Freestyle Academy proudly presents

Chained: A Junior Conceptual Transport Project by Skye Riordan (2017)

The object in my photo is my bicycle. I hauled it out from my garage onto the dusty stone path in my front yard and looked from a lower angle - at just the back wheel. The brown of the chain, black of the tire and spokes, metallic silver, and chalky mustard yellow of the inner-wheel combined with the tan dirt and stone background to create a robust, dirty, grueling, industrial feel for me, while the white of the protruding bike frame created a sense of gloating, apathetic cleanliness hugging the wheel. This produced a sense of chaotic conflict in the photo as the chain and black gear reach forward, stretching away from the white bike frame to stay the focal point of the shot. The object provided an image that works as a whole to express two polar opposites within a system vying for control.

To enhance the above in Photoshop, I first edited out small bits of leaves and twigs stuck in the gears to ensure that the viewer could focus on the central conflict of the image. Then, I increased the brightness and contrast of the photo as a whole to ensure that all of the chaotic shapes were more easily processable by the eye. I also enhanced the browns and yellows to further make them pop for a grungier photo with a sense of gritty conflict. Lastly, I took down the highlights on the silver metal to make those less glaring, as to keep the focus on the chain. Being new to Photoshop, I learned just how much of a difference adjusting the general color of the photo can make in terms of the tone and feeling of the shot, and how much of a difference editing out and fine-tuning small details can make on the overall image.
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