Digital Photography and Imaging--Photo Manipulation

GCD61204--exercise

15/5/2026~23/5/2026 (Week 4-Week 5)

WANG ZIJIA  -  0393824

Digital Photography and Imaging/Bachelor of Design in Creative Media/Taylor's University

Table of Content

1 . Lecture--tutorial 1

2 . Lecture--tutorial 2

3 . Pre-Compositions--tutorial 1  

4 . Pre-Compositions--tutorial 2

4 . Reflections

1 . Lecture--tutorial 1

In this tutorial lecture, I learned more advanced Photoshop techniques for photo manipulation and image composition. The exercise used the “Hearst Mansion” project to teach us how to combine different images together naturally. Through this tutorial, I understood the basic workflow of creating a realistic composition in Photoshop.

At the beginning of the lecture, I learned how to use the Quick Selection Tool to remove backgrounds from images. I practiced selecting the character carefully and adjusting the selection by adding or subtracting areas. I also learned some shortcut keys that made the editing process faster and more convenient.

After that, I learned how to use Layer Masks in Photoshop. This technique helped me separate the character from the original background without permanently deleting parts of the image. I realized that layer masks are very useful because they allow more flexible editing and make corrections easier during the composition process.

The lecture also taught me how to place and resize a character inside a new background using Free Transform. I learned that it is important to maintain the correct proportions and perspective so that the composition looks more realistic and balanced.

Another important skill I learned was color correction. I used Match Colour and Noise Filter to make the character match the lighting and image quality of the background. Before this lecture, I did not know how important color matching was in photo manipulation. After practicing, I understood that small adjustments can make the whole composition look much more natural.

I also learned how to create shadows and reflections in Photoshop. By creating new layers, using the Brush Tool, applying Gaussian Blur, and adjusting opacity, I could make the character blend into the environment better. I found this part very interesting because it added more realism and depth to the final composition.

Overall, this lecture helped me improve my Photoshop skills and understand the complete process of photo manipulation. I learned how different tools and techniques work together to create a more professional and realistic digital composition.

2 . Lecture--tutorial 2

In this lecture, I learned how to recolor black and white portraits in Photoshop by using different selection tools, layer masks, and color adjustment techniques. The exercise focused on transforming a black and white image into a realistic colored portrait. Through this practice, I understood more about color application and layer management in Photoshop.

At the beginning of the lecture, I learned how to use the Marquee Tool to select skin color from a reference image and copy it into the black and white portrait. This technique helped me understand how reference colors can make recoloring look more natural and realistic.

After that, I learned how to use the Eyedropper Tool together with the Brush Tool to paint highlight, midtone, and shadow colors onto the portrait. By repeating this process carefully, I was able to build more realistic skin tones and depth in the image.

The lecture also taught me how to recolor hair using the Quick Selection Tool and Select & Mask. I learned how to refine the edges of the hair selection to make the result cleaner and more natural. This step showed me how important detail is when editing hair in Photoshop.

Next, I learned how to create a new Solid Color Layer and use the Colour Picker to choose suitable hair colors. I also used Layer Masks and changed the blending mode to Soft Light so the color could blend naturally into the black and white image. This technique made the recoloring effect look smoother and more realistic.

In the later part of the lecture, I continued recoloring different parts of the portrait such as the face, lips, eyes, earrings, and clothing. I repeatedly used Layer Masks, Quick Selection Tool, and Brush Tool to edit different areas carefully. This process helped me understand the importance of layers and masking in Photoshop editing.

Finally, I learned how to combine all the selections together and create a new background color layer. By adjusting the background color and blending mode, the final artwork looked more complete and visually balanced.Overall, this lecture helped me improve my Photoshop recoloring skills and understand more advanced techniques such as layer masks, color blending, and realistic shading. Through this exercise, I realized that recoloring is not only about adding color, but also about creating realistic lighting, depth, and harmony within the image.

3 . Pre-composition--tutorial 1

PART 1 A (Hearst Mansion: Exercise Demo)

PART 1 B (Hearst Mansion: My Photo)

4 . Pre-composition--tutorial 2

Recolouring B & W photo Demo exercise

(Recolouring B & W photo) EXTRA exercise

Recording for the process:   https://youtu.be/SbVjjTCVIrA

5.Reflections

In this lesson, I learned more advanced Photoshop techniques through the photo manipulation and recoloring exercises. I completed the tasks of inserting a person into the palace background and recoloring a black and white portrait. Through these exercises, I improved both my technical skills and my understanding of digital image editing.

For the photo manipulation exercise, I learned how to use tools such as Quick Selection Tool, Layer Mask, and Free Transform to cut out a character and place it naturally into a new environment. I also practiced adjusting the size, perspective, and position of the character so that it matched the palace background correctly. One of the most interesting parts for me was creating shadows and reflections because these effects made the composition look more realistic and professional.

I also learned the importance of color correction and image quality matching. By using Match Colour, Noise Filter, Gaussian Blur, and opacity adjustments, I understood how small details can greatly improve the realism of a composition. Before this exercise, I did not realize how important lighting and color consistency were in Photoshop editing.

For the recoloring exercise, I learned how to recolor a black and white portrait by using Layer Masks, Solid Color Layers, Brush Tool, and blending modes such as Soft Light. I practiced selecting different parts of the portrait, including the skin, hair, lips, eyes, and clothing, and carefully applied colors based on highlight, midtone, and shadow references. This process helped me understand how lighting and shading affect realistic coloring.

During these exercises, I faced some challenges, especially when refining hair edges and applying colors smoothly. Sometimes my selections were not clean enough, and I needed to repeat certain steps several times. However, through practice, I became more patient and more confident using Photoshop tools.

Overall, this lesson helped me improve my Photoshop skills significantly. I learned that digital imaging is not only about editing photos, but also about understanding composition, lighting, color harmony, and visual realism. These exercises gave me a better understanding of professional digital design workflows and helped me become more comfortable using Photoshop creatively.