Experiment 2 - More Merging

I decided, for my second experiment, to use different overlay and blending techniques in order to create images similar to Bec Wonders' but with my own sort of influence. So, the first thing I did was to edit a brush in photoshop so that it was textured and had a wet edge effect. I layered the brush on photoshop so that the edges of the strokes overlapped to create a contrast from, dark to light.

Next, I imported an image into photoshop and experimented with the blending option of the photograph which was on the top layer. I wanted to make it so that just part of the chest was visible at this stage and made sure that there you can see the difference of light to dark layering underneath the photo. Once I was happy with this, I did the same so that other parts of the image were showing in the same way with the brush.

I then proceeded to start adding these elements onto another image and repositioned them so that they were layered over the appropriate body parts (chest covering chest etc). 

Satisfied, I began to use the smudge and blending tools in order to make the edges of the images that were layered on top look more flowing to represent that genders flow and that they can combine or intertwine with each other. Blurring the edges I had smudged made them much softer too and created a much more interesting and aesthetically pleasing composition.

The next step in the process was to adjust and edit the levels, brightness, contrast, and saturation of the image. I did this in order to show more contrast within the piece and to make the tonal range more varied.

After this, I imported an image of trees that I had taken and edited the blending option on that particular layer as well as the opacity. This added more texture to the piece and made it into a more aesthetically intriguing composition as there are more lines and textural qualities.

Finally, I added a white layer on top of the other layers and edited it to create a vignette that brings together the image and draws attention to the centre of the composition.

I feel that this experiment has been more successful that the previous experiment. This is because, whilst everything still blends into each other, the blending is more obvious and the piece looks much more refined. This is close to how I want my final piece to look and I plan to make some improvements in my next shoot such as taking pictures of the model in the exact same position both with and without makeup and stereotyped clothing. I will also use different textures and explore a variety of materials to accomplish this.