Explosion Book

EU: Digital Photography allows the artist to manipulate photographs to achieve desired effects. 

EQ: How and why do you use selections in Photoshop when working with your photographs?

Standards

• 1.9 Demonstrate the ability to create 2D and 3D works that show knowledge of unique characteristics of particular media, materials, and tools
• 1.10 Use electronic technology for reference and for creating original work
• 2 Describe and apply procedures to ensure safety and proper maintenance of the workspace, materials, and tools
• 4.4 Produce work that shows an understanding of the concept of craftsmanship
• 4.12 Choose and prepare artwork for exhibition, and be able to discuss their choices

Unit: Selections

Objectives: 

• To continue working with selections in Photoshop
• To exhibit images

Assessments:

You will get 4 grades for this assignment

1. Contact Sheet 45+ images
2. Edited book images
3. Book Craftsmanship
4. Book Cover and Title Design

Rubric Criteria

• Craftsmanship
• Software
• Imagery (composition/light)
• Reflection

Steps

To start:

1. Choose a theme and take 45+ images focusing on variation of that theme (close up vs distance, etc)
2. Print a contact sheet and turn in (graded)
3. Choose and edit pictures

Document set up/triangle selections:

1. Start a new Photoshop document entitled "Explosion Book" at 8x8 inches 300 pixels/inch, RGB 
2. Set up guides by choosing view -> rulers (richt click in ruler to makes sure at inches)
3. Pull out a guide from each ruler to the 4 inch mark horizontally and vertically to create 4 squares
4. Start 3 groups with the folder icon in the layers palette 
5. Label groups page 1, page 2, page 3
6. Start with page 1
7. in upper right corner use the polygonal lasso tool (3rd tool down under the lasso)(hold shift the entire time) to click out a triangle in the upper left section
8. Save selection by going to the select menu at the top toolbar and choosing save selection
9. Name the selection "left triangle"
10. Repeat steps 7-9 and make a triangle in the right section of the upper right corner square and save selection as "right triangle"

Image Placement:

1. open images that you would like to use and start to drag and drop them into page 1
2. Resize by holding CTRL + T and holding shift
3. use the rectangular marquee selection tool (2nd tool) to drag out selections of your squares and to get rid of the outside pieces go to the select menu at the top toolbar select -> inverse, press delete on keyboard
4. for the triangle images, place the images where you would want them, go to select -> load selection and choose either the right or left triangle and delete the exterior again using select -> inverse
5. Edit as you go (choices are your own to fit your theme)
6. Remember-*Page 2 does not need the squares filled in the upper left and lower right squares...only the 4 triangle pieces

Photoshop Puzzle

EU: Digital Photography allows the artist to manipulate photographs to achieve desired effects. 

EQ: How and why do you use selections in Photoshop when working with your photographs? 

Unit: Selections

Camera Functions: Continue on Aperture Setting or Shutter Speed Settings
Depending on the subject you choose for your assignment start to choose the right camera setting which are good for you. Landscapes are often stronger when the aperture is very large. Objects or portraits can be stronger with a low aperture 

Contact Sheet: Shoot at least 15 new photographs using the digital camera on any subject that you think would be good for this assignment. Pay attention to lighting and composition. 

Assignment: To use one strong image to which you can apply a jigsaw puzzle effect in Photoshop. 

Objective: To enhance software skills dealing with selections and to learn how use certain fx

Get the puzzle template from Mrs. Donovan's flash drive first

Steps for puzzle effect:

After copying and pasting in your layers to get the spacing and overlap that you want to include missing pieces and unfinished edges, follow the steps below....

Apply a background

1. Find a background on the internet that would contrast well with your image but have some sort of slight texture like the example above. Do not use another photograph. 
2. Copy, paste, and transform this layer to use underneath your puzzle

Apply Drop Shadow

1. Select one layer with an image or puzzle piece and apply a drop shadow by clicking on the fx button at the bottom of your layers palette and choosing "drop shadow"
2. Adjust the settings to get a believable look that is a darker shadow close to the piece (do not make it too hazy or blurred because this will make the puzzle look like it is floating)
3. Change the color of the shadow to match your background by clicking on the color swatch setting and using your eyedropper tool to select the tone of the background (don't close out of the box yet)
4. Make the color of the shadow darker now by clicking on your eyedropped color and selecting a deeper version of that color
5. Right click that layer and select "copy layer style"
6. Move to each layer with a puzzle piece or the image and right click that layer to "paste layer style"

Apply Bevel and Emboss Effect to the puzzle pieces and image layer

1. Select one layer with a puzzle piece and apply a beveled and embossed look so that it appears 3D by clicking the fx button at the bottom of your layers palette and choosing "bevel emboss"
2. Use the default settings and just play with the sliders to create a minimal but believable look 
3. Right click that layer and select "copy layer style"
4. Move to each layer with a puzzle piece and the image layer and right click that layer to "paste layer style"

Apply Bevel and Emboss Effect to the puzzle lines

1. Select the layer with the puzzle lines to apply a beveled and embossed look so that it appears 3D and imprinted into the image by clicking the fx button at the bottom of your layers palette and choosing "bevel emboss"
2. change the setting from inner bevel to  "pillow emboss" so that you can get a slight indented look
3. Pull the depth up a bit and keep the other sliders toward the left. It should be a minimal indent
4. Pull that effect apart so you can turn off the puzzle lines off and only view the imprint by going to the Layer Menu at the top of your workspace, choosing layer style, and then create layers (you will see the fx part has been removed from the layer and divided into 5 different layers)
5. Throw the top three layers that you just created into the trash
6. The top layer left will be the shadow of the indent and the bottom layer will be the highlight. Adjust the opacity in the layers palette if you think the shadow looks to dark to get a believable look. 

Arrange your composition

1. Select the two layers with your image and your puzzle lines at the same time by holding shift while you click on them
2. Use CTRL + T to turn or twist them by hovering over a corner so that the puzzle is not too straight on your document (It can even go off the page a bit)
3. Go to each of the puzzle piece layers and use CTRL + T again to rotate those pieces too. 
4. Move the pieces around the page to get a interesting composition. They can overlap a bit, go off the page, or even be on top of the puzzle in some spots. 

*Check with me to make sure all looks good

*Save as a JPEG to upload to your blog with a reflection

Texture Overlay Directions

Follow these instructions for a texture over your geometric photograph

Steps:

Download and Save Textures

1. Click on this link: Spoon Graphics 9 Free High Resolution Grain Textures
2. Scroll to the bottom and click on "Download the free grain textures"
3. Click on the download and click on "Open when done"
4. Once it opens, click on the folder marked "9 Free Grain Textures"
5. Click on the JPEG subfolder
6. Create a new folder in you photography folder named "Grain Textures"
7. Select all of the grain images by clicking on the first one, hold shift, click on the last
8. Drag and drop them into your new "Grain Textures" folder so you can view the JPEGS (you cannot see them under the download folder)

Applying Texture to Photo

1. Choose one to open in Photoshop and bring into your Geometric Photo document
2. Put that layer on top and set the blend mode to screen
3. If it is too busy try another, If not enough you can copy the layer and flip it over by Ctrl + T to spin and set that copy to screen as well
4. You may add another texture if desired but don't use a normal photograph

Saving your Photo

1. Save as both a JPEG for you blog and the PSD (Photoshop) file for me in case I would like to print it larger for the art show.