RAYOGRAM EXPEREMENT

Feather

I decided to experement with creating rayograms using an photographic enlarger. By placing A4 photographic paper underneith the light source I was able to great this first feather image. This had to be done in a Dark Room so that no other light was exposed to the paper. I then left it under the light source for seven seconds, this allowed more detail to be processed. I found an old feather within the dark room that I was able to used. I loved the detial and the texture of the feather and wanted to experement if the feather hairs would show up on the rayogram, which they did. This allowed the image on the left to be created. I really like the effect making a rayogram made because the image negative. This could have also been editied on Adobe Photoshop by changing the cerves to negative as well.

I felt that the feather image alone wasnt enough so I decided to merge the image with another of my pictures from the Grassington Photoshoot. I chose an image that over looked that water with two inocent girls in black and white. I felt that this image was apropresate because it showed calmness and tranqiuility making the image more effective. I layerd the feather ontop of the Grassington Photo so that i was able to edit the photo by rotating one hundered and eighty degrees and slowly with the small rubber tool taking away the black background so that the underneithe image was exposed. The texture of the feather and leaves from the large oak tree almost intersink making the image more effective and better on the eye. I felt it was important to rotate the image because on the direction of the water flow and because of the block on the right hand side of the image being the two girls and the tree.

I think both of these images work very well with each other and I am very happy with the result it has given. I was going to focus more on the reflection in the water but decided that the focus should be more on the main subjects; the feather and the right hand sector. I dont think the picture would have worked as well if it was in colour because of the rayogram effect the feather gave. I found this process very interesting and disided to experement futher with merging rayograms and my own idividual images.

I decided to explore ray-o-grams since the insperation from Man Ray. I think that his work is both inspiring and interesting, his work has created many fantastic things influding influences on the fashion world. Below is a detailed explanation of how and why I choose to explore this technique and my final images I was able to produce.

Fur Coat

This image was much harder to develop. It consited of streching the coat so that more threads where show, this is so that when placing the image with another, the first image can show thorugh the material. It was really interesting to edit this image, I clicked on layers and was able to choose how I wanted the image disolving. The technique i choose was 'screen' this created a textured effect along the image. I had to morph the fur so that it became larger as well as contrast the white and the black fur further. This was because otherwise the white on the fur you can see in the top right hand corner would have been to overpowing for the picture in key places, constructing the models. I really liked this image on its own however I felt it worked best with an overlay since it made it much more interesting.

I also used dodge and burn in order to emphise the background against the black and white layer. Then i was able to merge these together and alter the contrast, hue saturation and the levels. This enabled me to create this image though a long process of editing techniques. The settting of the image is in Grassington, overlooking a large fast flowing river. We managed to find a branch that the girls could stand on, which gave the picture some different varitys of hight. I wanted to make the image reflect a meaning hence why both of the yonug girls are looking over the river, one of them is pointing making them both look interested in something. I love the posture of the blonde haired model since I really think it gives the image some shapes.

I think that both of these images work well with each other since they create a very nice effect like a scaley effect, this gives the picture something more interesting then the two models just staring into the river below.