avatarMartin Morrison

Summary

The author has created an original artwork titled "Life-Taking Life-Giving Sword" for a gallery exhibition, combining a photograph of a samurai (a younger version of themselves), a forest scene, and a poem, while navigating the challenges of image copyright, font choice, and design techniques.

Abstract

The author expresses a concern shared by many about the unauthorized use of images and the importance of respecting copyright laws. To ensure originality and legality, they decided to use only self-created images or those from acquaintances. With a newly purchased Nikon 5100, the author ventured into local woods to capture photographs. The creation process involved integrating a samurai image with a forest backdrop, adjusting opacity for the sword image, and laying the poem over the combined image with a grey veil effect. The author reflects on the learning curve and is open to constructive feedback, acknowledging that while the final piece is commendable for a first attempt, there is room for improvement. The artwork is intended for an exhibition, and the author, primarily a poet, seeks to present the poem in a visually compelling manner without detracting from it due to a lack of design expertise.

Opinions

  • The author values the recognition and rights of content creators, emphasizing the importance of using images legally.
  • There is a recognition of the technical challenges involved in merging different visual elements, such as finding the right font, size, and color that complement the image.
  • The author shows self-awareness and a willingness to learn and improve, expecting to identify flaws in the future as their skills develop.
  • They are confident in their work but remain humble, inviting honest feedback to enhance their design skills.
  • The author prioritizes the poem's presentation, aiming for a visual representation that does justice to the written work.

Life-Taking Life-Giving Sword

Artwork for a Gallery

Image: ©Martin Morrison 2023 All Rights Reserved

Like many others, I suspect, I was becoming increasingly worried about using other people’s images for fear of infringing copyright rules. That’s not a dig at photographers, by the way — if you create something special, you deserve to be recognised. To be on the safe side, I decided that I would only use images created by me or people I know from the offline world.

I bought a second-hand Nikon 5100, which I’ve been getting to grips with, and got stuck into my local woods for shots. The problem with placing poems on photos is finding the right font type, letter size, and colour to the picture without clashing with it. In the case of Life-taking Life-giving Sword, I had three ideas to juggle with: the forest, the sword, and the poem.

Initially, I had no clue how to merge the samurai pic (that’s my good-looking self from eighteen years ago, by the way) with the forest. Once I knew what I wanted to do, I had to figure out how. Note to self — look for “opacity”, not “transparency”.

Then, I had to find the best way to lay the poem on top. That’s when I was struck by the idea of a thin grey veil. Creating a partly transparent plinth wouldn’t have entered my head if I had not altered the opacity of the sword image.

I think I’ve done a decent job — I don’t believe in faking modesty — but I’m sure that as I get better, I will look back at this attempt again and recognise the flaws that I can’t see now. It’s certainly not bad for a first attempt.

Let me know your honest thoughts because I’ve created the image for an exhibition. It doesn’t have to be perfect — I am a poet, first and foremost — but it has to be good enough. I don’t want my lack of design skills and experience to ruin an otherwise good poem.

Thanks in advance.

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