Visual Arts

How special effects became an integrated part of films (10/26/2010)
(...) An example of a special effect that can be accomplished "in the lab" is a traveling matte, which combines into one image shots that are filmed in the studio with those that are filmed on location. The combination of the two approaches is in evidence whenever back projection or front projection are used. Special effects are used in most films, although they can be found in greatest abundance in horror, fantasy, and science-fiction movies. (...)

How did Hollywood become what it is now (09/07/2010)
(...) In 1903, the sleepy little community was incorporated as a village, taking the name of the ranch as its own. Meanwhile, the American film industry was growing by leaps and bounds in New York. It was, essentially, an East Coast business. (...)

Horror movies and what they mean to the film industry (09/07/2010)
(...) The movie was a sensation, assuring a spate of sequels that have conferred a certain cinematic immortality that not even a celluloid spike could end. Lugosi often reprised his role as the vampire, and he was not the only actor to do so. The acknowledged masters of the horror film in the 1990s were the veterans Wes Craven and JOHN CARPENTER. (...)

When did the fantasy films emerge in Hollywood (08/19/2010)
(...) High fantasy took the low road in the 1940s with cheaply made Arabian Nights tales starring Sabu, Maria Montez, Jon Hall, and Turhan Bey. Bordering on high fantasy, however, was the ever-so-charming Douglas Fairbanks Jr. gem, Sinbad the Sailor (1947). (...)

How the Godfather movies made Hollywood history (08/19/2010)
(...) ROBINSON and Danny Thomas. Coppola's first choice, however, was LAURENCE OLIVIER, who turned it down. His second choice, Marlon Brando, wanted the role, but Paramount didn't want Brando. (...)

How Columbia Pictures became a major Hollywood corporation (07/29/2010)
(...) For the next 10 years, his remarkable comedies and dramas, including It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) - which won every major Oscar for 1939 - vaulted the studio into the front rank. (...)

Every digital image that has been captured can be enhanced further (06/02/2010)
(...) Go to the ‘File’ menu and select ‘Save As’. Select JPEG from the Format menu. Label the file with a short name with no gaps or punctuation marks (use an underscore if you have to separate two words) and finally ensure the file carries the extension . (...)

At first glance some digital cameras can appear to be complex (06/02/2010)
(...) The SLR is the most popular camera used by keen amateurs and professionals. The term SLR (single lens reflex) describes the way we view the image with this type of camera. The SLR camera allows for the lens to be changed and uses a larger sensor that increases image quality over the small size of sensors used in digital compact cameras (even though the number of megapixels may be the same, the size of the DSLR sensor will be larger than the equivalent fixed lens camera). (...)

The initial connection with the subject is crucial for a portrait (06/02/2010)
(...) If the photographer continues to observe the subject after having been noticed the subject’s sense of privacy can be invaded and the photographer’s chance for an amicable contact can be lost. Most people will gladly cooperate if a friendly connection has first been established. Directing the subject The photographer should display an air of confidence and friendliness whilst directing subjects. (...)

The physical surroundings included in a portrait (06/02/2010)
(...) Using a plain backdrop with limited detail can retain focus on the individual being photographed whilst choosing an informative location can extend the communication and design possibilities. If the photographer is to reveal any connection between the subject and the background the two elements must be carefully framed together. Vantage point and the relationship and connection between foreground and background become major design considerations for the portrait photograph. (...)

Early landscape images (06/02/2010)
(...) " In order to avoid a stereotypical representation it is important to connect emotionally with the environment in order to express something personal. How do you as an individual feel about the location and what do you want to say about it? Early landscape images Early landscape images were either created as factual records or looked to the world of painting for guidance in such things as composition and choice of content. Fox Talbot described his early photographs as being created by the ‘pencil of nature’. (...)

Surrealism followed Dadaism and photography was found (06/02/2010)
(...) Inspired by the work of these surrealists Angus McBean, in the 1930s, produced a whole series of photomontages of actors and actresses. The photographs are a strange mixture of fantasy and portraiture where the character is often surrounded by props from their current play. Joiners David Hockney has used photomontage in many of his works. (...)

Photomontage in the media (06/02/2010)
(...) Minor blemishes to the model’s near perfect skin are removed, the color of their lipstick or even their eyes can be changed to suit the lettering or the color of their clothes. Many women aspire to these models and their looks, and yet these people don’t exist. It is important to remember that a publication is a product, whether it is a fashion magazine or a daily newspaper, and as such editors may be more interested in sales than in truth. (...)

Techniques of political photomontage (06/02/2010)
(...) Techniques of political photomontage Text: Text included with most photomontages sets out to reinforce the message of the photographer or artist. The words can remove any possible ambiguity that the viewer may find, draw the attention to the conflict in the images or contradict the images entirely, thus establishing a satirical approach to the work. Recognizing the familiar: The viewer is meant to recognize familiar images, paintings, photographs, advertising campaigns, etc. (...)

A photomontage is an image that has been assembled from different photographs (06/02/2010)
(...) The technique of ‘combination printing’ allowed the photographer to photograph each model individually and then print them on a single piece of paper, masking all the areas of the negative that were not needed. Historical examples A famous combination print of the Victorian era is called ‘Two Ways of Life’ by Oscar Gustave Rejlander, produced in 1857. As many as 30 negatives were used to construct this image. (...)

Distortion using the camera Lens distortion (06/02/2010)
(...) Subject matter in the distance looks much further away. The overall effect is one of ‘steep perspective’. Zooming - For this technique you need to use a lens that can alter its focal length, i. (...)

Learning the Craft of Closeup Photography (02/09/2010)
(...) This image shows one of Gary Todoroff’s macro images in the making. The 90-250mm f/2.8 zoom is not a lightweight lens. (...)

Capturing the Moment Shutter Speed and Focus (02/09/2010)
(...) The visual message would have been different if he had used a faster speed to freeze all movement. The “correct” shutter speed depends on what effect the photographer wants to produce. Obtaining that effect requires understanding, and applying, the basic principles of controlling motion with the shutter and your camera technique. (...)

When to pick the point and moment in photography (02/09/2010)
(...) 1/1500th of second would have let me freeze the players, but they were not the fastest object in the picture. When the ball is kicked hard, it can be traveling many times faster than a runner. Also, the action was moving back and forth. (...)

In photography blur Is a Good Thing for art (02/09/2010)
(...) Her right arm is blurred and the boa is a swirl of color. This effect required timing. Her movements varied as she pivoted around and twirled the boa. (...)

Light Color and Composition when if comes to digital photography (02/09/2010)
(...) We arrange the picture and use our skills to capture an image that shows the viewer our vision of the scene. We’ll start by examining several images, all taken using available outdoor light (the unaltered light falling on a subject), and then discuss how multiple light sources and flash units can give us total control over shadows and highlights. Observing the Qualities of Light This picture was taken using window light. (...)

How to add a fill light when taking a photo (02/09/2010)
(...) This portrait is a nice example of how choosing the right location and the use of a second light source can transform a picture. I had one of my daughters stand in open sun and hold a flexible reflector so that the light fell into the scene from almost a 45-degree angle on her sister’s right. She moved her position and the angle of the reflector until we had the desired level of lighting. (...)

How many light sources should you use when taking a photo (02/09/2010)
(...) The Naming of Names There are some terms to define. When there was only one light in the picture we could just say “the light,” or “the source.” Photographers identify multiple light sources by what they do, as well as how bright they are and the source. (...)

Light in a photography Light Modifiers and Filters (02/09/2010)
(...) The sun’s position and the haze were both light modifiers. The picture of the large fish was taken on a bright sunny day, but 50 feet underwater! Air and water are both light modifiers. Water is denser, so some effects are easier to see in underwater shots. (...)

Photography direction texture and tone magic (02/09/2010)
(...) ) That’s because the shadows that are cast fall behind the subject. This is a high-key portrait: The lighting was from a broad source near and slightly above the photographer’s shoulder. It was designed to eliminate shadows. (...)

Intensity Quality and Contrast of light in a photography (02/09/2010)
(...) The sun shining in a clear sky is a specular source. So is an unshielded light bulb, a fire, and a spotlight. The picture is an example of a scene lit by specular light. (...)

Digital culture and its impacts on contemporary life (01/21/2010)
(...) Furthermore, ‘mobile' media are not always something distinct from ‘fixed-point' digital media; increasingly, mobile digital devices - mobile phones, camera phones, iPods and the like - have been techno-culturally defined as symbiotic with consumer ‘hub' personal computers (PCs) or laptops through which digital content libraries are archived/backed-up, and through which images and captured video are uploaded to the web to be shared via social networking sites. Again, there are very fuzzy edges around the ‘mobile' or the ‘nomadic' here, as many of these technologies call for, or incite, the ‘bringing home' of ported, portable digital data to a central - possibly fixed - PC, conceptualized as the ‘storage' space or archive for files. As such, mobile digital media needs to be seen as defined in interaction and interrelationship with less self-evidently portable ICTs. (...)

Two film production areas worthy of attention (01/20/2010)
(...) Cheap cameras and computer-based editing software have increasingly enabled films to be produced for virtually zero budgets. The capability of digital cameras to allow film-makers to shoot endless footage without wasting expensive celluloid has transformed film production in some Third World countries. And digital distribution, whether in DVD format or in cinemas with digital projection, enables easy and cheap distribution exhibition, getting the films out quickly to local audiences for maximum impact. (...)

A closer look on digital aesthetics (01/19/2010)
(...) I will then move on to look at the textual dynamics and characteristics of digital technology in more detail, examining its form and finally asking whether or not such a unified ‘digital' aesthetic even exists. Our first question when defining the digital landscape is: What do digital media look, sound and feel like? The fundamental quality of digital media is that they are driven by minute, discrete electrical impulses, commonly characterized as ‘on' and ‘off'. So, one common aesthetic quality of digital equipment is a tangle of wires, and indeed some generating authorities are experimenting with ‘smart electricity' which will supply network services through every socket in the home or office. (...)