Final photos to use for mounting:

Experimentation in photoshop for my layout:

For my mounting, I will be presenting my photos on black mount board. Each photo will be raised as I will spray mount them onto it’s own individual white mount board, before using double sided tape to stick them onto the black board.

Final layout presentation:

My plan:

Contact sheet:

First of all, I went through the contact sheet of this photoshoot and divided the photos into three groups:

1 or 2 stars = Red- the worst photos and I will most likely not use them.

3 stars = Yellow- photos that aren’t the best quality but I may use them.

4 or 5 stars = Green- my best photos and will definitely use.

This supported my organisation skills within the photoshoots so I could keep a structure.

After editing:

For this photoshoot, I am going to edit the subject’s faces together to create a sense of unity through the females and their similar or unique facial features.

Photoshop edit processes:

Edit 1:

I used Adobe Photoshop to edit all of my photos.

The photos I will use for my first edit:

First of all, I selected the subject on both individual images and right clicked to choose ‘layer via copy’.

Then, I transferred the copied layers over onto a new, blank document in Photoshop and experimented with a few different layouts.

But I preferred this one the most:

Onto the final image I will use for this edit:

I repeated the steps from before for this image also. I selected the subject and right clicked ‘layer via copy’.

Then, I transferred this image onto the same document as the other two portrait photos and made it smaller to fit behind the subject’s heads.

I liked this layout so I decided to experiment with different opacity’s and filters for the background image.

Final outcome:

Edit 2:

For this edit, I used the same subject but three different angles of her head where she is looking in opposite directions, so that I can merge the images together.

The photos I will be using:

I selected the subject for all 3 images and transferred them onto a blank new document.

I then experimented with the layout of the images and once I finalised the layout, I decreased the opacity of the background images.

Final outcome:

Edit 3:

For this edit, I wanted to incorporate hands to merge with faces. Therefore, in the studio I took a few photos of different hand shapes which I thought would be useful to edit onto the subject’s face.

The photos I will be using:

Firstly, I kept the image of the subject’s face (the background image) the same, as I did not need to transfer the photo onto a new document.

I then selected the hands using the quick selection tool. Finally, I transferred them onto the image of the subject’s face where I continued to experiment with the layout and opacity.

Final outcomes:

To create the different affects on the hands, I used the filters I can access through Photoshop, as well as changing the opacity.

Sideways hands: Filter: Screen Upwards hands: Opacity: 60%

Sideways hands: Filter: Darker colour Upwards hands:

Opacity: 60%

Sideways hands: Filter: Divide Upwards hands: Filter: Screen

Opacity: 100%

Sideways hands: Filter: Divide Upwards hands: Filter: Overlay

Opacity 100%

My plan:

Contact sheet:

I started by selecting my favourite images and giving them 4 or 5 stars, meaning they would be colour coded to green. Then my least favourite/ worst were given 1/2 stars and colour coded red. Finally, the rest of the images were given 3 stars and colour coded yellow, which means that they weren’t the best photos but can still be used. This helped me to stay organised with all of my photos.

For this photoshoot, I used the studio with the professional lighting and backdrop, as I felt my images would come out clearer and easier to use and edit.

My best images:

Before editing:

After editing:

I decided to edit all these images in black and white using similar adjustments so that they look simple and sharp, which will support my editing process in Photoshop. The black and white tones exaggerate the shadows around or within the subject, adding depth to the image and enhancing the texture.

Photoshop edit processes:

Edit 1:

Initial edit:

To edit this image, I imported the edited black and white image from Adobe Lightroom Classic to Adobe Photoshop. I then started by cutting out the subject’s body (using the quick selection tool) and placing it onto a new blank document.

I then selected the background layer and used the paint bucket tool to create a black background behind the subject.

However, I wasn’t pleased with how it turned out, so I decided to remove the subject’s neckline in order to create a clear, surrealistic image. To do this, I used the selection brush tool to carefully remove the neckline, as this tool was easier to use rather than the quick selection tool for a precise cut. Once the neckline was completely coloured in, I pressed ‘Delete’ on my keyboard, which removed the selected piece.

Final outcome:

Edit 2:

For this edit, I am planning on blending these two images together to create one, where the subject is portraying opposite facial expressions and direct/indirect eye contact.

Initial edit:

First of all, I started with the first image in Photoshop. I used the quick selection tool to carefully select the outline of the subject’s face and body:

Onto the second image, I repeated these steps in Photoshop:

Now that the colour is selected, I placed the paint bucket tool onto my selected layer (background).

Finally, I experimented with the layout of the images, as well as the opacity:

Final edit:

Evaluation:

Overall, I am really happy with how these images turned out as they link really nicely to the theme of union. I feel that surrealism reinforces this idea around unity because it is the photographic process of bringing things together, which I have tried to attain in my photos. I am also glad that I created a plan before taking the photos as it supported my organisation within the photoshoots.

My plan:

Contact sheet:

Firstly, I went through my contact sheet and organised the photos into different groups:

1 or 2 stars = Red- the worst photos and I will most likely not use them

3 stars = Yellow- photos that aren’t the best quality but I may use them

4 or 5 stars = Green- my best photos and will definitely use

This way of sorting my images helps me to keep them organised.

For this photoshoot, I went to the photography studio, as I planned, to experiment with different ideas and images that could be successful to edit for surrealism. Within the photos, I decided to keep these images as portraits of the subjects, as I would like to experiment with different tools in Photoshop, using inspiration from Tommy Ingberg’s Surrealism photography.

My best images:

Before editing:

Tommy Ingberg is a self-taught photographer and visual artist known for his work in both fine art and commercial photography, born 1980 in Sweden. Ingberg particularly focuses his photography around surrealism and conceptual imagery. His work often evokes a sense of drama and depth, using bold contrasts and creative compositions to explore themes such as identity, emotion, and the human experience. His photography usually features strong tones and shadows to evoke intense emotions and portray cinematic or surreal quality.

I am using Ingberg as my artist inspiration as I feel his photos evoke deep emotions and I would like to portray this through my photography. I will also be editing my images in black & white to reinforce my inspiration on Ingberg’s photos. I will also attempt to represent unconscious ideas, dreams, and emotions, similarly to Ingberg.

Ingberg: “For me, surrealism is about trying to explain something abstract like a feeling or a thought, expressing the subconscious with a picture. For my work I use my own inner life, thoughts and feelings as seeds to my pictures. In that sense the work is very personal, almost like a visual diary. Despite this subjectiveness in the process I hope that the work can engage the viewer in her or his own terms. I want the viewers to produce their own questions and answers when looking at the pictures, my own interpretations are really irrelevant in this context.”

Examples of ‘isms’:

Surrealism:

Surrealism was founded in Paris 1924, by the poet Andre Breton, during the First World War when the horror and violence experienced by so many had shifted perceptions of sanity and reality. Surrealism is known to be irrational and subversive in art and explicitly preoccupied with spiritualism. It aimed to create art that emerged directly from the unconscious without being shaped by reason, morality or aesthetic judgements. In photography, surrealism challenges the notions of normality through the power of photography and experimentation. Overall, surrealism in photography has the power to unlock the imagination, which puts it in the tradition of Romanticism. The Surrealist impulse to tap the unconscious mind, and their interests in myth and primitivism, went on to shape many later movements, and the style remains influential to this today.

Examples of Surrealism photography:

Some key techniques used in surrealist photography include:

1. Double Exposure: Superimposing two or more images to create a layered effect, often symbolizing a blending of different realities or experiences.
2. Manipulated Imagery: This includes physically altering negatives or prints, or using darkroom techniques to distort the final image.
3. Strange Juxtapositions: Placing objects or people in unexpected or impossible contexts, creating a sense of tension or surprise.
4. Dreamlike Lighting: Using lighting to create an eerie, otherworldly atmosphere that enhances the surreal quality of the image.

What does ‘Union’ mean?

“The action of joining together or the fact of being joined together, especially in a political context”

or

“A society or association formed by people with a common interest or purpose”

Mind map:

Mood board:

When I think about the word ‘union’, the initial idea that comes into my head would be the human connection, yet I feel this idea would be too stereotypical and original. Instead, I will be exploring ‘union’ through surrealism. Here are some examples:

Within my ideas for my photoshoots, Union makes me think about how things work together in order to function. For example, nature, body parts, and human relationships and connections. My idea is to present union through the combination of intangible and physical objects or body parts. I chose to do this as I feel it is interesting and unique from other types of union photography.