Conceptual

Introduction

“How can I use unconventional forms to express myself?”

For the Conceptual Project we were asked to experience and experiment with a multitude of different medias. We used these different medias to express ourselves in our projects in ways that best represented us. We started off with Premiere Pro a video making and editing software, we also learned Adobe audition which we could tie in with Premiere Pro. We learnt how to use our DSLR Cameras, through which we were able to really experiment with a lot of photography styles. Additionally we began to learn other applications like Adobe Photoshop, Avid Pro Tool, and WordPress which is how we made our websites.

For our first main project at Freestyle we made our Art Reflection Videos. It was nice to see how we were able to combine our skills from Digital Media with all of the writing and work that we had done in English. You don’t often see two of your classes come together for project, so it was a nice glimpse into how future projects at Freestyle might be like. Additionally as students we began to see what the Freestyle community was like and the type of work we might be creating in the future.

Art Reflection Video

At the beginning of the year, we had a field trip to the SF MOMA (Museum of Modern Art). We were given an assignment to find a piece of artwork that invoked awe in ourself. For me that was nothing till I stepped into The Visitors installation by Ragnar Kjartansson. I was instantly moved by the installation and took note of some of the feeling and thoughts I had. When we got back in English we wrote a reflection of our experience and why that artwork made us feel awe. In Digital Media we had already been learning skills on Adobe Audition and Premiere Pro where we were able to record a voiceover of our text and turn it into our Art Reflection Video. This was a was for us to express our thoughts not only through words but visual media and tone.

From this project I valued that I was able to express myself and my thoughts about my experience in a way I had never done so before. It was my first time ever making a video like this and I enjoyed the freedom of being able to choose things like the music and text to include. It was also nice to be able to go with all of our classmates and experience all of the art together. Furthermore it was our first big project that we worked on in both Digital Media and English, so it was fun to use skills we learned in both classes into our project.

Parody Introduction

▶ Hotel Sleepifornia

⏸ Hotel Sleepifornia

For this assignment we were tasked with creating a parody of a song that we really liked or though we wanted to create a parody of. I chose Hotel California because it felt like a classic song and is something that I enjoy. The hardest part for me was singing the lyrics at the right pace, but I overall enjoyed the whole process of producing the song. From recording it in the iso booths to the editing in adobe audition. For the cover photo of my song I took a photo of my bedding and pillows and in photoshop added the image of a cool old car I had taken. I thought this represented a bit of what the original songs talks about since it references driving down a highway.

Artist Statement: I chose the song Hotel California by the Eagles because I liked the tone of the song and in general it’s a song I enjoy. I decided to write my parody song about something else I really enjoy which is sleeping. I started the process of writing my parody song by spending a while listening to the original song and finding the lyrics out. I started to count the beats and amount of syllables that each line of the song had. Then came up with lyrics that mostly matched the tone and the syllables of the original song. What I valued most about the process of making a parody was being able to write what I want and come up with creative lyrics that you could still tell what song was being sung from it. My proudest moment during the Parody Production was being able to see the whole thing actually come together since during the process of singing and editing there were moments where I was doubtful but at the end it all turned out okay and I am proud of the results.

Parody Lyrics

[Verse 1]

On a dark quiet evening 

I think of my bed   

Warm glow of my nightlights

Filling up in the air

Up ahead in the distance 

I see my dreams at night

My eyes closing and shutting for tonight

It’s such a delight

[Verse 2]

There I stood in my bedroom

I heard the alarm clock

And I was think to myself

This could be heaven or this could be hell

Then I got up in the morning

And brushed my teeth for the day

Though of my dreams that past night

I thought I heard them say

[Chorus] 

Welcome to the land of sweet comfort

Such a comfy place (such a comfy place)

Such a warm embrace

Lying beneath the sheets so still and quietly 

Feel the stress go-away (feel the stress go-away) 

I can sleep all year

Photoshop Blend Mode Editing

In this assignment we used photos we had taken with our DSLR cameras and got to explore different editing techniques. This including being able to make images that were too dark, lighter using the screen mode. Making images that were took light, dark using the multiply mode. Also modes like overlay modes that do both, lighten and darken an image. Additionally we learned how to combine and blend images together. These skills can help us take photos we might think are bad or just okay to be much better.

1. What do you value about learning about and creatively using Photoshop Blend Modes? I value how it is easy to fix a photo you might not think is good because of the lighting or something like that, but with PS Blend Modes you can sometimes easily fix the photo and make it better. I also like how you can lighten or darken only certain parts of a photo because sometimes that is all you need rather than applying it to the whole photo.
   
2. How do you see yourself using your new Photoshop skills with your creative projects? I would like to try out and use my skills with more creative and unique photo editing. Like creating colorful photo collages or just in general cool photo editing. 

DSLR Photos

I really enjoyed learning about all of the different modes and settings on the DSLR cameras. As the year has gone on I have been able to experiment with them and take a range of photos with the skills I’ve learnt. We’ve experimented with AV and TV modes, flash, lights, ISO, and white balance. Something that I really enjoyed learning how to do was taking light painting photos. This is when you have a long exposure set and are almost able to draw with light. With so many different things that can affect photos it was nice to be able to learn them all at first so we could understand how they influence and impact our photos. These setting are also the basics of photography, so as we progress in our skill we will better learn some of these features.

At first learning how to use the DSLR cameras seem complicated with so many settings, steps, and buttons it seemed challenging. However after being able to practice and experiment with photography it became fun changing the settings and seeing what type of results I’d get. I got the hang of the AV mode pretty easily as I understood what it did and what type of photography it was used for. TV mode once I got the hang of it was really fun being able to create words and images with the light however it took a white to figure out the right amount of exposure time for the results I wanted. I enjoyed the process of being able to see how flash and lighting can impact the photo. This was especially helpful in understanding portrait photography. I also understood ISO pretty easily and how it worked and when to use the different ISO settings. Altering the white balance was intresting to see how just once setting can change the color and tone of the photograph. Overall it was really fun to be able to explore these different modes and I hope in the future I will continue to learn more about them.

Design

Design has so many different elements and components to it that can be used in a variety of ways. We started off the year by learning some of the principles of design and elements of art. Additionally we began to learn things like photography and how we can incorporate both the elements of art and principles of design into photography. We focused on composition of photography and how that can impact a photo. We also started learning about adobe applications like Photoshop and Illustrator which is where a lot of design work is generally done on.

Something I’ve valued about design so far is it can include so many different things. We are learning a multitude of skills that are alls tied together by design. Additionally almost everything around us had been designed or been through some design process, so it’s nice to see how some of the skills we are learning can be translated to real world things. I’ve also valued learning the basics of design at first because with each project I feel like I’ve grown in my understanding of those basics.

Alpha Name Photography

For this assignment we had to find the letters of our name in small things in Nature. We had to use our smallest lens the 24mm one and we couldn’t alter the positioning of any plants or nature things. Additionally we had to fill the frame of our image with the letter from our name. This project really made us observe the small things in nature which we usually miss. Once we had taken our photos we had to make a contact sheet and choose the best photo for each letter. Then we used Photoshop and learned how to create a black frame for our final images.

Conceptual Photo

For this assignment we first learned about conceptual art and what it even is. We were then given the challenge to try and create our own conceptual photos based on a random prompt we had drawn. I got the prompt “The Feeling of Frustration Through Keeping a Secret”. Conceptual art makes you think of the ideas and reasoning behind and artwork rather than how it looks at first. After getting our prompt we had to come up with items that might represent our prompt and photograph them together. We had to take many different angles and types of shots that ranged in the lighting and composition. Ultimately this was the final composition and photo I took.

Artist Statement: I started thinking about which items to use by coming up with a list of items which related to frustration and to keeping a secret. The tangled headphones in my photo represent the feeling of frustration. It is always at an inconvenient moment when you need them that they are all tangled up and it’s just a very frustrating moment. The other object I chose to represent keeping a secret was a hollowed out book. I choose this because often in movies and shows characters will hide important things in the book and place it on the bookshelf so from the outside no one can tell what they are hiding inside it. I wanted to use lighting that was warm because I felt that it matched the mood of what I envisioned better than more cool lighting. As for the angle and set up of my items I just played around with different positions and compositions till I found one that I liked. 

Through this project I learned a lot about how much lighting matters in photography. For instance the difference between cool and warm lighting and how that affects the mood of your photo. Additionally how shadows and highlights play a role in your photos. In Photoshop I got to play around with the adjustment layer and other settings that influenced my photo in different ways. However the main thing I focused on in Photoshop was the lighting of my image, as I feel that was a big component of my finished photo.