my edited photographs

Edited Photographs for My Magazine Jarad Tansley

Cambridge Technicals Media – Unit 30 (Photography for Media Products)

LO5

Software used

¤  To edit my images, I am using Adobe Photoshop. The reason I am using this is because it allows me to edit my photos very extensively, with many features catered towards photo editing, as well as design features such as text. There are many advanced ways to edit, some will be demonstrated in these edits I have done on my own photos.

Edited Photo 1 Bradley placing components on motherboard

Edited Photo 1

¤  Intentions: This photo was intended to show someone how building a computer would start. Bradley’s head was facing the wrong way, however, so I had to fix this.

¤  Editing Techniques: I had several pictures of Bradley placing components in the motherboard. I took a picture where he was looking down and pasted his head from that photograph onto the original. I then removed any elements of his head from the original photo with the Clone Brush.

Before After

Edited Photo 1

¤  Why this photograph is good for my publication: This photograph is good for my publication because it shows someone in the age group of my publication’s audience working with computer components, which relates to them.

¤  Why this is better edited: I think this image was better edited as it now looks like Bradley is focused on placing the RAM “stick” into the motherboard rather than focusing on whatever he was looking at.

Before After

Edited Photo 1 – Procedure 1

¤  Firstly, I selected the existing head from the last photo, as well as a few extras to remove later, to the image that will be edited.


¤  After tweaking the head to make it fit the image, I started my second procedure: removing the hair in the original photograph that was sticking out, as well as removing parts of his face on the original image that were still being shown. I used the Clone Brush for this, which uses areas of the photograph as a brush. This allowed me to remove areas of the photograph that weren’t needed.

Edited Photo 2 Picture of a case for the publication’s front cover

Edited Photo 2

¤  Intentions: The intention for this photograph was to be the photograph on the front cover of the magazine.

¤  Editing Techniques: I used the Clone Brush to remove the branding from the computer’s casing (The “Elite” logo, the Gigabyte and Intel stickers). I then used the Black and White Adjustment tools to remove the lighting issues. To finalise the photograph, I created a new background by selecting the computer case, going to Select > Inverse then pressing Backspace (which removes what is selected – the background) and using a gradient fill tool to create a new background.

Before After

Edited Photo 2

¤  Why this photograph is good for my publication: I think this is good for my magazine because the angle makes the computer look tall and superior, making people want to have it. The orientation of the photograph also makes it a perfect front cover image for my magazine.

¤  Why this is better edited: I think this is better edited because not only does it prevent potential copyright issues, but the removal of the branding places more focus on the computer itself than its branding. The background makes it look like a proper magazine cover and the black and white filter makes the computer’s colour match the background.

Before After

Edited Photo 2 – Procedure (1)

¤  Firstly, I removed the background by using several selection tools such as the Quick Selection Tool to and pressing Backspace, which removes the selected areas, making only the computer visible on a transparent background.


¤  Secondly, I looked at areas that contained anything that may make me liable for copyright, as well as anything on the surface of the case that would make it less appealing. I then used the Clone Stamp Tool to use the existing image as a brush to remove said area.


¤  Thirdly, I applied a Black & White Adjustment layer to the edited image. This removes a lot of the yellow and orange colours being reflected by the case.


¤  Finally, I applied a gradient background by creating a new layer and using the Gradient Tool and applying grey colours for my gradient. To apply the gradient I had to create a line with the gradient tool, which then applied the gradient based on the positioning and length of the line.

Edited Photo 3 Case on transparent background

Edited Photo 3

¤  Intentions: The photograph was intended to show a computer case. It will be accompanied by text explaining why a computer case is needed.

¤  Editing Techniques: The image was cropped and the background was removed, allowing me to paste the image anywhere without the background. I then used the Clone Brush to remove the branding from the case.

Before After

Edited Photo 3

¤  Why this is a good photograph for my publication: The photograph is simple; just showing the front of my computer case. This would make a good picture to accompany an explanation on why a case is an essential component of a custom-built computer.

¤  Why this is better edited: This was better edited as the removal of the branding prevents potential copyright issues and also places more focus on the computer, and the transparent background makes it easy to place on any document (in this case, a publication such as my magazine).

Before After

Edited Photo 3 - Procedure (1)

¤  Firstly, I cropped the image to make editing much easier for me. This is done using Photoshop’s built-in Crop Tool. This makes it easier for me to edit as I will have to edit less of the background.


¤  Secondly, I selected the remaining background and shadow areas and removed them. This allowed the image to have a transparent background, which will be important for my publication later.


¤  Thirdly and finally, I used the Clone Stamp tool to remove the branding and surface marks like on the second edited photo. This prevents the case from looking less appealing, and it also prevents copyright-related liabilities.

Edited Photo 4 Power supply unit

Edited Photo 4

¤  Intentions: The photograph was intended to show a power supply unit for the double page spread. Like the computer case, it was intended to be accompanied with text explaining the component. I wanted to remove some of the stickers to make it look less distracting.

¤  Editing Techniques: I removed the background by selecting the power supply unit and then going to Select > Inverse. Then, I removed the labels that were removable, and removed the serial number on one of the labels that were unable to be removed. Then, I added a Black and White adjustment to the image (except for the labels). Finally, I coloured the PSU’s light blue to give it a blue colour, similar to the colour scheme of my magazine.

Before

After

Edited Photo 4

¤  Why this is a good photograph for my publication: This is a good photo for my magazine as the photograph shows the most recognisable part of a power supply unit: the plug and the power light. Everyone will recognise the component this way, making a good image for accompanying an explanation for why a power supply is essential for a custom-built computer.

¤  Why this is better edited: The black and white filter placed on the power supply unit’s casing removes any lighting issues. The removal of some of the stickers prevents distraction and places more focus on the unit itself. Changing the colour of the light adds to the colour of my magazine’s branding.

Before

After


¤  Firstly, I used the Polygonal Lasso Tool to select the power supply. This was an easier way of selecting the power supply. To select the background for removal, I went to the Select menu on Mac OS X’s menu bar and clicked “Inverse”, which selected everything outside the selected area. To remove the background, I pressed Backspace.


¤  The power supply image after the first step was done, and the background was removed.


¤  Secondly, I used the Clone Stamp Tool to remove some of the labels and/or the information in them, making it look cleaner as a result.


¤  Thirdly, I added a black and white filter to the image, the exception being the sticker with the power supply information. This removes the colours caused by the reflection, making it suit the publication better. This was done on a second layer, so I was able to refer back to the original if needed.

Edited Photo 4 - Procedure (4) ¤  Finally, I decided to

make the power supply suit the house style of my publication by changing the colour of the light to blue. To do this, I , selected the light using the Quick Selection Tool and coloured the light in using the Fill feature that resides in the Edit menu. I had to change the mode of the brush to “Color”, so it colours the light rather than paint over it with a solid colour.


¤  A comparison of the “Color” fill mode compared to the “Normal” mode. These modes are also available on the brush tool. As you can see, Normal mode only paints the area, rather than colouring it.

Color mode

Normal mode

Edited Photo 5 Processor installation tutorial

Edited Photo 5

¤  Intentions: The photographs are intended to show how to install a processor for another page on the magazine.

¤  Editing Techniques: I cropped the two photographs and added them into a new Photoshop project. I then resized them and added a stroke inside of both photographs, which created the black border. I added a blue background and added the text detailing how to install the processor onto the project.

Before

After

Edited Photo 5

¤  Why these photos are good for my publication: The images are relevant to what my magazine is about and who it is for, and these two images shows an informational purpose, showing how to install a processor.

¤  Why this is better edited: The editing of this image improves its informational purpose while showing the colour and font design of the magazine’s branding. The text contributes to the informational purpose of this photograph.

Before

After


¤  Firstly, I had to get the two images I had needed and then I cropped them.

Edited Photo 5 – Procedure 2 ¤  Secondly, I created a

border around both of them and merged them into the layer “processor installation”. I used the Blending Tools to make the stroke around my image.

Edited Photo 5 – Procedure 3 ¤  The third procedure was

creating the text for my image. I had used the Harabara font that was used in my publication for Unit 30. The stroke effect gave it the white outline, making it easier to read.

Edited Photo 5 – Procedure 4 ¤  The final procedure was

making the background. I chose for a solid blue colour, as it matched the house style of my publication. I did this by using a bucket-fill tool.

my edited photographs

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