Photo-Shoot #2

I did this photo-shoot in my house, and used the fake skull, which I mentioned previously on my blog, as the subject. I captured these images with the intent of combining them with ones from a future shoot in order to create a fantastical piece.

As I am planning on combining these images with ones of fire, I used the amber-tones of my living room lights as the lighting, as it would make the lighting reflecting off of the skull similar to the colour of light fire emits.

I tried capturing some out-of-focus images in-case I wanted to put the focus on the flames instead of the skull when combining the images.

Image #1 (Original Unedited)

I used the black rug in my living room as the background for this image so that it would be easier to "cut out" the skull in Photoshop. This is the only image I used from the shoot of the skull as I decided against having the focus on the flames due to the way the shots of the fire turned out, and also because I could not think of a reason for doing focussing on them instead of the skull.

Images of Fire Used (Original Unedited)

I chose these images from the shoot of the fire because they both feature large quantities of flames.

Image #1 (First Version)

For this first version, I wanted to create a naturalistic look to the fire engulfing the skull. In Photoshop, I used the 'quick select' tool to select and delete the background from around the skull, then imported it into the image of the fire, and created a black background 'layer' and placed it underneath the other 'layers'. After this, I simply set the 'layer mode' of the fire to 'screen' and put that layer on top of the one of the skull, thus creating the impression that the fire is surrounding the skull.

Image #1 (Second Version)

In this version, I experimented with the 'unsharp mask' tool inan attempt to create a well-defined, high-contrast, neon glow effect for the image. The fire now has some blue and pink tones in it, which makes it seem hotter, and the skull is more defined and "stands out" more. Whilst I liked this version, I was not completely satisfied with it due to how bold and sharp it is; it can be a little hard to look at.

Image #1 (Third Version)

I then, with this version, continued my experimentation with the 'unsharp mask' tool and tried decreasing it slightly. I ended up reaching the look that is seen in this image, which I like a lot. The flames have retained the blue and pink tones, but they are not as vibrant -- I like this because it makes the whole image blend together better, and look more "realistic", but still fantastical. I removed the 'unsharp mask' from the skull entirely, and left it untouched to see how the natural colour of it looked with the fire. Overall, I like this version, but still was not satisfied completely.

Image #1 (Fourth Version)

Finally, I reached this final version. The only difference between this and the third version is that I added the same amount of the 'unsharp mask' as used on the fire to the skull as well. It made the skull less obvious, and seem as though it is actually apart of the flames. The colours blend well together, and the whole image overall looks like an abstract/'Fantasy' interpretation of the iconic 'Terminator' scene (shown in my post about my inspiration for this shoot), yet still different and unique. I would image this image being used as large-print wall art for people's house interiors, such as on a feature wall in a living room or bedroom.

In terms of meaning and implications, this image could easily relate to Mankind's development and evolution, and its future. The half-Human, half-machine skull could be a representation of what Humans are becoming, and the fire could represent the perhaps somewhat inevitable outcome of Mankind's machine-dominated path.