Assignment 1:Juxtaposition Photography and Illustration

For our first assignment of the semester we were given the task of taking five photos and then creating digital illustrations to be juxtaposed with them. Additionally, we had to tell some sort of story and a consistent theme.

In terms of camera setup I had used a Sony Alpha 6000 and my phone the Realme X2 Pro.

Both were sufficient in my project, although there was a little learning curve especially since I have never used a mirrorless camera or any camera for that matter of fact.

In terms of lighting my project was heavily dependent on weather and sunlight. So once there was enough sunlight I got to work. I manipulated the sunlight by using a room with large curtains in it thus having some semblance of control on lighting. In terms of props, most of the items featured are things found around the house due to the current situation limiting places to go to.

Once the photos were taken I had used Photoshop and Illustrator to create the digital illustrations. In the end I had predominantly used Illustrator for most of my work, simply because I found it easier.

The main theme of my photo book was spring, hence the use of many spring flowers which can have many meanings. I had also wanted to include the second theme that would pair with it which is the fleeting nature of life. This theme and the book was inspired by cherry blossoms, which symbolises the coming of spring but due to their short blooming period also serve as a reminder of how fleeting a life we live. Due to this cherry blossoms are prominent in this work. The title of the book is Spring Days.

One thing that I wanted to do was start the book with its first theme spring before transitioning to the second theme, the fleeting nature of life, while still keeping the first theme. Additionally, I wanted the cover to play some role in one of the photos so I had come up with the idea of putting a cherry blossom branch and reusing it in photos four and five, and the back cover to go with the second theme.

Overall, this has been an interesting and new experience. I have never done anything like this but I am glad to have been given a chance to showcase my ideas however imperfect they may be. I hope that the uplifting theme of the work can be seen.