Here’s a fun little project that combines the basics of Photography and Photoshop. For those of you who don’t know the trick, the image is actually made up of a series of images and then combined together in Photoshop.
The photography goals for this project are: shooting consistent exposures in Manual mode, learning how to use the timer function on the camera, and getting comfortable using a tripod.
In Photoshop we’re going to learn about layers and layer masks and blending images together.
Photography Technical Considerations:
From a technical standpoint, this is a very simple technique. We simply need to shoot a variety a shots with the camera remaining in the exact same spot for each shot (if it isn’t, the editing in Photoshop will be difficult). The only other things we have to remember is to switch both our creative shooting mode and focusing to manual. The manual creative mode will ensure that each of our exposures are exactly the same from shot to shot. This is significantly aid us in the blending process. Switching our lenses to manual will ensure that our focusing is at the exact same depth from shot to shot. Remember, when the lens in on autofocusing, every time you half press the shutter the camera is trying to determine the focusing for you. This could result in slight variations from shot to shot (depending on how you move your subject around the scene).
Suggested settings/how-to:
The photography goals for this project are: shooting consistent exposures in Manual mode, learning how to use the timer function on the camera, and getting comfortable using a tripod.
In Photoshop we’re going to learn about layers and layer masks and blending images together.
Photography Technical Considerations:
From a technical standpoint, this is a very simple technique. We simply need to shoot a variety a shots with the camera remaining in the exact same spot for each shot (if it isn’t, the editing in Photoshop will be difficult). The only other things we have to remember is to switch both our creative shooting mode and focusing to manual. The manual creative mode will ensure that each of our exposures are exactly the same from shot to shot. This is significantly aid us in the blending process. Switching our lenses to manual will ensure that our focusing is at the exact same depth from shot to shot. Remember, when the lens in on autofocusing, every time you half press the shutter the camera is trying to determine the focusing for you. This could result in slight variations from shot to shot (depending on how you move your subject around the scene).
Suggested settings/how-to:
- Manual creative mode
- Manual focus
- medium – small aperture. Depending on the distances between your subjects, a relatively deep depth of field will be required. I would not recommend shooting at an aperture larger than f/8. Generally speaking, f/16 is typically best for this assignment.
- If you are using a small aperture, remember to focus about 1/3 of the way into your scene.
- IMPORTANT: determine your exposure and focus. Once it is set, don’t change it again. This will give us the consistency from shot to shot that we will need in the blending process.
- Students will create and shoot two collages.
- Make sure you follow the principles of shooting correct collages from the suggestions above.
- Use a camera and tripod. Shoot a series of five or more photos for each collage.
- Upload the images to a new folder titled, “Collages”.
- Watch the video below and create your collages by blending the images together.
- Upload your web-ready collages to your weebly.
- Should have at least 5 duplicated objects.