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Knowledge in Nature
The overall message I’m trying to send with this image is that knowledge can be found in nature and tranquility while man and his creations simply get in the way. This transcendentalist way of thinking leaks into all of the layers of my image from the background to the lacrosse helmet. The first layer serves as the background in which nature is constantly present. The sky is separated into dark and light which shows the two different viewpoints by positive and negative thinking which contribute to the overall psyche and influence how much a person is willing to learn. The Newton’s Cradle symbolizes knowledge and the willingness to learn while also enforcing the laws of nature in Newton’s three main laws of physics and motion in nature. The basketball, while seeming as though it fits in, contributes as a distraction to those who need to focus on other things. It was placed in the front of the picture because it is appealing due to its temptation as people would rather spend their time doing leisure activities in place of improving metacognitive capabilities. The lacrosse helmet is shown poking through the bars of the Newton’s Cradle because while sports can be an intrusion, they also provide intelligence in areas that observation and study cannot. Skills and lessons involving teamwork, working as a unit, and communication can be achieved in intramural activities much faster than in isolation. There is an animal in the light of the sun because humans often learn much about themselves by observing animals and even other creatures within their species. Perhaps observation in other creatures can shed some light as to why humans have so many issues. In conclusion, “Knowledge in Nature” is made to show people how tranquility in nature can reveal answers in a way that man-made constructs, like the Internet, cannot.
Selfie Double-Exposure - Path Less Taken
Artist Statement: Double Exposure
After an entire trimester of working with Photoshop and taking photos I have grown quite a bit in my abilities to edit photographs. The first time I made the Selfie-Exposure I struggled greatly as I didn’t know how to use any editing tools except for opacity. I tried to balance five different images on one too-bright background and I ended up placing the five images in random places at different levels of inconsistent opacities in an attempt to make sure that they were all in the frame. When I made the new Selfie Double-Exposure, I easily manipulated the layers in order to make them all visibly balanced while blending them well with each other. The second time, I did something I never thought of doing when working with layers: I copied the same layers and re-layered two or three copies of the same layer on top of each other. This helped to balance out the difference in between background and selfie since they have different opacities. Just one layer each produced a weak appearance but by increasing the number of levels, I was able to even out the proportion of each layer. I used three selfie layers and two background layers (since the background had a stronger appearance vibrantly). To give it a more surreal effect, I gave the top selfie layer a filter which I think helped with the overall appearance.
After an entire trimester of working with Photoshop and taking photos I have grown quite a bit in my abilities to edit photographs. The first time I made the Selfie-Exposure I struggled greatly as I didn’t know how to use any editing tools except for opacity. I tried to balance five different images on one too-bright background and I ended up placing the five images in random places at different levels of inconsistent opacities in an attempt to make sure that they were all in the frame. When I made the new Selfie Double-Exposure, I easily manipulated the layers in order to make them all visibly balanced while blending them well with each other. The second time, I did something I never thought of doing when working with layers: I copied the same layers and re-layered two or three copies of the same layer on top of each other. This helped to balance out the difference in between background and selfie since they have different opacities. Just one layer each produced a weak appearance but by increasing the number of levels, I was able to even out the proportion of each layer. I used three selfie layers and two background layers (since the background had a stronger appearance vibrantly). To give it a more surreal effect, I gave the top selfie layer a filter which I think helped with the overall appearance.