This second side trip has three goals.

 

First, you will have a chance to use the tools learned in the last lessons. The extract and path tools should be especially helpful.

Second, you will have the opportunity to express some creative freedom. The final product of this side trip should involve a fair amount of creativity in composition.

 
Third, you will be exposed to issues of resolution. Since all images used in this side trip are of your creation or scanned resolution becomes an important consideration.

 

1
 Start by taking a look at Jerry Uelsmann's images at his web site. Notice how he has used a camera and enlarger to create images that blend human-made objects with objects from nature. He calls this blending the "reconciliation of opposites".
2
 Look at the level of detail in his images. Notice how the various images are seamlessly blended together. Examine how the lighting of the image is consistent as if all the objects really existed together in the world.
3
 Next, look at how each image contains a theme. The house that becomes roots expresses the theme of foundations (homes and roots). The open map room with a person walking across the map expresses a sense of exploration beyond boundaries.
4
 Now it is time to put together your own reconciliation image. What theme do you feel strongly about? What felling do you want to express? What angers you? What excites you? What moves you? How do these things reconcile the separate worlds of humans and the natural world?
5
 Collect some images that may work for your creation. Scan them and save them to an Uelsmann folder inside your server folder. Open them in PhotoShop and clean them up. Create a contact sheet of the images in your folder by selecting automate under the file menu in PhotoShop.
6

Create your composite image. All work should be done on a 6" x 4" canvas at 300 dpi. Use the necessary tools being certain to use the tools from the lesson as they apply.The criteria below should guide you in your decisions. DO NOT flatten the image.

pts
 criteria excellence
10
 6x4 canvas at 300 dpi Photoshop file has proper dimensions and filename.
40
 images combined with no edges visible Edges are clear or are treated in such a way that the separate images appear to not have been pasted separately. Layer effects have been used to enhance the separate pieces of the image.
20
 product shows consistent lighting The image is lit in such a way that the objects appear to have been photographed at the same time. Separate lighting sources may be used, but must appear the add to the reality of the image.
5
 product is an example of reconciliation as shown by Jerry Uelsmann Human-made and natural objects are combined in a way that provokes discussion, but that is not so odd as too make the viewer view the product as separate pieces pasted together.
20
 product uses tools from lessons Extract, glow, paths, masks and such have been used to enhance to final product. Final produce looks like a photograph.
5
 Product has a clear theme or topic The feeling or tone of the image is clear to the viewer.