photo collage! help!!

[wildhoney]

hello all,

I'm supposed to do the following for one of my classes! I have zero experience in photography. So a few questions - what makes a good subject? I mean which place in singapore is good to capture on photo & made into a photo collage?



Theme: Photo collage

This exercise is for understanding basics of Perception Vs Representation.

Exercise:
- Choose a subject for collage.
- Do a rough sketch of collage for the selected subject.
- Take lots of pictures with different focus points
- Paste them on a A2 size paper/cardboard to create the collage.

Procedure:
1. Stand in front of your subject.
2. make a rough sketch of the subject and the area you want to photography.
3. Make a rough division of the sketch to check how many picture you need to take to cover the area.
4. Standing at one location take pictures different focus points of the subject using a normal lens lens. (If you have a zoom lens set it at 50mm)
5. Get them processed (or take print outs if you are using digital camera)
6. Paste the picture according to you divisions of the sketch.

Tools:
Software: PhotoShop
Hardware: 35mm camera or Digital camera, colour printer
Paper: Try different paper weights and textures (make sure it's safe for printers)

Examples




thankx

[YSLee]

Well, my opinion is that you should pick a subject or location that is interesting in the first place. After that, compose a shot in your mind that covers a large amount of space. Then just go and try it out. Oh, borrow docile's 4900 for this, so you have more leeway in experimenting.

[ziploc]

Hi wildhoney,

Actually there are many good subjects...

Examples: people, sceneries (beaches, parks, sunset, etc), still life (flowers, sculptures, products, etc), close ups (insects, flowers, etc), animals, sports (biking, skating, skate boarding, basketball, football, etc), architecture (old and modern buildings, patterns made by buildings, reflections), abstract (pics that present an idea), etc etc.

The important thing is that the subject you choose must be interesting, and the focus should be devoted entirely on it.

Think doc can help you on this

[Jed]

Let me suggest, unless you have a very good reason otherwise, to set the exposure manually (think about it), the focus manually (if you can't achieve front to back sharpness). Otherwise, there really isn't a lot to note, just go out there and have fun. Oh yes, overlap a fair bit as well. Better that than have a few holes here and there. Unless of course you are going for that look!

Quote: Originally posted by wildhoney hello all, I'm supposed to do the following for one of my classes! I have zero experience in photography. So a few questions - what makes a good subject? I mean which place in singapore is good to capture on photo & made into a photo collage? Theme: Photo collage This exercise is for understanding basics of Perception Vs Representation. Exercise: - Choose a subject for collage. - Do a rough sketch of collage for the selected subject. - Take lots of pictures with different focus points - Paste them on a A2 size paper/cardboard to create the collage. Procedure: 1. Stand in front of your subject. 2. make a rough sketch of the subject and the area you want to photography. 3. Make a rough division of the sketch to check how many picture you need to take to cover the area. 4. Standing at one location take pictures different focus points of the subject using a normal lens lens. (If you have a zoom lens set it at 50mm) 5. Get them processed (or take print outs if you are using digital camera) 6. Paste the picture according to you divisions of the sketch. Tools: Software: PhotoShop Hardware: 35mm camera or Digital camera, colour printer Paper: Try different paper weights and textures (make sure it's safe for printers) Examples thankx

Are you sure u're gonna use films for this project ??? I would prefer going digital and get it printed out in a good printer... it saves so much more money... wats more, going digital allows you to do editing using photoshop to the desired effects/colour saturation/brightness/contrast/sharpness/lightings/etc. you want...

I would recommend you going digital for this particular project, otherwise, films for others.

Wat do you think ?

[Darren]

For this kind of project, film is the best, cos you want to be able to lay it out and play with the elements - its no joke trying to manipulate 20,30 or 40 pics in Photoshop and trying different layouts. In this case, analog wins!!

U have to do a photo collage as a class exercise?? My gosh... I'd love to go to your class... Can claim any film expenses? If can, film would be the way to go. Seen some really good ones when I was overseas and looks great when u finally lay it out.

[Falcon]

Just curious. What course are you taking?

[sbs99]

Lucky my sch dun have such things...ahaha. I think using a point and shoot camera should be sufficient...i think negs are also enough to do the job.

I find it weird that a photo teacher would have you go out and have your photos processed. Don't you have a darkroom, isn't that what this class is all about, capturing isn't the challenge, getting the photo to come out right on paper is the challenge. Just my two cents.....oh and hi everyone...I'm brand new!!!

[Jed]

If you want to lay out 30 or 40 pics, I actually think digital would be better. You don't want to be using something like Photoshop which after abt half a dozen layers or so becomes impractical anyway. Photoshop is an image editor, not a layout program. What you want to use would be a page layout program like Quark or Pagemaker. That's what these packages are designed for, and are very convenient.

The issue with digital is not however that it's hard to lay out, but more that you'd struggle to get your final output (because of the size, it can't be done on a household inkjet for example). So you would probably be better off with film.

[Jed]

Another issue with film is that if you get your stuff printed, get them to print it with the same density, or as is. Otherwise, your setting the exposure manually in the camera will be messed up by the lab setting the exposure automatically in the lab again. So you will have to instruct the lab. Otherwise, you can go digital as well to bypass this.

[wildhoney]

Oh my class is a Visual design class. The empahsis is not on photography but rather design, hence perception vs representation.

I tried doing one collage yesterday.....the subject - skyline+river @ boat quay.
I took the pics from this multi storey carpark facing the tall buildings+boatquay+river.

But i think the results were like so-so...didn't look very artistic to me....more like many small photos joined togetehr to form a big one!!!


Perhaps I was too ambitious when selecting the subject.....

Now I'm thinking of doing one of this yellow wall with lots of painted people on it. This wall is just outside boat quay, next to Bernie's.

Comments?

[mooks85]

Quote: Originally posted by wildhoney I tried doing one collage yesterday.....the subject - skyline+river @ boat quay. I took the pics from this multi storey carpark facing the tall buildings+boatquay+river. Perhaps I was too ambitious when selecting the subject..... Now I'm thinking of doing one of this yellow wall with lots of painted people on it. This wall is just outside boat quay, next to Bernie's. Comments? [/b]

Perhaps u should select a single subject.. instead of selecting a busy scene?
a collage is lose and maybe wild, if your subject u do is too busy, what will be the focus your work then? busy + busy = too busy?? lack of focus point? what message are u trying to convey?like the first picture u attached... dont you think it has better feels? well... i may be wrong.. its just my opinion... cheers

[quackaroo]

wildhoney - check pm