Displacement Map Tutorial

After learning how to and actually doing a few displacement maps, its time to share what you learned. In your blogs, create a step-by-step tutorial on how to do displacement maps. Include screen shots of the process to help the reader better understand what is going on. 

This is the original picture that I will use to do a displacement map.

Step 1: Add a black and white layer then save it as "Original". (Not all pictures will use the black and white feature)

Step 2: Add a brightness/contrast layer to adjust the picture. Then bring up the contrast and brightness up around 30 for brightness and around 80 for contrast. Each picture will be slightly different.

Step 3:  Merge the three layers you have just created all into one layer. Then save that as a separate file named "Edit".

Step 4: Now open the overlay pattern that you are going to use in a separate window in photoshop.

Step 5: Now using the move tool click and drag on overlay pattern on to the "Original" file from the "Pattern" file. It will appear on a  new layer call it "Pattern".

Step 6: Press (cmd t) to transform the pattern picture (make sure it is a high resolution picture). Scale the picture so that the pattern fits the way you want it to.

Step 7: Make sure that you have selected the "Pattern" layer and  choose the overlay option in the layers panel.

Step 8: Now you are going to displace the "Edit" file onto the "Original" file.  Choose  Filter > Distort > Displace.  

Step 9: The Displace box option panel will appear. Make sure that everything in the box matches the picture shown above. Then choose the "Edit" file when it gives you the option to choose a file.

Step 10: With the "Pattern" layer still selected add a layer mask to that layer  to begin taking out the parts you do not want there.

Step 11: Mask out all the excess pattern that you do not want sticking out of the area that you are putting the pattern on. For example, I only wanted it on her skin so I masked out the pattern from everywhere but her skin

Step 12: ( Not all pictures will have to do this ) To bring some of the brightness down in the pattern, drop the opacity on the "Pattern" layer until you like the way it looks.

Step 13: File > Save as > "Finish Displacement map"

<my final picture>

Unit 3 Blog 1

Visit the following sites and make notes in your blog about each topic. Include an image to illustrate what you are talking about. If one of your assignments from last year photos fits—then use that as your image. Cut and paste links to your browser or right-click to open: 
www.kodak.com...



Tip 1: Get on their level. For example when taking pictures of pets 90% of the time you will be bigger then them so to get a better picture get down on their level and then snap a picture and it will make the picture much more interesting.

For example these pictures are the same type of dog but the top left one looks more interesting because its not just the dog looking up, the dog is lying down and also bale to get a better background. Its just more appealing to the artistic eye.

 

Tip 2: When taking pictures of just a certain object make sure if has a plain background because it will make the subject pop out more. If its not a plain background it can be too distracting and people might not focus of the actual subject.         Photo by: Ryan 

Tip 3: Use flash outdoors. When its a cloudy day and when you take pictures of the subject and it has dark spots on the subject use the flash and it will brighten it up and remove the dark spots.


by:Joseph Padiernos

Tip 4: Stepping up close with a macro lens will fill the whole frame and will focus on a certain subject rather then a huge picture of random stuff and make it look more lively and interesting.


By: Kenan Kurtagic

Tip 5: Always use different angles and the same subject to see which angle looks better, for example turn the camera 90 degrees and make the picture a vertical picture.


By:Marcus Obal












Tip 6: Lock the focus to create a sharp and clear picture of off-centered subjects.
1. Center the main subject
2. Press shutter button half way down
3.  Re-frame your picture
4. Finish by pushing the button all the way down

Tip 7: You can make your picture look much more interesting by moving the main subject from the middle the one of the rule of thirds point.











Tip 8: Use flash even if there is some distance between you and the main subject but only about to about 10-15 feet.










Tip 9: When taking pictures of people outside the best lighting to use is soft light on cloudy days. For scenic use the long shadows and use color of early and late daylight.


Tip 10: Don't just be an average photographer make it your on such as adding props, rearranging the subjects, and try different view points.

Goals 5-6 - Reveiw 3-4

• I want to shoot a lot more on my free time this year because i want to be more diverse with my work.
• I really want to use a lot more HDR this year because i love that effect.
• I also want to go to more school events to try and get my photos in the year book.
• I also really want to improve as a photographer 
• i want to win an award this year for one of my pictures.

This is one is one of my favorite pictures from my 3-4 year. To me this is just the perfect picture with just the right amount of balance and good focus. I am using the cannon camera that Sadams gave to us. I didn't learn much because I used these cameras last year.

Montage Activity 3

As editors exercise their ever-increasing power over information control, what limits would you impose on them as to the extent to which they can manipulate the photographic image? 

Devise a series of guidelines that will control the release of images that have been constructed for media use so that the public is aware as to the extent of the manipulation. 

 The media for instance uses before and after pictures a lot especailly for things like weight loss diets or even work out programs. They use these types of things because they don't want the people to truly know that she really looks like that. They want us to believe that being skinny is better then being a little thick which is just as fine as some who is really skinny but thats not what the media wants us to believe. 

Photo by:Claudia Schiffer.

  

Photo by: Legenda

Montage Activity 4

This  photomontage is a perfect example to show for a photomontage because they took  nuke explosion and then a clown and they edited it so that the cloud is a clown. They probably used a cloud filter in photoshop to also help with the texture.

This is a great  humorous photomontage because they took a man and a hand and put them together to get this funny picture.

Find two examples of photomontages that are either from a commercial source or from a fine art background. Discuss in what context they have been produced and what techniques they share with political photomontages. 

What messages, if any, are communicated through these photomontages and how effective do you think they are? Consider different ways that each image could have been tackled by the artist and come up with an idea for ‘another in the series’. 

Montage Activity 2

 This picture is a great photomontage for this era. I say this because everyone is all about how people are so separated and when something happens they shut down and use some sort of social media to express how they are feeling.
Photo By: Joachim Beyrowski

This picture of Elvis Presley have been made into a photomontage because he is holding a phone with headphones when they didn't have that back then.
Photo By: Butcher Billy

Montage Activity 1

 I think that the painters back then always had something to say to the people who were doing this type of art because its different and people enjoyed this more. Now that photo manipulation is possible we can show much more as a photographer in one photo rather then multiple photos. Also photo manipulation take simplicity out of the picture and makes it look more complex and have a deeper meaning because there are now multiple pictures. I think that this can be more of a revival because now that we have all this technology to make it look even better then what it used to be therefore being able to compare it to the past makes it the revival.