Catherine Pickle's Digital Imaging

 

 I was considering making this project a series, but for now aim for trying all different kinds of ideas to see what sticks.  This composition feels far more interesting, I tried to sharpen that abstract shape I had going in some of the earlier compositions and create more of a clear focal point. This picture speaks less to a deeper meaning and more to a literal meaning; showing dried oats, water and finished oatmeal, which are bits and pieces of the steps in the cycle of beginning to end (for a bowl of oatmeal.) I additionally feel like this image has good texture but needs improvement with the edges of the stamp tool oatmeal pattern (zigzag edges along the bowl) Here it is cleaned up: Plus I added an extra empty bowl about to be filled in trying to make this piece feel more like a cycle.  I added a packet of oatmeal pouring into the second bowl to really drive in that repetitive cycle. I went between my ipad and computer to clean up the bowl and add oats! I tried adding...

 After feeling lost in terms of purpose/meaning behind this assignment, I decided to really dig deeper with the concept "ground-hog day"; waking up to a new day everyday, making this consistent bowl of oatmeal.  With this photo, I added (and masked) an image of some oats overtop of the bowl of instant oatmeal to symbolize how small we really are in the world; all of the other grains represent the many other lives and mornings, and how this image is just a peek into one persons day. I also masked, copied and scaled the spoon to make it larger; I felt that made the image more interesting. I tried adding clouds in this image, to make it appear foggy to give off a "groggy unsettling deja vu" feeling but didn't like it. These are two iterations of trying to convey the same concept but with water; still very unsure with how to achieve an unsettling "we've been here before" look.

  This is an additional iteration- I am beginning to think it would be easier to take new images or think of a new theme- It is hard to incorporate purpose and new themes to the cycle of the beginning and end of an instant oatmeal packet. 

 I'm not totally clear on how I am supposed to alter these images, so here is my current interpretation! I grabbed these images:  I used the masking tool to cut out the oatmeal packets and the pouring water, and then I layered the images in this order with these effects: Layer 1 (top): Boiling water image (blending mode: lighter color) Layer 2: Masked pouring water image (blending mode: soft light) Layer 3: Masked oatmeal packets (blending mode: lighten) Layer 4: Oatmeal bowl (normal) To create this:  I wanted to combine some of the stages of the cycle into one image; I feel like I incorporated some fun textures, shape and movement into this image. I intend to experiment with different images, using different effects to make a variety of iterations.

 I couldn't get the pictures to be organized, but here they are!! I took pictures of the cyclical nature of the beginning of the day- the process of making breakfast. I thought it was a healthy cycle to capture, a repetitive one that only changes with your choice of food.