I’ve decided on these final four images from my photoshop experiments as I think these work best with my concept of visual pollution. A sign has been added to each room in my house, to emphasise the fact that we are surrounded by visual pollution on a day to dat basis.

I decided to give the images an empty, quiet look to show that signs are overpowering. I’ve also chosen to use dark colours to copy the style of many advertisements, almost as if these images are ads in themselves.

The photos will be displayed in a grid, to resemble a window in to a house. This could be anyone’s house as visual pollution affects us all.

This concept fits well with the images I have created, especially the bathroom image.

From Wikipedia: Visual pollution is the term given to unattractive and man-made visual elements of a vista, a landscape, or any other thing that a person does not feel comfortable to look at. Visual pollution is an aesthetic issue, referring to the impacts of pollution that impair one’s ability to enjoy a vista or view. The term is used broadly to cover visibility, limits on the ability to view distant objects, as well as the more subjective issue of visual clutter, structures that intrude upon otherwise “pretty” scenes. Commonly cited examples are advertisements, billboardss, landfills, houses, automobiles, traffic signs, roadsigns, highways, roadways, litter, graffiti, overhead power lines, utility poles, contrails, skywriting, buildings and weeds.

I think it would be good to plave billboards and signs in rooms that directly link with the billboards and signs, such as Macdonald’s signs in the dining area, pharmacy sign in the bathroom, etc. In this way I think my concept of visual pollution becomes very clear.

Final ideas:

living room – cinema sign

dining room – Macdonald’s sign

bed room – motel sign

bath room – pharmacy sign

I’ve collected many images that contains signs to cut out (which have been included in the final dvd). I decided to grab the actual signs from images from around the internet. I thought it was interesting that even on the internet there is a case of visual pollution with billboards and signs, it was very easy to find many images of these by simply googling them.

Some experiments:

Some different lighting techniques. I like the last sign, with the glow around the light, I think it looks quite subtle/realistic enough (which is the look I’m going for).

I chose to use a pharmacy sign in the bathroom, to link the sign with the place in the house that most fits it. I like the outcome of this one, eventhough it is not necessarily an advertising sign.

I think the Mcdonald’s sign in the bathroom may be a bit too disconnected from the place, and I’m not sure that would work well with my concept.

I was able to create the glow of the sign by combining the two layers and using a layer mask to reveal the lower lighter layer.

I like the dark look for the last image, it does somewhat remind me of the colours used in movies/ advertisments. I’m not sure about the sign outside of the house yet, does that get my idea across? Are we surrounded by Macdonald’s? Are we surrounded by billboards and signs?

I would like to create a look and feel that could resemble an ad or a movie scene, a style we have come accustomed to in advertising.

Lighting experiments:

normal image

more contrast

dark colours, blue tone

Experiment with light. I might try to combine the images and see if I can add a light (billboard, sign?) to the picture to create a glow.

Matt Siber

Siber has taken out the billboard poles these signs are attached to( using photoshop) and what is left is a strange reminder of the fact that advertising is indeed everywhere (even in the air).

I find the images quite beautiful, the signs almost lose their purpose and become decoration for the sky, but I think it is also interesting that on a day to day basis we accept that billboards and signs dominate our views.

I would like to explore the topic of the influence of signs and billboards and the fact that we can find these almost anywhere in our landscapes.

I wanted to see if I could incorporate climate change into an image using photoshop. The first image was taken in Wellington and I used photoshop to give it a film look (mainly for experimenting purposes, at this stage I’m not sure where I’m goign yet).

The second image has a flood coming onto the square (flood water was cut from one of my own images of a Wellington beach).

In the third image I experimented with normal light, to see what effect that would give. Note: the flood isn’t properly placed in the image yet, these are mainlt ‘brain storm’ images.

I’m not sure about these. I think the subject of climate change and the ideas I have about it (flooded streets in Wellington, sand storms, hurricanes, etc) might prove a bit too challenging at this point.Maybe explore other topics as well?

Further Experiments with lighting/colour:

I tried to create more contrast in the image to see if it would/could have the aesthetics of an advertising image. I do like the contrast (although I don’t think the image works that well), but I’m not sure about the brown-ish tone of the picture.

Experiments – advertising:

In this image I photoshopped the text out of the corner shop. I thought it might be interesting to explore with the concept of advertising surrounding us everywhere, and what it might look like if we were to delete the text and just leave a blank canvas.

I think the idea is interesting, but the image doesn’t work for me at all. Maybe do some more research around the concept of advertising?

Again the colours in these images really appeal to me. Usually I prefer light images, but I love the darker ones here, and the way the lighting works in these ones. They remind me slightly of advertising images, there is a certain drama related to this kine of light (almost like a movie still).

For my photos I would like to experiment with these kind of aesthetics, I think I will explore the concept of advertising, and how it is all around us. Maybe show this concept in a home setting, by placing billboards inside and outside my house? Will try to create ‘advertising’ style images to make this point even more clear?

Yvonne Todd

Quiet, bizarre but beautiful images by Yvonne Todd. These have more of a ‘fashion’ feel to them, like a fashion shoot in a studio. I am really drawn to these overly contructeed images, they are almost too perfect.

By the end of the assignment you will be able to:

- understand and apply technical and theoretical knowledge of digital imaging to the capture, digital manipluation and output of photographic images

- demonstrate imaginative thinking through the construction of digital montage

- understand contemporary and historical issues pertaining to photographic representations of the body

- apply theoretical knowledge of both analogue and digital technologies to consideration of the impact of technological change on photographic practice

Brainstorm

Initial ideas that spring to mind for this assignment are climate change, pollution, advertising (specifically how advertising is everywhere and how it is changing street scenes with signs, billboards, etc.). Maybe do something with billboards? I like the idea of having a realistic image (in other words not a clearly cut out photoshop image). Or maybe show climate change in an exaggerated way? For example with water pouring through streets, snow in Wellington, sand storms, etc.

In my initial research I’ve come across several artists that inspire me.

Gerald van der kaap

I like the lighting in this one, the colour scheme (purple-ish and the billboard).

I like the feel of Gerald’s images, very quiet serene, yet there is a lot happening in them.  He uses photoshop for most his images, but with a very realistic effect.

Loretta Lux

The colour scheme of these images really appeal to me. I like light colours and minimal design. Also I love the way the subjects have been digitally manipulated, they’ve become strange creatures,  almost alien-like, yet they still remain a certain softness.

Note to self:  maybe create ‘quiet’ images, look at colour schemes like the ones above, purple vs light creme, etc.

But as I experimented with the display options I decided that a grid would be most effective. The grid resembles a window, which symbolic for my theme of looking at the projections of Holland.

I have decided on the above layout because of the balance of colour. Also I think my strongest image is the bed image, which I think needs to be at the top left (as we read from top left to bottom right).