A conspiracy theory I like to dive into sometimes depending on the day is if aliens are real or not. I know we've all heard something different yet similar. I feel like growing up our parents have teased us about their existence or have seen somewhere on the internet of people being abducted so for this project I rotated around those ideas. The original photo I took was when I went to Zion National Park and I think for most alien abductions, they tend to happen around the desert area or west coast so I think the environment was good for this project. I have two alien ships, one that has two people abducted and then the other following it like a leader. Surrounding them I have human planes moving in an aggressive manor trying to save the humans.
Images Used
ReplyDeleteZion National Park
My original photo, Bryce Locaylocay
Alien Spaceship 1
https://www.freepik.com/free-ai-image/bermuda-triangle-mystery-event_228131208.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=12&uuid=d688b6c3-7fa7-4308-8c87-14ad05152ca0
Dust
https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/splashing-dust-powder_991418.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=7&uuid=092d370c-ef0f-4f96-909f-8b6dd56e16ec
Person 1
https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/african-man-jumping_2765984.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=23&uuid=bb7794b2-d926-4c0f-8954-0f5d799b908c
Person 2
https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/man-office-clothes-traines-football-soccer-like-goalkeeper-grey-background_13635766.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=39&uuid=bb7794b2-d926-4c0f-8954-0f5d799b908c
Waterfall
https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/cloudy-nature-landscape-near-waterfall_26324450.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=1&uuid=f0e5f0eb-e1ea-47d8-b7da-08e345b270ac
Plane 1
https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/plane-3d-rendering_29155744.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=34&uuid=8a47d19d-92a4-4f55-b8bf-626150babbe8
Plane 2
https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/single-engine-propeller-airplane-flying-perfectly-clear-blue-sky_30221958.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=23&uuid=8a47d19d-92a4-4f55-b8bf-626150babbe8
All pictures provided by Freepik.
The person I am critiquing is Bryce Locaylocay. The title of his work is called Fake It. The foundation of this image starts with a canyon photo that has vast open space. The original photo is taken from Zion National Park. The texture of the image is rough and has a slight fogginess to it, as well as blue skies. The scale was used to create an intriguing photo to show alien spacecraft in the middle ground and the background. Since it looks as if the alien space craft is capturing people, and they are the biggest in scale. The spacecraft seems to be the subject of the composition. In the comments, all images were taken from freepik and referenced.
ReplyDeleteFrom the elements in the frame, this work maybe about an alien apocalypse or if aliens were to come to Earth. What I took away is that if aliens were to come to Earth, they would abduct people. Not only will the aliens come but they will come to earth in multitudes like an army. There is a yellow plane in the foreground possibly trying to stop the aliens.
Analyzing the techniques used for this project I think this work is believable. Utilizing the valley-like scene and playing around with the depth in the scene made it seem like visual misinformation. For the large spacecraft, a drop shadow was used to show that the object was hovering over the valley. Although the objects are blurred in the background the use of scale worked well. The project effectively utilizes compositing skills learned this semester. For example, a hazy overlay was applied to bring the compositional elements together. The incorporation of the plane helps to emphasize the idea of misinformation. The photographic composition used various Photoshop techniques effectively and addresses the parameters of the project.
This work exists within our larger culture because from when I was little, I remember hearing about conspiracy theories and whether aliens were real. Recent events like the Area 51 raid show how relevant this topic is today. The relevance is to show that this theory is still popularized and most likely heightened from social media. This image was possibly shared to show the possible destruction and chaos aliens can bring if they were to inhabit the earth. There is a sense that no one will be safe. There is an overall sense of uneasiness a viewer can get from this image.
This project overall addresses the idea of deep fakes because it shows how easy it is to take an original photo and change its meaning of it. With the use of copyright-free imagery, blending, and lighting tool this image looks like a realistic alien sighting at Zion National Park. On business insider some things to consider are lighting, image quality, and sources when spotting fake information. When designers create deep fakes, these factors are taken into consideration so it’s difficult to disprove visual misinformation. On social media people scroll through content quickly and share it before they do a deep analysis on what the post is or its origination. The possible social commentary that was brought to light was how a future earth would look if raided by aliens and all mankind had to fight them was planes and/or fighter jets.
Stated in Pew Research Center article states social media is the "...real-time exchange of information and sharing of diverse ideologies...". With millions of people utilizing sites such as TikTok, X, and Facebook more measures can be put in place to stop the spread of misinformation especially if it causes harm to others. Also, users on social media platforms need to take content with a grain of salt.
To summarize, the concept of alien takeover on Earth is executed well. The use of shadows, overlays, and depth perception makes this seem like an object of visual misinformation. The takeaway I got from this specific composition is to consider what an alien apocalypse would look like and to think about how mankind would survive something like this. With a strong conspiracy surrounding aliens the use of photo editing techniques helps make this composition convincing.