Class Task #7 – Layer Masks… Like Face Masks

What happens when you paint part of the layer mask
…black? …white? …grey?

When you brush over the picture in black, the picture behind of the toddler shows. And when the toddler is painted over with white, the original picture of the frame comes back.

Published in: on April 28, 2008 at 12:16 pm Comments (1)

Class Task #8c – Pathfinder Palette

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Published in: on March 19, 2008 at 2:05 pm Leave a Comment

Class Task #5 Born Into Brothels

1) How did you enjoy the film? What stood out for you?
I enjoyed every part of this movie. It was blunt and honest. It the harsh reality that many people are blind to. The thing that stood out to me was firstly, Puja’s confidence and bravery. She had no desire to listen to other people and clearly lived her life as she pleased. She took advantage of opportunities given to her. Secondly, i love the fact that not only were girls targeted, but also boys were given the chance at a better life. Just because it’s the girls that become the prostitutes, it doesn’t mean that the boys aren’t effected. I love how she helped both and not just one gender.

2) Did you learn anything new about photography, life, people? What?

I’ve learned that at times the most simplest of pictures carry the most meaning. And also, that there will always be people everywhere simply spending their lives just hoping for one of the many chances I get everyday. Life is full opportunities. I’m sure many people have heard that line before, but it carries a different meaning for me. Life is full of opportunities that are laid out for us. It is up to us to reach our for them and to use it wisely. Once one opportunity is wasted… they’ll eventually stop coming.

3) How do you think the world needs to change? How important is this?
The world needs to change in soooooooo many different ways… If only it was actually possible. The world needs to change the way women are treated. They need to change the way children are treated. And of coarse I’m sure men are treated unfairly as well. It is very important. But then again, there would be no good if there was no evil…right? Yes, it is important to change. But I don’t expect the world to change and become perfect. I’ll do my part, and hopefully, the rest will do theirs too.

4) What are you willing to do TODAY to be a part of that change?
I am willing to do anything is one can guarantee me that prostitution, child slavery, and abuse will be stopped everywhere for everyone. I think I’m pretty much already apart of that change. By standing up for myself, and for others and simply educating others I believe i can change the world, one person at a time.

5) Do you know a good song/rap/poem with good lyrics about change in the world? Post a link or lyrics to share it with us.
I know of a few song lyrics that I find interesting and helpful. They’re not specifically about changing the world, but that show the “Stupid Girls” of our society. And the other tells one to simply listen to “The Voice Within” and block out all judgments and criticism that people throw at you.

Here are pieces of lyrics that are most powerful to me. The lyrics have a different way of explaining the society but mean just the same thing. Girls can be stupid.
PINK – Stupid Girls

[Stupid girl, stupid girls, stupid girls
Maybe if I act like that, that guy will call me back]

[What happened to the dreams of a girl president
She's dancing in the video next to 50 Cent]

[I don't wanna be a stupid girl
Baby if I act like that, flipping my blond hair back
Push up my bra like that, I don't wanna be a stupid girl]

[I'm so glad that I'll never fit in
That will never be me
Outcasts and girls with ambition
That's what I wanna see]

These lyrics are powerful to me because they are blunt and honest. They don’t try to cover up the real with the fake, but show in black and white how stupid girls can be. “Push up my bra like that” ? It’s sad, and I’m ashamed to say it’s true. This is what many women think about… having that one man “call them back”… being skinny… and making millions of attempts to look like a plastic doll and labeling themselves as “beautiful”. Reality check… you’re ugly and fake.

Here are some more lyrics that really have value. They have a deeper meaning and show the importance of the inside rather than the outside.
Christina Aguilera – The Voice Within

[When there’s no one else, look inside yourself
Like your oldest friend just trust the voice within
Then you’ll find the strength that will guide your way
You’ll learn to begin to trust the voice within Young girl don’t hide
You’ll never change if you just run away
Young girl just hold tight]

[It’s so hard to stand your ground when you’re so afraid
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold
When you look outside look inside to your soul]

[No one can tell you what you can’t do
No one can stop you, you know that I’m talking to you...
Young girl don’t cry I’ll be right here when your world starts to fall]

This song is important to me because it give insight to something that many people are oblivious to. No matter how hard the world is on the out side… no matter how hard it is to go on and no matter how impossible it is live, looking within can change that. These simple words, have changed someone’s life. These simple lyrics, have given someone in the world the confidence to say “NO.” They gave someone the courage to leave a place of destruction and find a better place. These words, has opened someone’s eyes to see that they DO have a chance, they DO have a right, and they DO have the choice. All they have to do, is listen to “The Voice Within.”

6) Pick a non-profit organization that is important to you. Why is this important to you? Do they have a website?
I would have to say, Free The Children. It is important to me for various reasons. One, it was invented by someone who was younger than me (at the time) and decided to start something for other children and not himself. Secondly, it has become a world wide organization that provides for children everywhere. Their website is www.freethechildren.com

7) What ideas do you have for media arts projects that we could do individually or as a class to help contribute to these organizations that are important to us?
We could write a short story from a child’s perspective.It could be the trouble that they go through day-to-day. Or what the organization has done for them. Just a short paragraph and with that a designed page to collaborate the ideas from the paragraph with pictures and symbols.

Published in: on February 6, 2008 at 2:56 pm Comments (1)

Assignment # 1 Magazine Cover – Q&A

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There’s the two pictures that I used for the cover
Questions And Answers:

a) What qualities of your magazine cover make it effective? (eg. What makes it eye catching?, What about it promotes curiosity?, How is it visually pleasing?, What makes it easy to understand?)
The qualities of my magazine that make it effective would be the interesting colors and the background the emphasize the main colors. The clothes that I’m wearing make it eye catching because on regular magazines clothes like that don’t usually appear. The Indian culture of the picture creates curiosity and would get the attention from a large amount of Indian-Oriented People. Also the large print of the subtitles make is appealing because they hold information that many people want. The 3 main colors used make the magazine cover appealing because they work well together. The point blank and straightforward second story lines make it easy to read and see.

b) What was the order of hierarchy you were trying to achieve for the elements on your magazine cover?
No offense to anyone, the first thing i would want them to see is SUCCESS and a brown person’s face. = ) After that, me, my achievement and the fact that I’m the most successful poet of the year. Next, the subtitles or sub stories on the left hand side to make them actually want to open the front cover.

Published in: on January 29, 2008 at 8:47 pm Leave a Comment

Class Task #4 Understanding Resolution

Questions & Answers

1) Will a 300 dpi image or a 72 dpi image be clearer when printed out at the same size? How come?
A 300 dpi image would be clearer when printed out clearer than a 72 dpi image because each square would be a smaller size which would create more detail in the picture. At 300 dpi it will make one square at 72 dpi worth hundreds creating a more whole picture rather than squares.
Corrected Answer: When printed out at the same size, a 300 dpi image would be more clearer than a 72 dpi image because the dots per inch would be more condensed therefore creating the image with more detail. With a 72 dpi image the dots per inch is 72. But with a 300 dpi image there are 300 dots per inch once again creating a more precise image.

2) What would a picture created at 1 dpi look like?
A picture at 1 dpi would be very hard to make out because there would be no detail. It would be hard to decipher what the picture is meant to be because of the large squares and the limited amount of lines that could be used.

Published in: on January 15, 2008 at 2:25 pm Comments (2)

Class Task #3 Fruit Bowl

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Fruit Bowl Using Magic Wand

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Fruit Bowl Using Lasso

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Fruit Bowl Using Lasso And Magic Wand

Questions & Answers

1. What combination of tools did you use to isolate the fruit in “fruit_combo.jpg” and where in the image did you use which tool?
I used a combination of the magic wand tool, the magnetic and regular lasso tool, and the eraser. I used the magnetic lasso tool to go around the fruit bowl and deleted the background. I used the lasso tool to get rid of large sections that weren’t deleted. I used the eraser to get rid of small peices of colour that were too small to be selected.

2. Of the methods you used to isolate the fruit in the 3 pictures. Which method did you find most effective in this case?
The magic wand tool was the most productive. It allowed to to change the colour selection whcih made the work much easier.

3. Experiment with the following:
What do these do? Post a fourth image indicating that you know what feathering does.

Expand makes the selection larger. And contract makes teh selection smaller. Feathering creates a faded illusion. It can round of the edges and makes the image look soft.

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Published in: on January 9, 2008 at 3:01 pm Comments (2)