Your objective: Students shoot a series of photos inspired by alfred stieglitz and will use filters and adjustment layers in photoshop to mimic the look and characteristics of stieglitz's photographs.
alfred stieglitz
- Born: January 1, 1864, Hoboken, NJ
- Died: July 13, 1946, New York City, NY
- Alfred Stieglitz was an American photographer and modern art promoter who was instrumental over his fifty-year career in making photography an accepted art form.
- Before Stieglitz, photography was not considered an art form, but more of a scientific technology or way of recording events.
- People argued that photographs were made by machines (cameras) and machines did not have the capability to be artistically creative, therefore, photography could not be an art.
- Stieglitz argued that like a painter uses a paint brush as a tool, a photographer uses a camera as a tool and still has creative and artistic control of how the image will turn out.
- Stieglitz stressed the importance of composition, mood, subject matter and creative editing and manipulation of photographs to further the photographer's artistic expression.
Your assignment:
- Shoot a series of photographs inspired by Alfred Stieglitz.
- Focus on creative expression, purposeful composition, and creative subject matter... all things necessary for your photo to be considered "fine art."
- Shoot them using Av, Tv or M mode. Shoot in color, we will convert them to black and white tomorrow.
- Tomorrow we will edit our photos in Photoshop, giving them an "antiqued" look in order to mimic Stieglitz's photos.
Student examples:
photoshop instructions:
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PHOTOSHOP INSTRUCTIONS:
Go to File > Open and select your photo.
Let's make your photo black and white...
Click on your "add adjustment layer" button on the bottom of your layers panel.
Choose "Black & White"
Click on your "add adjustment layer" button on the bottom of your layers panel.
Choose "Black & White"
Now let's add some contrast...
Click once more on your "add adjustment layer" button on the bottom of your layers panel.
This time, select "curves"
Make a slight "S" CURVE to increase the contrast ( click towards the top of the diagonal line and push slightly up. then click towards the bottom of the diagonal line and push slightly down.)
Click once more on your "add adjustment layer" button on the bottom of your layers panel.
This time, select "curves"
Make a slight "S" CURVE to increase the contrast ( click towards the top of the diagonal line and push slightly up. then click towards the bottom of the diagonal line and push slightly down.)
- Select your background layer by clicking on it.
Make a duplicate copy of your background layer by hitting "command J" on your keyboard.
Now go to "Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur"
Increase the blur.
You want it slightly blurry, so you can no longer make out the details, but not CRAZY blurry. Just a bit!
You want it slightly blurry, so you can no longer make out the details, but not CRAZY blurry. Just a bit!
Now, You are going to LOWER THE OPACITY of that blurry layer to let a bit of the clear layer beneath it show through.
This should give your photo a very "soft" look to it, similar to Stieglitz's photos.
This should give your photo a very "soft" look to it, similar to Stieglitz's photos.
Making sure your "background copy" layer is selected, click on the "layer menu" icon in the top right-hand corner of your layers panel.
Select "Merge Down."
This should combine your two bottom layers into one.
Select "Merge Down."
This should combine your two bottom layers into one.
Make sure your background layer is selected.
Now go to "Filter > Texture > Grain"
Increase the Intensity and Contrast to your liking.
DOWNLOAD ONE OF THE TEXTURE FILES BELOW:
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Your file will open in a new window. When it does, drag and drop the image onto your DESKTOP.
Find your file and DRAG AND DROP it on top of your Photoshop Document window.
Find your file and DRAG AND DROP it on top of your Photoshop Document window.
- Hit "Command" and "T" on your keyboard (FREE TRANSFORM).
- Now you can drag out your image, resize it, move it and rotate it.
- Make it so that your texture COVERS YOUR IMAGE COMPLETELY.
- (HINT: I find it easier to hit "Command" "Minus Sign" to zoom out a bit, and then drag out my document window so I can see my entire image better)
- Hit the "Confirm" Check Mark button in your options bar when you are done.
- Now you can drag out your image, resize it, move it and rotate it.
- Make it so that your texture COVERS YOUR IMAGE COMPLETELY.
- (HINT: I find it easier to hit "Command" "Minus Sign" to zoom out a bit, and then drag out my document window so I can see my entire image better)
- Hit the "Confirm" Check Mark button in your options bar when you are done.
- Making sure that your texture layer is selected (and on top of your background layer)...
- In the top-left corner of your layers panel, choose "Overlay" as your blend mode.
- If the effect is too strong, lessen the opacity of your texture layer. Try around 80% or so.
- In the top-left corner of your layers panel, choose "Overlay" as your blend mode.
- If the effect is too strong, lessen the opacity of your texture layer. Try around 80% or so.
OPTIONAL:
- If you want to lessen the textured effect even more in a specific area (probably your focal point) then add a layer mask.
- Click on your layer mask, and use your paint brush with black paint, a soft edge brush and a lower opacity to paint away the effect in the desired location.
- If you want to lessen the textured effect even more in a specific area (probably your focal point) then add a layer mask.
- Click on your layer mask, and use your paint brush with black paint, a soft edge brush and a lower opacity to paint away the effect in the desired location.
- Now let's give our photo a sepia tint to it...
- Click on your "add adjustment layer" button at the bottom of your layers panel.
- Choose "Photo Filter..."
- Click on your "add adjustment layer" button at the bottom of your layers panel.
- Choose "Photo Filter..."
- Drag your "Photo Filter" Layer to the TOP of your layers panel.
- In the Photo Filter Adjustment Panel, select "Sepia" from the drop-down menu.
- Adjust the "Density" slider to lessen or intensify the effect to your liking.
- Adjust the "Density" slider to lessen or intensify the effect to your liking.
- You are just about done! Take a look at your photo and see if the contrast needs any more adjusting. IF so...
- Click back on your Curves adjustment layer from earlier (no need to make a new one).
-Re-adjust the curves to increase contrast if needed. (Remember... a slight "S" curve will increase contrast.)
- Click back on your Curves adjustment layer from earlier (no need to make a new one).
-Re-adjust the curves to increase contrast if needed. (Remember... a slight "S" curve will increase contrast.)
- That's it!
When finished, make a second photo following the instructions above.
Save each file as "Stieglitz1"/ "Stieglitz2"
Save each file TWICE... once as a photoshop document (.PSD) and once as a JPEG.
Save both files to your PICTURES folder.
See SCHOOLOGY.COM for assignment submission instructions.
Save each file as "Stieglitz1"/ "Stieglitz2"
Save each file TWICE... once as a photoshop document (.PSD) and once as a JPEG.
Save both files to your PICTURES folder.
See SCHOOLOGY.COM for assignment submission instructions.
