Digital Photography (WK4) - Design Blog

Hey y'all! It's time for the final design blog post of this course, so I'll try to keep it short and sweet. 

This week’s black and white photography assignment was by far my favorite. I've always loved black and white photography, but now that I can combine that love with the knowledge I've learned this month, I feel like it was easier to fall into the subject when I was presented an opportunity. As I said in my black and white photography submission, our Uromastyx, Pikachu, decided that he wanted to be included while I was walking around trying to decide what to shoot...or maybe he just wanted to fight the camera, it's still undetermined. What I love about black and white photography is that without color, I couldn’t rely on bright tones or warm lighting to make an image interesting (which was difficult in this case, because Pikachu has a bright yellow underbelly and it would've photographed so well in color!). It all came down to texture, form, and contrast.

I noticed how the shadows defined the form, and how small changes in lighting can shift the whole mood. Some photos felt dramatic and moody, while others felt soft and quiet, all depending on how the light was moved and the shadows fell. I probably wouldn't have thought to use Pikachu as a subject if he wasn't so interested in what I was doing, but once I started I immediately noticed the way the light caught his scales and the shadows cast by his little dragon tail. I've always liked working with shadows and contrast, I could just never really get it *just right*, and while I still have a long way to go, I think I've learned a lot and I'm excited to apply this knowledge in the future!


I included the photos I submitted for the Black and White Photography assignment to give a reference point for some of the things mentioned in this blog! 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Social Media and Digital Marketing (WK1) - SMART Goals (Vans)

Image
*Please click the image to enlarge for clear viewing* I know, I know...I went over the top when completing this assignment. I've finished quite a few SWOT analyses and SMART goals (before The Art Institute closed, I took an E-Commerce and Social Media Marketing course, as well as doing these for my own business); therefore, I am intimately familiar with this process. I have a preference for coordinating branding when it comes to assignments like this, so naturally, I applied that to my SMART goals to match my SWOT analysis.   
Read more

Graphic Design Theory: Project 1

Image
Hello again! Long time, no speak (haha).  This week, we were tasked with creating a 3.5" x 2" business card in Adobe Photoshop, being mindful of our use of color, whitespace, typeface, and C.R.A.P. (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity).  I have some experience with Photoshop, and this still proved to be a challenging assignment - I couldn't stop picturing the business cards I had previously made, which go against many of the rules we were taught this week. I really wanted to start from scratch and learn the proper process, versus just editing an old design!  I spent a solid 30 minutes getting reacquainted with the program before creating this. There was a lot of trial and error (mostly error) before I decided this was the route I wanted to take. I used my small business as a guideline, as it gave me a jumping-off point for the color palette.  My business colors are black, purple, and silver/white, and I have a tendency to use imagery that reflects th...
Read more

Digital Illustration (WK2) - Project 3 "Identity Package"

Image
For this assignment, we were asked to create an identity package using our own subject and original artwork. I chose to redesign my business identity and go with a more "metal-inspired" approach.  For the updated logo, I created a font by drawing it by hand first. I knew I wanted it to look vampiric, but also take inspiration from band merchandise that I've seen over the years.  I was able to get more comfortable with the freeform gradient tool, which is what I used for the letters in the new logo.  I also used the gradient mesh tool for the moon, which I believe helped to give it some dimension. I learned a lot about this tool while doing this project, and I'm excited to use it more in the future!    For the second part of the project, I needed to create stationery using the new logo. I liked the idea of putting a trim at the bottom (demonstrated in the textbook), so I drew the heart chain on paper first and then traced it in Illustrator (I'm not a very skilled...
Read more