This was my second time using the photo editing software called Gimp. I learned a lot more about how to edit photos in this assignment. The main goal was to make an object look better by altering the background, colors, and touching-up flaws. I learned that some of the skills in photoshop require a bit of practice and time to perfect. This assignment was fairly easy, and except for the fact that I somehow I undid everything when I was almost done (oops), things went pretty smoothly. There's a definite difference between the picture I was given and the one that I edited. See for yourself.
Before
This picture features a distracting background, a person in the background, and some unwanted glares.
After
In this picture, some of the light glares have been blended out, the background has been changed, and the colors pop more. Overall, it's a lot more appealing.
The focus of this assignment was to capture an action or the nature of an animal. At first glance, this may seem like an easy topic. However, it can be very tricky to get some good shots of animals that become easily distracted and uncontrollable. Luckily, the animals I took pictures of were somewhat cooperative and I was able to take some nice pictures. This was an interesting, yet slightly challenging photo assignment.
This assignment introduced me to a photo editing software called Gimp. I found that Gimp has a TON more options and effects than the basic Photoshop tools I had been using before. With Gimp, there are so many ways you can edit a picture. In this photo, I imitated Andy Warhol's pop art effect. In the process, I learned how to resize, crop, layer, and add some color effects in this program. Even though the program is sometimes annoying, it has a lot of features and advantages over using other editors. The possibilities for my pictures now seem endless!
The Assignment:
Eleven elements of composition were explored during this assignment. Photos were taken using the rule of thirds, depth of field, symmetry, pattern, texture, lines, color, perspective, balance, framing, and space.
What I learned:
I wasn't even aware there were elements of composition. One in particular I found interesting was the rule of thirds. I now know the gridlines on the camera are to help align subjects along the lines and intersections. The rule of thirds makes pictures more appealing, too. This assignment really improved my picture taking skills!
Photo Descriptions:
Rule of thirds- "Swan on the pond"
Depth of field- "Ivy and plants at the base of a tree"
Symmetry- "Open book"
Pattern- "Bricks on the edge of a walkway"
Texture- "Manhole cover"
Lines- "Light under the school entrance"
Color- "Red nail polish"
Perspective- "Looking up a tree"
Balance- "The American and Michigan flags"
Framing- "Cat in the window"
Space- "Little, red Buddha"
