Learning Report

CDME3011 Digital Photography and Image Manipulation

Learning Report

Introduction

The following report will provide detailed background information regarding my experience and learning throughout the module "Digital Photography and Image Manipulation".  My first impression of Digital Photography and Image Manipulation was that it was going to be purely about manipulating images using software. However, the module focuses on the use of digital photographic techniques in postproduction image manipulation meaning that I still would get the opportunity to discover how to use a professional camera and software such as adobe Photoshop to create image.

Lectures and Workshops

To start the module off, we went through several lectures and workshops to build our knowledge and skills, which has prepared us for the Major Assessed Brief. After each lecture or workshop there was always a set task that I had to keep up to date with. However, there were a few sessions I had unfortunate missed, which resulted in falling behind. Majority of these tasks where to do with research, experimenting on Adobe Photoshop or using a professional camera. All these sessions allowed me to explore majority of the possibilities that can be done with a Camera or Adobe Photoshop.

As soon as we got familiar with several aspects of Digital Photography and Image Manipulation the Major Assessed Brief was introduce on the fourth lecture. The advantage of receiving the main project at this point of the module is that I had enough time to investigate and experiment. Since I will be introduced to new information and techniques that’s will inspire me to produce a successful photograph. 

The Major Assessed Brief

Final Shot and Effects

Original Shot

With Effects and Filters

  

  

HRD Tonning, Black and White, Curves and BW, Curves,  Vibrance & Curves

Feedback from Viewers:

Prefer the Original and the first one towards the left. 

More Test Shots

Here are three test shot that I have just merged some are working better than others as you can see. However you can see that they all need a lot of work:

Location for all the shots: Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Test Shot 1

Test Shot 2

Test Shot 3

In the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery I was not allowed to use my tripod which made it difficult to take a good panorama shot manually. Hence why the photographs are not lined up very well. The reason why I want to shoot here is because I find find the architecture very interesting compared to my previous test shots of the German Market in Birmingham and my Back Garden.

Out of all the test shot I have done so far my favorite shot is the second test shot that was taken in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. However I need to go back to the scene and take a better shot as you can see that it is blurry half way down. 

http://www.bmag.org.uk/

Test Shot Panorama

Testing and Experimenting  

Playing with black and white trying to create something similar to Ansel Adams photographs

Second Attempt

First Attempt

Back Garden

Original Photographs for testing and experimenting  

Ways of taking a sucessful Panorama Photographs

Research on how to take a successful panorama 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSoiIG8X0MQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMdvSoQqtP8

http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Learn-And-Explore/Article/gp09aubf/panoramas.html

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-take-landscape-photographs-with-a-nikon-d90.html

History of Panorama

Robert Barker, an Irishman who introduced Panorama etchings and paintings. His goal was to produce "the perfect Illusion of a real scene." The word Panorama comes from a Greek word "pan" (everything) and "horama" (to see, which is seen, the appearance, the view) which means the all around view. 

Robert Barker's panorama painting showed attractive Landscaped, Famous battles, or important cities. This new art form became really popular and inpsired other painters to followed not just only in England but also in Holland, Denmark, USA, France, Switzerland and Germany. For example, Johanna Adam Breysig painted the first known German Panorama in 1800 for a exhibition in Berlin.    

Panorama Painting of London 1792, from the top of the Albion Mills 

Panoramic Paintings of Edinburgh 1792

These painting by Robert Bakers were displayed on a cylindrical surface and it was viewed from the inside, in London in 1792 as "The Panorama" exhibition.

These circular painting were 15 meter high and often 100meters long to give the illusion that the viewer was the fundamental part of the scene. The  panorama exhibition began in 1830 and replaced 3D objects 


This is when Panorama Began

Book:
Mastering Digital Panorama Photography

Websites
http://www.janeausten.co.uk/the-barker-family-panorama-painters/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Barker_(painter)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Aston_Barker
http://facweb.cs.depaul.edu/sgrais/panorama.htm

Panorama Shots & Techniques Used by Photographers

http://sucheepdop.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/photographs-like-these-by-london.html

Certain cameras can make panorama shots nice simple and easy for the photographer and avoid having to use full rotation or segmented panoramic photographs.

To produce images such as the panorama shot above Fred Yake uses different cameras to produce his panoramic shots all around the world. These wide angle photographs perhaps can be possible to produced with a fixed lens or a wide field camera. By using a fixed lens or a wide field it is easier to take photographs with the advantage of a wide frame as there would not be a need to take multiple shots of the scene. 

"My images were taken with a variety of cameras, from standard format with film, panoramic cameras and digital. Panoramic images were taken with Roundshot, X-Pan, Widelux and Noblex cameras." Fred Yake 

http://www.fredyake.com/index.htm 

Wil Pearson is a great example for producing unique perspective that can be made by using fisheye lenses and photo manipulation software.  

http://www.willpearson.co.uk/

Other Techniques that I can try out:

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/06/50-dazzling-examples-of-polar-panorama-photography/

http://dirksphotoblog.wordpress.com/2006/09/06/tutorial-create-your-own-planets/

http://weburbanist.com/2008/10/02/5-epic-panoramic-and-360-degree-photographers-and-photos/