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My plan for the Make it like Hurley assignment is to layer multiple versions of my subject to resemble motion in a single picture. I will take multiple photos of my subject moving laterally. Then with each layer layered into a single photo eventually, I will have a photo displaying motion. If possible I want to have a different blur on each subject from different layers, giving me a gradient of different blurs. I will be able to achieve this by adjusting the iso of the camera.

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In my layers layout brainstorming stage. I laid out the different subjects into a walking motion. My goal is to make a proportional sizing of the subjects(duc) to make a more natural motion, but I am worried that it would make the image less interesting so i will have to play around more with the independent subjects from other layers to determine the adequate ratio. Also, I choose to abandon the initial idea of having a different gradient of clarity of each layers/subjects, because my camera skills aren't yet proficient for me to create a perfect gradient.

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Today in class we used Photoshop to create our own photographic negatives. First, I gathered several different images and carefully compiled them into a single composition by using multiple layers. As I experimented with arranging and blending the layers so that the photos would interact in an interesting way I choose to make each subject from different layers in a similar proportion. After I was satisfied with the layout, I adjusted the exposure levels to control the highlights and shadows, then converted the composition to black and white to make the photo like a traditional photographic negative. If I could change something, I think next time I could push the creativity further by choosing more visually striking images, experimenting with unusual angles or textures, and playing more with blending modes and filters to make the final piece more dynamic and fun. Even possibly I could've made my gradient of different blurs on PH. This activity also gave me a clearer sense of how Photoshop works. Before this lesson I had almost no experience with the program, but now I feel like my foundation and confidence in Photoshop are starting to grow.

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Today we experimented with different exposure intervals to print our negatives onto pretreated cyanotype paper. I tested with a 30-second interval, exposing each section of the print for different lengths of time to compare how the exposure affected the final image. This allowed me to see which timing produced the most suitable result for my preferences and the desired level of detail in the negative. After developing the print, I used hydrogen peroxide to accelerate oxidation and deepen the blue tones. Based on my tests, I found that an exposure time of about 2 minutes captured the most detail and produced my favorite shade of blue.

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This time instead of pretreated cyanotype paper we used a formula treated cyanotype. With the previously identified exposure time from the experiment, I exposed the paper for exactly 2 minutes. I had two versions. One with plain exposure and the other with hydrogen peroxide. In my opinion by adding the hydrogen peroxide to the paper the image's detail became more vivid with a darker blue color.

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https://photographylife.com/photography-lighting-setups

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReCsnOYPnoo

For these set ups I use my Labubu subject using 4 different type of back lights, and differently set lightings. One of my favorite setting was the first photo where there was a key light on the front of the subject, a fill light on the side of the subject (45 degree angle), and a backlight. Particularly, for the back light we used was a tv screen displaying colored light. First the fill key light defines the subject’s shape and features, then the fill light supports the key light clearing out the shadows, helping define the subject's details. Finally, the back light adds separation between the subject and the background and introduces a subtle, colored glow that makes the composition feel more dynamic and visually interesting. I think to make a adequate light set up; the preparation needed is a clear plan to follow and a mood the photographer whats to convey. In this set up I wanted to create a mood that is Bright and Cheerful, first I believe that the subject itself is a bright/playful subject, and with the subject the back light's color gives the photo a interesting aspect, the blue scheme matches my subject. But also a important factor would be the filler light which saves the details on my subject allowing the subject's playfulness to be portrayed.

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This photo demonstrates my best example. The photo has: a key light under the subject, a backlight, and a lowkey filler light allowing the emphasis on the shadows, which give a warm tone to the image. Moreover, the yellow tone of the key light under and the low key fill light gives the photo a overall mood of a warm soothing feeling. The positioning of these lights are also important. The key light under the subject and the low key fill light in a 45 degree angle below works together give a moodier, more dramatic look. It creates emphasis on my subject's smooth surface. But on the other side, the back light is white allowing the subject to be clearly separated from the background. In addition, the white color of the backlight accounts for numbed details from the warm light.

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Last class I used a warm light setup, which gave my photo an orange gold glow. It made the subject feel friendlier and more nostalgic, almost like candlelight. This class I tried a white key light and a fill light from the right side and a warm light inside the subject. The white light changed the mood it looked calmer, more modern and a little mysterious. While, white light makes the subject's details on texture and shape more assertive, warm light gives cozy and emotional mood to the image. I prefer the warm light if I had to choose because warm tones make the subject feel more inviting and emotional. They add a sense of coziness and nostalgia, while white light can feel more clinical or neutral.

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The most powerful insight from the video is how AI powered masking in Camera Raw can automatically detect and separate different subject areas. For instance, the AI tool can differentiate subjects like “subject,” “background,” “sky,” or even individual people. Instead of manually painting masks, now we can generate highly accurate selections with one click, then refine different characteristics of the photo. This makes photoshop way more efficient. Personally, a setback in photoshop's masking tool is that users will have to know how to adapt and fully understand the purpose of each step of the editing process because the default of photos are all different. This means that for each photo there will be a appropriate way of editing styles to achieve a certain feel for the image, and we shouldn't apply one pattern of certain editing steps to all type of photos. The AI masking technique is very effective because it reduces tedious manual selections while staying surprisingly accurate. For example, the video shows a photo where the software identified the subject(chicken) with minimal error, it is able to separate the subject and background with minimal error, without this tool photoshop techniques including this step would be inefficient. After these steps I feel motivated to practice more and play around with photoshop and learn different tools and editing factors of photoshop.

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I think the difference between the collage editing and the overlay editing is that the over lay effect is more visually simple compared to the collage comparison. I think this is because in the collage editing each color of the image has its own collage type, giving each color area of the image more interesting. While the overlay editing simply layers a pattern on a certain area on the subject.

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The tittle of my photo would be "Overworked". I want my photo to portray a overworked student. The setting would be a A dark bedroom, dorm, or study space with only a small desk lamp or laptop screen providing light. Papers, sticky notes on the wall, and half empty cups. The main light source would be the laptop glow (cool bluish light on the student’s face) and the fill light would be a desk lamp with a warm yellow bulb to contrast the blue laptop glow. I will have the the rest of the room fall into shadow so the chaos on the desk really pops. The props needed would be books stacked in a mess; cups of coffee and bottles; and Stationeries like highlighters, pens, sticky notes and scatter them to show frantic energy. Maybe also, a phone with dozens of notifications, crumpled paper balls, headphones tangled in the mess. My subject could be in a Hoodie or oversized sweater (comfort clothing). A messy hair or, maybe hand pulling at hair to show stress would be good. The composition will have the key light eithe from the laptop's screen or a key light on the back of the subject. The fill light will be a side highkey light. On the other side of the table I will have a low reflection with a white sheet which will give the shadows a slight reduction. I want these warm lightings to give a shady mood.

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In today's lab we did a recap on lighting practicing the factors of a good lighting set up. Factors like backlight, keylight, fill light, flashes, temperature, and mood. In this example we used warm lights to give a soothing mood. With the key light we used a fill light on the side creating a shadow on the subject(Duc) There aren't any changes with my plan because this lab showed how a warm temperature set up will allow me to emphasize that warm/ comforting mood that I want to convey in my Mise En Scene.

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My initial plan for this photo was to portray the emotional weight of being an overworked student, and the final product closely aligns with that vision. I wanted to capture a dim, isolated study space where the only light sources are the cool glow of a laptop and a warm desk lamp, creating a strong contrast that emphasizes both exhaustion and focus. However, instead of using a lamp I used a white light that my subject(sister) held. This lighting choice successfully drew attention to the laptop, cups, and messy workspace, allowing the viewer’s eye to move naturally from the subject to the props emphasized with the shadows on the desk. In addition, rather than the initial idea of portraying a overworked student, I wanted to portray a student athlete who is putting the work in to balance sports and academics. The jersey on the right and the laptop and papers were intended to illustrate this. The subject’s casual and dark hoodie gives clear clues to the character’s stress and fatigue. By keeping the rest of the room in shadow, the mess on the desk and the student’s tired posture stand out even more, emphasizing isolation and pressure.

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Based on the podcast we listened to street photography was defined as a photo that captures life and every day moments. The podcast also adressed the fact that street photography doesn't have to be taken on the streets. It can be captured in many different settings where life is captured.

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I want to choose places that have movement, contrast, and human interaction, since those make for compelling street photos. For instance Markets or shopping streets Examples: Ben Thanh Market, local night markets, or outdoor food stalls because I will be able to capture expressions, textures, and dynamic light (neon, stall lights, reflections). Public transit areas Examples: Bus stops, train stations, crosswalks, or bike parking lots. This will portray movement and interesting natural framing opportunities. Lastly,old and new architecture intersections: Streets where colonial or traditional buildings meet modern glass towers. This will portray great composition and light contrast shadows and reflections create mood. During the lab today we experimented with the camera's Aperture, Exposure Time, and the camera's black and white filter these features affected the texture and exposure of image. This photo had a side light. I want to experiment in other areas in the city outside the school to determine what aspects of the environment we must consider when taking street photos.

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Yes, these kinds of edits are acceptable in street photography. Adjusting tone, color, and contrast doesn't change what happened it simply helps communicate the feeling of the moment more clearly. Street photography has always been a fluid genre, constantly shifting as artists experiment with new tools, perspectives, and styles. Editing is one of the ways the genre continues to grow and evolve.

In my opinion I think breaking rules are also completely fine. Street photography has always been about pushing boundaries, reacting to the environment, and finding beauty in unpredictability. If bending or breaking a “rule” makes the image stronger or more expressive, then it becomes part of your creative style, and that’s what moves the art form forward.

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For this process other materials to potentially use is color chalk to give the print color. The color of the chalk gives the image the value of color. Previously I didn't use any chalk or charcoal, and expected the print to print the burnt carbon, however this was not enough. Also the paper sheet wont be soaked in water enough, causing the charcoal to not thoroughly attach to the sheets.

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As I planned the addition I added were Chalk to add color into my print. It was successful because I made sure the chalk didn't cover as much positive space compared to the negative space, giving more contrast on the print. What could of been better is that the contrast between the negative and positive could of been greater by using contrasting colors for my chalk selection. The biggest take way from this experience tis that I was able to learn how to use the press and the mechanism of how printing images work.

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I didn't do any post editing of the photo. The photo shows a walkway beside a road during sunset, with pastel pink and orange skies, glowing streetlights, and a few people walking as cars and motorcycles pass by. The mix of natural light, urban structures, and everyday activity creates a calm, cinematic mood. This photo qualifies as street photography because it captures an unstaged moment in a public space, showing real people moving through their environment. The blend of human presence, city infrastructure, and motorbikes documents ordinary life as it naturally happens, reflecting the fluid and open nature of modern street photography. If I do make edits on the photo I would want to make edits by color-grading the image.

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1. Reflection on Process

Throughout the different experiments and materials we explored, my understanding of physical printing and image manipulation grew significantly. In the preparation stages, I realized how essential strong value and contrast are for clearly printing the main elements of an image. Working with layered press prints from various media helped me learn how texture and depth can shift the way values appear and how images emerge from the surface. Laser etching taught me how depth interacts with the wiped ink and how materials like charcoal transfer from the plate to the paper. Dry point etching showed me that very small details can be captured by controlling the depth and marks I create on the plate. With PCB board etching, I learned how chemicals and heat can produce layers, textures, and tonal variations without traditional carving, using removal and reaction instead. Moving through these different physical plate making techniques made me understand how each material and process affects the final visual outcome, and how much control I can exert over texture, tone, and depth.

2. Critical Judgment

Dry point etching was the method that most accurately conveyed my artistic intentions, because it allowed me to highlight small details and tonal shifts with the most precision. In comparison, both the laser-etched and PCB-etched prints required more adjustments, as the clarity and values were less predictable and harder to control. The PCB method, especially, involved a longer and more sensitive process, relying on exact timing, heat, and chemical reactions, as well as careful alignment during repeated heat pressing. The laser-etched plates, while clean, were limited by the material itself; certain images needed stronger value contrast to print clearly, and repeated pressing caused the layers to blend together. In contrast, dry point offered a more reliable way to express the detail, depth, and emphasis I intended.

3. Future Application In the future, I can imagine combining these processes to create high contrast prints or works that need strong areas of emphasis. These etching and printing techniques give me a wide range of ways to build texture and layered imagery using physical materials, allowing for expressive control over mood, surface, and color. Each method brings its own strengths and unique visual qualities, making them adaptable for different projects or design contexts. Physical printing offers a depth and tactile presence that digital methods cannot fully replicate, and I may use these approaches to expand my creative work.

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My Idiom: "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

What visuals do you get when you hear this idiom? A hand holding a single bird, A bush with two birds hidden inside, illustrating the contrast between what is real and certain vs what is tempting but uncertain.

For block printing, I imagine: A solid black silhouette of a hand One clear bird shape

A textured bush made from repeated carved marks and birds hiding inside.

I think the idiom means that something you already have is more valuable than things you have to search for. After researching, I learned that the idiom means something certain is more valuable than something uncertain, even if the uncertain option seems more appealing. After research, I adjusted my sketches to make the bird in the hand more solid and detailed, while the birds in the bush are more abstract and hidden. This strengthens the idea of certainty versus temptation and makes the message clearer to the viewer.

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In class I created the created an iteration of my idiom using AI to generate and refine the illustration. Out of all the approaches I explored, the AI version most effectively captures the idea I want to communicate. It presents the concept clearly, with strong detail and a visually polished style that works well for printing.

What I appreciate most about the AI iteration is its level of precision and depth that comes from the texture and patterns. It allows me to visually emphasize key elements of the idiom in a way that feels more engaging and layered than my initial sketch. The composition feels more complete, and the details help strengthen the overall message. Moving forward, I plan to transfer this detail through carving this version further by adjusting certain elements so the main subject stands out more clearly. I also want to simplify or reduce any distracting details to ensure the message from my idiom is transferred. Overall, I believe the AI iteration provides the strongest foundation for my final piece.

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This is my final print from my block printing Project. Initially my plan was to use two colors to articulate the contrast from my image and the background, however, Mr. larson gave me the option for me to use a black on a white background to emphasize the contrast between the image and the background to vividly convey the print. My idiom was “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” Through the 12 prints I chose this print as my best one because the contrast is the clearest and the carving lines are the most precise. The solid black ink against the white background makes the bird in the hand immediately stand out, which reinforces the meaning of the idiom valuing what you already have instead of risking it for something uncertain. In earlier prints, some areas were unevenly inked or slightly smudged, which distracted from the message.

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first two layers

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added color gold