Creating an Identity Image Map

Pay attention to how the eye moves through and over your collage, starting with your face.  Use lines in the photos and background to guide the eye, most likely from left to right.  Remember the CRAPP principles.  Your face will be the focal point.  Arrange your images in a hierarchy of sorts by size, contrast, color and placement on the collage.  You can also draw lines to guide the eye.  Where possible, choose and arrange elements on the collage so that they appear to share the same light source.

Click here for Villanova photos you might want to use.  Be sure every page in the web assignment will print out appropriately in vertical orientation.

Steps:

1. Select an image for your collage background or base image.  Make the dimensions 800 x 600 pixels.   Name it and create it as a layer.    You could also make your background a solid color, a gradient of colors, etc.   Play with Photoshop effects as you like. Here are some ideas for backgrounds:
   • Maps, street maps, Google maps
   • Photo of the house where you grew up, your dorm, VU, exciting cityscape, etc.
   • Skyscape, landscape, seascape

   When designing, work with the natural lines in your photos.  They can point to objects and lead the eye where you want it to go.
    

2. You can also cut out images in your photos to paste in your collage.  The edges don't have to be straight. Use the magnetic lasso and let the zigs and zags happen.  Don't use this:           Use this:
    
3. Place each image in your collage on its own layer.  Use PhotoShop effects with each.  If you save as PSD file, you can go back and change and edit these images/layers.
4. You can also resize and rearrange the images as you go.
5. Create your name as a layer using PhotoShop effects--make it 3D, with contour, beveling and the like.
6. Once you feel satisfied with your college, save it as a PSD file
   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Now you will prepare it for the internet.  Go to Layers > Flatten Image
8. Save the file again but add (2) to the name and save as a JPEG file.
9. Next Select All and Copy
10. Open Frontpage and create an assignment homepage.
    • Open a one-celled table
    • Put the cursor in the table and hit paste--your collage will fill the page
    • Turn off table borders
    • Name and Save in Frontpage (Don't forget to save with a Page Title as well as file_name)

Here are some great video tutorials that will help:

• Making a collage
• Working with layers on a college