Photography

For half a day we undertook a lesson in photography, the aim was to get familiar with the university cameras and all camera tools/functions. This meant taking a closer look into the camera itself more that elements within a photo. This was to help us for when collecting textures and reference images so that would could get our own rather than refencering others work.

We started by looking at the basics from learning what a DLSR ( Digital Single Lens Reflex) is and does. Instead of a film strip that would collect the light a DLSR as a digital light senceritive element that will record what light has struck it. This when taking a photo will capture a moment of light but when viewing will be mirrored so we can see what we are taking a photo of.

We were told to always remember the manual functions because they will give us better pictures than what we would get through the auto focus because we can adjust the settings to how we feel we need them. Our main focus was learning how to prepare the camera for taking a photo using the shutter speed, focus and F Stop. We has to learn how to control the amount of light entering the cameras lens and for how long as this is most important for getting good photos.

The quicker the shutter speed the sharper the image but the less light entering the camera so we would need a lower F stop. And the opposite applies or a slow shutter speed. Its more about balancing out the intake of light to the lens. The ISO in the settings would also allow more or less light to effect the photo to balancing this is advised.

Another key area of photography and computer skills we learnt was to use RAW file types for photos instead of JPEGS. RAW files are larger but they aren't condensed down meaning no detail is lost. Also RAWs can be changes and edited then placed another editing software without editing the RAW file itself so you don't lose the original photo so you can use the same images in hundreds of ways and make it perfect even if you didn't get the exposer right.

One task was to go out and take some photos with the new skills we had learnt.

We had a basic task to go out and use what we learnt to take some photos to try and get the exposer of light right using different settings on the manual mode. Here is one of my photos taken:



I didn't very well with the settings as i used my older camera with less ISO settings and i struggled to keep the camera still. But i believe that i know the basics of photography and this lesson was very helpful. I hopefully will be able to use these skills later on in the topic to benefit my work.

Current work

Ive spend the last days working on a detailed sketch of one the vehicle concepts from my top 20, I have also attended some lessons and have been introduced to new subject areas which i shall talk about more in depth in my next post. I took my basic white and black design from my top twenty and looked at it and thought how it would look from another angle to help show what the vehicle would look like, be and how it would work. This is the chosen thumbnail:



I liked this as it appeared to be different and i could already see that this vehicle could be used more as a off road quick vehicle that plays would like the different look of. I also liked the shape of the vehicle because it didn't fit the usual car/motorbike style meaning it gave a scene of time and progression. I wanted to make this vehicle more human and appear heavy with metal frame and a plain look to it at being off road it would have to be able to withstand hitting rocks and other objects.

This is my first detailed concept of the vehicle from a side view:


Im now going to start work on the front view and above view to get a full idea of the vehicle and annotate concepts and ideas for the vehicle.

Top 20 thumbnails

After i completed my thumbnails i picked with help some of my more interesting shapes. These were picked by looking at each one and seeing how i could use them, which provided ideas and appeared to be the most interesting and unseen shapes. I had a few that already which looked similar to other already created vehicles in games and movies, these were discarded as i didn't want to make a design that already looks and is will appear as a copied design. The propose of these was to get shapes that would create new ideas and i would be able to see new ideas and concepts within the shapes.

After picking my top 20 i then stayed at the same size and blended some white and grey showing depth and design, showing how in my eyes these shapes could be potential vehicles. I kept this brief because i only wanted to grasp ideas then to again pick the best and then work on those in more detail. I found that i liked a few of these concepts but i also noticed some again started to look similar to other vehicles but as i picked 20 i had plenty i could choose from again.

My Top 20:

My plans now are to pick 3 i feel are the best concepts and do detailed sketches from different angles to help show the overall design on the vehicle. Each vehicle from there can then be looked at in detail as well from how does it work, whats its purpose, how and when it would be used in game. After this i can weight up my ideas and concepts and depending on time then create a final concept for one of the vehicles.

Concept Sheets

I finished my silquette thumbnail images in good time as i wanted to do them quick so i wouldnt then have time to think about certain shapes meaning i wouldnt have already put an idea in my head of a final piece at this time. The shapes are simple and random some i can tell where i got insperation as they already look like vehicals in games or films so i can already remove them.

All these images have been on photoshop as i could use different brushes as they can give different shapes. I have ticked 20 of my top thumb nails that i would see a shape of a vehicle these will be next worked on with whites and greys as thumbnails to start showing shape and making them look more like vehicles without going into to much depth of design.

Here are my concept sheets:

Introduction and Brief.

On Tuesday 4th January we got our new brief for the first project. We are looking at continuing our ideas from the first project and creating either a design of enviroment or a vehicle concept. The aim of the unit is to learn and develop skills of concept designing and developing ideas. Learning how to design different peices and understand choices and reasons for designs going into games. Funimental design is key to this project.

Our brief doesnt stat what is needed to be done and handed in at the end of this unit yet however we have been asked to create 100 minimum thumbnail silquettes of ideas for vehicles or enviroments depending on what we choose to help use have a range of different ideas to choose from and also allow use to free our mind of shapes and concepts that have already been done by other games and franchises.
We have been told to build on this thumbnail concepts slowly and use a selection process to get a design from one of the thumbnails.

My orginal game concept was based in the future on another planet meaning that i have to make a choice of which area i would like to explore. A new planet allows for much experimentation and freedom in creating enviroments but also being set on another planet and being in the future allows lots of different vehical ideas. I feel that both would give me lots of oppitunities to design new and exciting designs. I think the choice i have made is more personal in that i would perfer vehicle design to enviroment as enviroment doesn't intrest me as much as vehicles in a game. This is why i have chosen vehicles as my area of study.

My first task now is to create 100 small thumbnail concepts of silquetted shapes. For this we have been given a concept sheet that gives us a grid in which each design must keep within.



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