Project 9: Alhambra Time Merge

📷 Click to view Learning Target & Success Criteria

Learning Target:
I can align and blend an archival photograph with a modern photograph using precise camera positioning and non-destructive Photoshop layering to create a seamless composite that explores campus history.

Success Criteria:

• The student will locate an archival campus photo with clear architectural landmarks and recreate its exact viewpoint by matching the original angle, height, and focal length.
• The student will import both images into Photoshop and align key permanent elements such as rooflines, window frames, pathways, or pillars so the past and present overlap accurately.
• The student will use a Layer Mask (and avoid the eraser tool) to create an intentional, clean transition that reveals a "window" into the past within the modern scene.
• The student will submit a layered .PSD file, exported .JPEG/.PNG, both unedited source photos, and a 3–5 sentence reflection detailing location challenges and observed changes over time.

Introduction

Every corner of our campus has a history, built out of the moments and people who walked these grounds decades before us. In this project, you will act as a visual historian. Your mission is to find an archival photograph of our campus, track down its exact modern-day location, and re-photograph it from the precise angle and point of view (POV) of the original photographer.
Once you have captured the modern equivalent, you will use Adobe Photoshop to seamlessly blend the past and the present into a single, striking image. By using layer masks to reveal a "window" of the old photo over the new one, you will create a visual bridge across time, showing how much, or how little, our campus has changed.

Project Requirements

Part 1: Historical Research & Selection

Archival Image Selection: 

• Locate and select one high-quality historic photograph of the campus from the provided archive/library. Use this link: Alhambra60
• Composition Check: Ensure the historic image has clear architectural or landscape landmarks (buildings, old trees, steps, pathways) that will help you align your modern shot.

Part 2: Fieldwork & Photography

Exact Matching:

• Travel to the location and find the exact spot where the original photographer stood. You must match the angle, height, and perspective (POV).
• Camera Settings: Use a focal length (zoom) that mimics the original photo as closely as possible to prevent perspective distortion.
• Composition Alignment: Take multiple shots, slightly adjusting your position, to guarantee that key permanent structures (e.g., rooflines, window frames, pillars) align perfectly with your historic reference.

Part 3: Photoshop Digital Compositing

Alignment & Layering: 

• Import both images into Photoshop as separate layers. Use the Edit > Auto-Align Layers tool or manually lower the opacity to align the permanent structures exactly.
• Non-Destructive Blending: You must use a Layer Mask to blend the images. Do not use the eraser tool.
• The "Window" Effect: Cleanly mask a specific area of the old photo so it blends seamlessly into the new photo. The transition should look intentional—whether it is a sharp geometric window, a torn-paper effect, or a soft, brushed fade.

Part 4: Final Deliverables

File Format: 

• Submit your final work as a layered Photoshop Document (.PSD) to show your mask work, along with an exported JPEG/PNG for presentation.
• Original References: Include the original unedited historic photo and your unedited modern photo alongside your final composite.
• Short Reflection: Write a 3–5 sentence paragraph describing the challenges you faced finding the location and what surprised you most about how the space has evolved.