LO5 Evaluating Edited Images

I selected this image to edit because I had this idea from the very beginning, this was the initial idea that spawned the idea for my project. I retook this photograph with the proper equipment  with my original intentions and edited it as I had planned to. I selected this exact photograph out of all the ones I took similar to this because of the emotion connoted from the facial expressions and then the landscape because of the contrast it would create when double exposed.

The image has been edited as planned, there hasn't been too much editing involved in this piece; the main editing was to make the photograph double exposed and combining both photographs. This photograph has been enhanced greatly by being edited, it now connotes a narrative and emotion, this is all because of the facial expressions being more prominent and contrast created by the editing.


I feel as though although some of my photographs have been edited drastically with photographs being combined and not being recognisable from the original, while most of my other photographs have hardly been edited at all. Most of my photography has been subtly edited with a single filter, or changing the brightness settings or the contrast, another main thing I did when editing was to blur the background making it out of focus and making the focal point the model in the fore front of the photograph.


The meaning behind my photography through the use of editing has been increased. The meaning behind this photograph is showing the link between nature and emotion, I wanted to show the relevance of nature and show the beauty and emotion captured by my photography. The other meaning of this photograph was the nature is being built over and gradually being depleted, I wanted to show that nature is still beautiful and shouldn't be destroyed.



My photography fits the brief because the brief was about identity, I feel as though the link between nature and identity is strengthened by the use of a model in every shot, it makes it more personal and relevant. Also my photographs fit the theme of identity because nature is an issue close to my heart, I see the beauty of nature and feel it shouldn't be destroyed. My photography also fits the brief because I am giving nature an identity, I am giving nature a voice; hence the name of my project being Natures Voice. I am giving nature a voice and identity, making it stand out and be heard, this is something I am passionate about and therefore its part of my identity.

In particular I think the very first image links to the brief very well, as it has a model to relate the personal aspects of identity and has a clear link to the theme of nature. I feel the first image I edited was my most successful in terms of visuals and meaning and narrative.

I think I could easily create titles and descriptions of each photograph, as even though they are all very similar in meaning and narrative, they are all uniquely different and relate to specific aspects of my theme. The names I would create for these photographs would link to nature and the brief of identity, but also they would be quite short and the descriptions would be straight to the point.

I worked in the style of various photographers including; Duncan Philpott, Irving Penn and Martin Parr. I have already mentioned this in a previous post going into detail, but when editing and taking the photographs initially I have worked in the style of these artists to achieve my final goal. Another very influential photographer that inspired my project was Sufiskoo who specialised in double exposure which was one of the main aspects in my project.

I achieved this by creating as much contrast as I could when editing, this was to work in the style of Duncan Philpott who's photography is very vibrant and contrasting. I worked in the style of Martin Parr by showing the realistic aspects, one of my main goals was about creating the narrative that needs to be nurtured and needs a voice to be heard, even if that meant connoting what's currently going on. And I worked in the style of Irving Penn by working closely with models.

I used the rules of photography religiously throughout my photoshoots and when editing, the main rules I used were; composition, narrative, focal point, texture and sometimes view point. Narrative was key to achieve the meaning behind all my photographs and create a plot line and story. Texture and view point were just to add visual interest and possibly change a point of view or scenario. Focal point was obviously the model throughout the project.

I was able to enhance some of these photographic elements through the use of editing, sometimes with the different filters and double exposure I created it furthered the narrative and gave the piece more meaning. It also created a lot of contrast and highlighted the focal point being the model, I did this by sometimes making the background out of focus to make the model more prominent and relevant.

Throughout my editing project I combined photographs from different photoshoots, meaning I combined them to create a hybrid design. I feel that creating hybrid designs were effective because it combined the best aspects of both shoots and showed development and creativity. I usually combined the photographs from the two shoots using double exposure, as this made it easy to see both photographs and made it visually interesting as well as furthering the narrative and giving the piece meaning.

I would present these images in a film because I feel if a certain impactful song is playing, it could possibly further the meaning and narrative behind my project. Also if I create a video it makes it more visually interesting and innovative. But I will edit my photographs into a gallery setting to see what it would like if my shoots were part of an exhibition.

How Editing Enhances Meaning

Editing the photographs enhancing the meaning, it makes it possible to adjust certain aspects of the photograph that would enhance the narrative or evoke some kind of emotion. Through editing the photographs you are able to sculpt the photograph in many different ways, giving it multiple meanings; this could be through double exposure, adjusting contrast, vibrancy, hue / saturation or cropping and scaling. Any editing enhances certain aspects. In my photography editing has helped create the narrative through double exposure, I was able to include nature into my otherwise nature free photograph which was based on my theme and narrative.

LO4 Link to Photographers when Editing

My main inspirations for these photograph was Duncan Philpott as one of his specialties is landscape photography, also the way he edits/ captures some aspects of his photographs. In his photography a common theme is contrast, a divide between the colour and then a definite part of black, usually with gleams of colour edging over. I've tried to capture the contrast in his photography in most of mine when possible. Another way I have been inspired by his work is always colourful and vibrant, I have tried when editing to make sure my photographs are both colourful and vibrant, but also dark in places to create contrast.

I also wanted to capture his love for nature and landscapes in my photography, I wanted to make landscapes and nature a key focus in my project, this made it possible for me to direct a strong narrative towards my work, as well as making my photographs more visually interesting.

Another major photographer in terms of my influences was Irving Penn; a portrait photographer. I have tried to transfer some his techniques and style into my work.

In a lot of his work his photography is monochrome and therefore takes on more depth and possibly a deeper narrative than if it was regular colours. I have tried to transfer this monochrome style into my photography, not fully but in some photographs I have made the background monochrome and made the model colourful and vibrant to create contrast.

Another aspect of his photography is the model/ portrait aspect, he focuses on portrait photography to which I have tried to include in my own photography. I have included a model in all my photography on the first photoshoot and have included it in all my editing. Most of his portrait work is up close and borders the face, while most of my photography captures most of the models body, one photograph in particular I have focused on bordering the face and capturing all the details of the face. In this photograph I have combined the picture of the models face with a landscape photograph of some woods, the branches and shadows cast by the tree captures more depth and definition in the face.

Another photographer/ editor that has been vital to my project was a double exposure photographer called Sufiskoo. He inspired the double exposure aspect of my photography, which turned out to be a key theme in my project. In every edited photograph apart from one I have included double exposure, through the use of double exposure I have combined nature and city settings along with models, creating a deep narrative and message.

LO4 Editing Before and After

LO4 Editing Photographs 10

First of all I put the poster edges filter over the image, making the edges more prominent but also blending the whole image together.

I then placed an image of landscape from my second shoot over the image.







I then proceeded to change the opacity of the image to 52% and change the blending settings to multiply joining the two images. I combined these two images to enhance the texture aspect of the image. I then changed the vibrancy and saturation of the image, increasing them.

LO4 Editing Photographs 9

First of all I used the magnetic lasso tool to select the model and the rose. I then went to select and selected the inverse settings, therefore selecting the background.

After selecting the background I then went to the blur settings and made the background more out of focus, therefore putting the model and the prop in focus, making them the focal point.

I then changed the brightness and contrast settings on the whole of the image, making the darker parts more prominent and making them stand out. With most of the image being bright, this was ideal.

The last part of my editing; I decided to put a filter on the image to make it more visually interesting and possibly increasing the contrast. I placed the smudge stick filter over the whole image.

LO4 Editing Photographs 8

I started by putting a filter over the whole image, I used the poster edge filter. This filter made the image more visually interesting and smoothed it out, blending all the aspects together.

I then changed the brightness and contrast settings, because I felt that the image was too blended together, this made the darker parts more visible and separated them parts from the rest.

I then changed the colour balance settings, giving the image a yellowish and pinkish tint to it, making it more visually interesting and having a subtle colour behind it. This also draws out the colours of the flowers making them more prominent in the image.

I then changed the vibrancy and contrast settings, again to make the darker parts stand out and separate them from the rest of the i

LO4 Editing Photographs 7

I fist of all used the healing brush tool to get rid of the Café Nero logo out of my photography, and therefore avoiding any copyright issues.

I then used the magnetic lasso tool to select my model.

I then acquired a photograph from my second photoshoot and placed it in front of the image, then I used the selection around my model to delete that area from image. Leaving only the background to be encased by the image.

I then turned down the opacity to 60% and changed the settings to vivid light, this was to make both backgrounds visible as well as having them interact with each other.

I then used the magnetic lasso tool to select the model again and put a filter over the model to make them stand out more. The filter I used was Fresco, which made the contrast much more visible and made the model more visually interesting.

LO4 Photographs Editing 6

First of all when editing the image I used the magnetic lasso tool to surround my model, I then went to select and inverse to select the background.

In the second editing stage I made the background blurred and out of focus, changing the blur percentage to 52%. I did this to put focus on the model and the rose.







I then proceeded to increase the vibrancy and saturation of the image.

I then decided to lastly increase the brightness and contrast of the image, making the image lighter but separating more from that of the dark as well.