LO4 Final Edits with Evaluation

Before I begin talking about my edited photographs, here are some key editing terms:

Cropping and scaling: Cropping an image is when you cut parts out of it in order to be left with only a section of it that you want. Scaling is when you edit the ppi (pixels per inch) number, so that a printer knows what size to print the photo.

Layers: These are an element of Photoshop which allow you to manipulate different parts of an image, without affecting the rest of it. For example, you might want to put some trees in an image into a separate layer - then you could change their colour slightly without at all changing the colour of anything else in the image.

Green screen: A green screen is a plain green background that a subject can be photographed against, in order to be able to easily swap the background out for one of your choice during editing.

Text and image: Text and image is when a photograph contains words, whether they are taken in naturally in a situation or added in during editing. When this technique is used right, photographs can have very deep meanings and extra dimensions.

I have not used a green screen or a "text and image" effect for my portfolio, because I feel they don't quite fit with my theme of "Identity of the Peak District". Green screens would typically be used when a model is present - I didn't use any models - while "text and image" is more commonly seen in city-like photos. I just wanted my photographs to convey the beauty of the Peak District and the countryside as a whole.

Planning my Editing

Now that I have my final ten unedited photographs, I am going to begin editing them for the gallery we will have in the UTC foyer at the end of the year. I am going to use Adobe Photoshop to enhance aspects of my photos which I think will best bring out the meaning in them. This might be colour, saturation, hue, or contrast (or any other element of a photograph). Hopefully my editing makes my pictures look really great and have a stronger meaning than they already have.

The first bit of editing I did was using the "enhance" feature of iPhoto on all 10 of my final LO3 shots. This is an automatic feature which tries to make the photos look the best that they can do (to a natural extent). Following this, I put the shots into Photoshop to do some further editing (except for one or two which I thought looked perfect after enhancing).  Below are the final edited images, with evaluation under each one. There is also an overall evaluation at the end.

Final Photoshop Edited Photographs

LANDSLIP

• This image has been edited a fair bit. I feel that I have really made the photo more exciting by making the road more blue and brightening up the green of the grass. It still looks natural, but the editing that has been done makes the photograph more interesting for the viewer.
• To make the road more blue, I selected the "colour range" of the road in Photoshop and added a blue colour overlay. What I did with the grass was similar - I selected its "colour range" and added a brighter green for a colour overlay.
• I decided to edit the photo in this way because the meaning was already there before - it just needed to be brightened up so it looked more interesting, enabling the viewer to appreciate the meaning.
• I think the texture of the broken road has been enhanced thanks to the editing - it makes the road a bit easier to see in detail.

Here are the steps I took to edit this photo:

I wanted to select the "colour range" of the road (the final option in the list).

I adjusted the "fuzziness" so that the correct areas of the photo were selected.

I then added a blue colour overlay to the selected area of the road, to brighten it up.

Finally, I used the hue/saturation tool to add the finishing touches to the photo.

COUNTRY ROAD

• The only piece of editing I did on this photograph was to replace the white and washed-out sky with a high-definition image of a cloudy sky from the Internet. This gave the photo all of the dimensions it needed and made it complete.
• To do this edit, I selected the "colour range" of the white sky, and then removed it from the photo (making the sky section temporarily transparent). I then simply slotted in the new image of a cloudy sky and positioned it correctly. I also had to remove a tree from the skyline, as the white sections between the branches weren't properly detected and remained transparent - this was obviously a problem and it was too difficult to correct.
• I decided to edit the photo in this way because the white sky was the only thing clearly wrong with it. Now that a sky has been added, the photo is complete, and the meaning has been emphasised. Now the viewer isn't distracted by the lack of a proper sky, and can take in the towering slopes of Winnats Pass against the road.
• This edit is a hybrid design, in a way, because it has been layered with the photo of a cloudy sky, which wasn't a part of the original image. Despite this, it does still look natural.
• I think the leading line element was enhanced thanks to the edit, as the road is now the same colour as the sky and it makes everything in the image work together.

BERRIES

• This photograph has undergone a simple but fairly time-consuming edit. I made only the central branch, with the berries on, stand out in colour, while making the rest of the photo monochrome. This edit enhances the photograph by guiding the viewer to the focal point. The green and red also go nicely with the monochrome colour.
• In Photoshop, I used the pen tool to go around the edge of the branch with the berries on it, making this area a new layer so that Photoshop would know what to keep in colour. I then selected the rest of the area which hadn't been selected and added a black colour overlay (making it monochrome).
• I decided to edit the photograph like this because I wanted to make the central branch and berries stand out as the central focal point. By making only this part of the image in colour and the rest of it monochrome, the viewer's attention is brought right to the intended focal point. This enhances the meaning of even the smallest things having beauty in the Peak District as the berries are focused on immediately.
• The "central focal point" technique was enhanced thanks to this edit, as the monochrome brings the viewer's attention to the centre.

BRANCHING OUT

• This photo hasn't undergone too much of an edit - I just touched it up a little bit so that it looked better. I basically brightened it up a bit and added a slight orange hue, to make the image feel warmer. This has enhanced the photo because it feels better to look at, and less cold.
• In Photoshop, I added an orange colour overlay to the whole image with a 4% opacity level, and I followed this by using the "lighting effects" option to make the image a bit brighter. The edit on this photo was just the finishing touches.
• The meaning of nature's connectedness and harmony was already there in the photograph before the edit - I just made the image nicer on the eye. This does enhance the meaning in a way because it makes the viewer enjoy and appreciate the photo more when they look at it.
• Obviously, the main technique I used when taking this photo was framing, and this aspect of the photograph can only have been made better thanks to the slight edit.

SHEPHERD

• This image has been edited a fair amount. I made the colours of the trees, water and grass stronger, while still keeping the look natural. This makes the individual parts of the photo stand out more, and this enhances it because it is much more vibrant and interesting to look at.
• In Photoshop, I added a red colour overlay to the trees with 6% opacity, a blue colour overlay to the water with a 12% opacity, and I brightened up the grass using the hue/saturation tool. I had to select the trees, water and grass individually using the pen tool and create new layers for them before I could add the colour overlays, so that the editing would apply only to the sections I wanted.
• I edited this photograph like this because it adds to the beauty of it. I think the blue of the water in particular, after the edit, looks great. The meaning of a sheep being the king of the area, undisturbed by human activity, has been enhanced by the strengthening of colours throughout the image. This is because the land around the sheep looks lush, clean and more beautiful than it did before.
• Composition was one rule of photography I used in this photo - there are four clear layers to the image (grass, water, trees, sky). This has been enhanced thanks to the edit because the layers stand out more individually now and make the whole image much better to look at.

GAZE

• The only editing that this image has undergone is an auto-enhance in iPhoto, using the "enhance" button. This tries to automatically make photographs look as good as they can, and I think it did a good job on this photo. It enhances the image in the way that there is now an emerald-green tint to it, and it looks really fresh and clean.
• The meaning of this photograph is that all around you in the Peak District, there are a lot of wonderful colours and animals. The edit has enhanced this meaning as it has made the landscape a much nicer green than before and the photo really shows the beauty and peacefulness of nature.
• Similar to the "Shepherd" photograph, I feel that the composition rule has been enhanced thanks to the edit. This time, the three layers of grass, water and trees stand out more and look more beautiful than in the original picture.

ROADSIDE

• This image has been edited quite a lot. What I did basically was make the orange colour in the picture really strong and fiery, so the image is much warmer than it was before. This enhances the photo because it stands out much more - it doesn't look washed out at all.
• In Photoshop, I used curves to create this effect. I increased the red curve which tinted the image red, before I decreased the blue curve to make the image feel warmer to look at. The result was a photograph with a really strong colour.
• I chose to edit like this because it enhanced the meaning of the photo, which is that even the messy, thrown-together elements of the Peak District (like this flora at the side of the road) have a beauty. The meaning is enhanced because the warm, fiery colour makes the flora look even better than it did before.
• The "colour" rule of photography has been enhanced here because thanks to the manipulation of curves, the orange of the photo (and green) is brighter and more vibrant than before.

CANOPY

• This is my most heavily edited photo. I changed the blue sky of daytime into a purple, night-time sky and added stars. This enhances the photo because it makes it much more peaceful, while also keeping the detail of the tree branches.
• In Photoshop, I first of all selected the "colour range" of the blue sky and made it purple using a colour overlay. I then used the brush tool to add stars of different sizes, dotting them around the photo. Next, I added a Gaussian blur to all of the stars, making them look more distant and realistic.
• I chose to edit the photo like this because it adds a new dimension of meaning to the photo. Previously, the meaning was just that there are lots of intricate patterns in the Peak District (the tree branches), but now there is also a meaning of peace and tranquility thanks to the night-time sky.
• In a way, I think that the deep depth-of-field technique has been enhanced thanks to the edit, because the newly-added stars make the photo feel like it goes a lot deeper.

CROSSOVER

• Just the finishing touches have been added to this image - it has been through an auto-enhance in iPhoto. For a one-click edit, it has really done a lot to the image, brightening up the green and orange a lot and getting rid of the washed-out look. I felt that no further editing was needed.
• The meaning of even "bad" things such as mould looking fantastic in the Peak District has been enhanced here because the colour of the fungi on the tree has been brought out so that it looks even better.
• Both the "colour" and "texture" techniques have been enhanced with this iPhoto edit because now the colours stand out more and are strengthened. This, in turn, makes the viewer's imagination of texture more vivid and lifelike.

REFLECT

• Like, the photo above, the only editing that "Reflect" has undergone is an auto-enhance in iPhoto. The edit brightened the colours in the sunset, while also making the surrounding trees and hill not so dark - they were barely visible before.
• I chose to edit the photo like this because I didn't feel that much needed doing to it - it was a relaxing shot of a sunset which didn't need changing wildly. The iPhoto enhancement just brightened the surroundings and sunset, which only strengthens the meaning of peacefulness and relaxation.
• The "colour" rule of photograph has been enhanced as the edit has brought the colours of the sunset out. Also, the general composition of the photo has been enhanced because all of it has been brightened up.

General Evaluation

I selected these ten images for editing because I feel that they carry the most meaning for a viewer. I also feel that they contain some fascinating sights and use most of the different photographic techniques - this means that there is a lot of variety, keeping the viewer interested. I think that now they have been edited, the meaning has further brought out, as explained above.

I think that my photos did fit the brief before, but now that they are edited they fit it even better. I think they are now the best they can be, in terms of meaning, colours and beauty. I think the editing affected the lighting of the photos in the way that they are generally much brighter and interesting - the shots are definitely now fit for purpose.

Bibliography:

http://www.gameinonlinefree.net/out/956702.html - this is where the cloudy sky in the "Country Road" edit came from.
http://systematicsinc.com/wheres-all-the-art-at-the-louvre/ - this is where I got my gallery wall template from.

LO3 Final Unedited Shots with Evaluation

Below are ten of the best shots that I took (words in bold are potential names).
Underneath each shot, there is an evaluation of it. There is also an overall evaluation of the shots at the end.

Landslip - 22/11/15

• This photograph is of the broken road at the bottom of Mam Tor, caused by landslip. 
• I think that the detail and texture in this photograph works well.
• This photograph would be better if the colours were deeper and brighter, because the way it is, the lighting is slightly dull. Therefore, if I were to take the shot again, I would try to let more light in and bring out the colours more.
• The location in this photograph creates meaning in the way that it is a fascinating natural phenomenon - it shows that there are lots of amazing sights in the Peak District. To capture this, I just tried to get as many of the road breaks and layers in the shot as possible, while getting the isolated section as a focal point.
• This photograph is mainly composed of the broken road, with a bit of grass around the edges to add colour. I used natural lighting, a fast shutter-speed so that everything was sharp and a deep depth-of-field so that nothing was blurred.

Country Road - 22/11/15

• This photograph shows the road of Winnats Pass in the form of a leading line.
• I think the tall, green slopes either side of the photo and the curve in the road at the end are good aspects of this photograph.
• This photograph would be better if the sky wasn't so white and washed-out, as this makes the photo lose a dimension. If I took the photo again, I would make sure I captured the sky better by decreasing the amount of light let in.
• The meaning I tried to create in this photo is that there is so much green and so many great natural things to see (such as Winnats Pass) wherever you might go or drive in the Peak District. I used the leading line of the road to show that it is ready and waiting for anyone to enjoy. I also used rule of thirds for the two towering slopes on either side of the road, showing that you are surrounded by great sights wherever you go.
• For this photograph I used natural light, a fast shutter speed to keep everything sharp and a deep depth-of-field so that everything in the foreground and background was in focus. It is composed of only the road, Winnats Pass and the sky, in three layers, to keep it simple.

Berries - 22/11/15

• This photograph shows some berries on a tree in Buxton - the macro effect is used.
• I think that the detail of the branches and the berries given by the macro effect works really well in this photograph.
• If I were to take this photograph again, I would make sure that the berries were 100% in focus, because they are ever-so-slightly blurred in this photo. But this is only a minor imperfection.
• The meaning I tried to create in this photo is that even the smallest things seen all over the place in the Peak District (such as berries) have a beauty to them when examined. The macro effect highlights this.
• I used natural light for this photograph, as well as the macro function to capture detail. I also decided to use a shallow depth-of-field so that the viewer focuses on the foreground and the berries. In terms of composition, the shot is solely composed of branches and berries as the macro effect can only be used for close-ups.

Branching Out - 22/11/15

• This photograph shows three sheep, framed by a triangle of tree branches.
• What I think works well in this photo is how the viewer's attention is brought to the central focal point of the three sheep, through the use of the perfect triangle of tree branches and the deep depth-of-field.
• If I were to take this photograph again, I would want to brighten it up a bit by letting more light in. The way it is, I think it looks a bit too dark.
• In this photograph I tried to create the meaning of everything in nature and the Peak District being in harmony. The triangle frame of the tree branches gives the meaning that everything is connected in some way and works perfectly together.
• I used natural lighting here, as well as a low aperture in order to blur the branches in the foreground. This makes sure that the attention of the viewer is brought to the right thing (the sheep). For composition, I used three sheep and a triangle of branches (three sides) in the foreground and then a section of reservoir in the background to show the diversity of colours and settings in the Peak District.

Shepherd - 22/11/15

• This photograph shows a sheep on its own eating grass, in front of a reservoir and towering woodland.
• What I like about this photograph is how the sheep is so surrounded by the tranquil layers of water and trees there are going up the photo. It seems as if the sheep is the owner of the land.
• If I could improve this photo I would try to distinguish the colours more, because in reality the trees are a brighter red and the water is a deeper blue. But I still think meaning is conveyed really well.
• I placed the sheep at the bottom of the photo with everything else rising up behind it to give the meaning that the sheep is the king of the area, with no human activity to disturb it. I tried to show that the Peak District is a very natural and peaceful place.
• The lighting in this photograph is natural, and I used a fast shutter-speed with a deep depth-of-field to give crisp detail from foreground to background.

Gaze - 22/11/15

• This photograph shows a sheep looking over its shoulder at Goyt Reservoir and the little building on its shore.
• What I like about this photograph is how the sheep (one focal point) directs the viewer’s gaze onto the other focal point, the reservoir building. I also like how the rule of thirds clearly highlights these focal points, while the reservoir separates them.
• I struggle to think of how this photo could be made better. Maybe the colours could be richer, but on the whole I think I captured it how I wanted it.
• The meaning in this photograph is generally just that the Peak District is a really beautiful and peaceful place, full of different colours and wildlife. Even the sheep in the photograph seems to be appreciating this!
• This photograph is composed of a clear foreground (the sheep and grass), middle ground (the reservoir and building) and background (the trees). This adds interest. In addition, I used natural light, a fast shutter speed and a deep depth-of-field.

Roadside - 22/11/15

• In this photograph, a close-up of autumn leaves and grass on the ground is seen.
• What I think works well in this photograph is the bright and vibrant colours seen all over it. It looks a lot more abstract and colourful than my other chosen photos.
• I wouldn’t really want to try to take this photograph any differently. It contains lots of bright colours and nothing really needs improving.
• The meaning I tried to convey with this photograph is simply that the Peak District contains lots of different, vibrant colours within its fauna. It is hopefully quite beautiful and fascinating to the viewer.
• This photo is quite messy in terms of its composition - there is grass scattered everywhere, on top of many leaves. This hopefully shows that the Peak District is still amazing to look at even in a messy, natural situation by the side of the road. Also, I used the macro feature here to capture the grass and leaves in great detail, while letting in quite a lot of light to bring out the colour.

Below you can see the image in Adobe Bridge. I star-rated it five stars because it is one of my final ten images and I thought it was a great shot.





This is a section of Bridge which shows the camera settings which were used to take this photo.

Canopy - 22/11/15

• This photograph shows the tops of trees against the blue sky, in the Goyt Valley woodland.
• The contrast between the deep black of the trees and the light blue of the sky works well in this photograph.
• A minor improvement that could be made to this photograph would be to have more of the sky in the shot and keep the black of the trees closer to the edges.
• For me, the meaning of this photograph is to show the intricacy and complexity of the nature in the Peak District. Each branch creates its own unique and interesting pattern against the skyline.
• The techniques that I used here were a fast shutter speed and a deep depth-of-field (although the shot doesn’t go too deep) to keep everything in focus. It is taken in natural light.

Crossover - 22/11/15

• This photograph shows green and orange fungi meeting in the middle of a tree trunk.
• I think that the two very bright colours of the fungi work well in this photo, as they cover the whole tree trunk and meet perfectly down the middle.
• I don’t think this photo could be improved much by being taken again - I would like to make the colours even brighter, but this is something that could be done better in Adobe Photoshop rather than on the camera.
• The meaning of the photograph is to show that even “bad” things such as fungi and mould can look fantastic in nature. Everything naturally occurring in the Peak District and the countryside seems to be beautiful, whatever it may be.
• I tried to let a lot of light in here in order to bring out the colours as much as I could. I also used macro to show the detail in the fungi.

Reflect - 22/11/15

• This photograph shows a sunset reflected in Combs reservoir.
• I really like the evening / sunset oranges and blues seen in the sky in this photograph - I think they work really well, and cover a lot of the photo thanks to the reflection.
• If I were to take this photo again, I would try to brighten up the surroundings more, such as the shore and the hill, to add some green into the shot.
• The meaning I tried to convey in this photograph is that the Peak District can be a very calming and reflective place (hence the title). It can feel very peaceful and its beauty can help you to relax.
• This photo is composed of half water, half sky. I didn’t let in too much light so that the sky could be captured in detail - however, this meant that the land and surroundings were a little dark. I also used a deep depth-of-field to keep everything in focus.

Below you can see the image in Adobe Bridge. I rated it five stars because it was one of the best shots I took - hence why it makes my final ten unedited shots.

This screenshot shows the camera settings that were used when I took this shot.



General Evaluation

All of my photos fit the brief of “Identity of the Peak District” because they all show unique sights which can only be found in the countryside. The shots which I feel fit the brief particularly well are “Landslip” and “Country Road” because the beauty of these shots relies on locations which are only in the Peak District - Mam Tor and Winnats Pass.

I worked mainly in the style of Charlie Waite when taking my photographs, as he is a landscape photographer who takes his photos in the countryside. In particular, I took inspiration from his photos for “Country Road”, “Branching Out”, and “Gaze” - I tried to imitate his use of leading lines, rule of thirds, framing, centre of interest and above-eye viewpoint in these shots. I think I did quite a good job of using these techniques - I did what I could in the Peak District to try to make them compare to Charlie Waite’s photos, which are taken all over the world.

LO2 Feedback Sheets

LO1 Feedback Sheets

LO3 Organising my Photos

This screenshot shows the folders that I have created for LO3. I will place photos in these folders  corresponding to the folders' titles. It is important to create folders like these and to be organised when doing photoshoots because it allows for organised storage, and quick access for editing.