph turned out... I ran up to the top of a parking garage in rainy conditions and only had a couple minutes to set up my tripod and snap the photos.  I merged the photos into a Panorama in Photoshop, then used the warp tool to crop out the white edges.  This panorama is not perfect, and that's what makes it unique.  The distorted edges make the photo more dynamic.  I saved it in Photoshop, then brought it into Lightroom where I brought up the contrast, slightly brought up the blacks and added a graduated filter to darken a part of the picture that was overexposed.   

I took this picture on the Hawthorne bridge, capturing the beautiful vista.  I added a part of the bridge with a person walking on it to add an interesting element to the photo.  After I saved it in Photoshop, I brought it into Lightroom where I added a graduated filter on the sky and river to make them less bright.  Finally, I slightly brought up the contrast and added a subtle vignette. 

HDR

This photo is inspired by Nejdet Duzen's HDR of a boat (the picture is on the side bar of this blog).  I took down the saturation, brought up the details and contrast, and added a deep vignette.  These edits give this photo a grungy, dark and intense mood.   

 I decided to make the HDR above crazy by making edits I normally wouldn't make.  After merging them into an HDR in Photoshop, I took up the saturation, details, and contrast.  These edits give this HDR a lot of color, almost to the point where you can't look at it anymore! 

Semester Final

Project 5

Project 4 pt. 2- Kaleidoscopes

For the second part of project 4, I learned how to create kaleidoscopes.  Kaleidoscopes are super fun to make, and made me look at photos in a whole new way.  I took ordinary photos and made them epic.  It was challenging to learn this editing process, but the results were worth it.  These are the final hand picked kaleidoscopes.  Enjoy.     

Candy Land

The vibrant, creamy, and complementing colors remind me of a lolly pop.  I love the perfect symmetry and various shapes made in this kaleidoscope.  This photo draws me in, and if I look at it long enough I want to eat it, which led me to name it "Candy Land."

Stars

This photo is a perfect example of an ordinary photo made into an awesome kaleidoscope.  The original photo is an up close picture of a door.  After it was edited and made into a kaleidoscope it turned into a beautifully abstract photo.  The diamond shaped stars in the night sky inspired me to make this kaleidoscope.

    

Aliens

When I look at this photo two words come to my mind: aliens and space.  I love all the lines, fluorescent colors and quirky qualities to this photo.  I picture my self floating in space looking at all the galaxies, planets, and black holes.  I brought up the contrast, brought up the blacks, and added a hue to the colors to make them look fluorescent. 

Project 4 Pt. 1: Balance and Contrast

For the first part of project four, I shot photos around Portland that show strong contrast in scale, color, and texture.  I also shot photos that show symmetrical balance as well as radial balance.  Then I edited the strongest photos, and made some of them into diptychs and triptychs.  Shooting through the lens of balance and contrast farther expanded my photography knowledge and spiced up my work.  Below are the carefully piked final edits.  Enjoy. 

Symmetrical balance 

This photo reminds of huge gates leading to a tall castle, and if you were to look up to the castle it would appear as if it were touching the sky. Two tall walls lead the eye to the building, which provides an even balance of symmetry to both sides of the photo.  I added a graduated filter and took down the exposure so the photo would fade from dark to light.  Finally, I took up the saturation of the blue windows to provide a contrast to the lowly saturated elements.       

Radial balance

When I first look at this photo, my eyes are immediately drawn to the center of this succulent, named "Hens and Chicks."  The spiny edges gradually get smaller and lead to the center.  I completely took down the saturation, enhanced the blacks and added a subtle vignette, which makes this photograph very powerful and dramatic.  Once I look at this photo I can't stop staring at it, it draws me in like an intense whirlpool.      

Contrast in scale

I was walking downtown on a fine day, when this evergreen caught my eye.  It was just a single tree up on a high rise, oh the contrast!  I whipped out my camera and captured this valuable moment.  I took down the saturation, brought up the contrast to enhance to the whites against the blacks, and topped it off with a vignette.  It's fun to use your imagination with this photo, it almost looks like the tree is growing out of a crack on the side of the building.            

Contrast in color

I picture myself walking through a modern art gallery, when I come across a simple, but intriguing painting.  The vibrant green against the smooth diluted orange juice without pulp (yes, it's a color) offers a pleasant contrast.  This photo makes me want to make some Indonesian Sumatra coffee and take a stroll through a garden.  If I could describe this photo in one word it would be morning.  That will be it's title in an art museum.        

Contrast in texture, diptych

When I look at this picture, I start to day dream of a serene river in the Amazon.  I'm drifting through the river as sand and water seeps through my toes.  A cool mist hangs in the sky, but it starts to lift as the sun comes out, revealing tropical plants and toucans waking from there slumber.

In other words, the variety of textures bring out the whimsical qualities of this photo.  I like both the edit with color and the desaturated one, so I made them into a diptych.  I was pleasantly surprised by the result, the combination of the two edits go well together and even resemble a river.        

  

Contrast- human vs. cat, diptych

Past bedtime shenanigans with the human and the cat.  Cats are serious, petite animals, while humans are playful, social animals.  However, both the cat and human try new things.  The human tries relaxing on the sofa, but quickly becomes tired of staying still, and the cat tries coffee, but is quickly picked up by the human.  The quirky qualities of this photo bring out a unique contrast.  The black and white color gives this photo a feeling of home, comfort, fun, and joy.             

Contrast in texture, triptych

At first glance of this photo, my eyeballs start going everywhere.  My eyes want to focus on the lines, smooth surfaces, and circles all at once.  I picture myself in Rome walking on ancient ruins.  The silver gray brings out the magnificent variety of textures.  The lines go on forever, and I keep chasing them until I'm out of breath.  Everything is the same color except for the forest green moss, which adds a dash of salt to the photo.

~John Langford Photography       

Project 4 Inspiration

Contrast in scale:

Gilbert Garcin

Contrast in color:

Found on Pinterest, unknown photographer

Radial balance:

Found on "Architecture Photos" blog,
unknown photographer

Contrast in texture:

Flickr photographer "ocalf-53"

 Contrast in value: 

Szabolcs J. Csörge

Symmetrical balance:

Lynn Langmade