Objective:

Students will be able to make an “impossible image” by using digital photography, selection tools, clipping masks and transformations in Photoshop so that they can demonstrate their ability to use real digital images to produce realistic (but impossible) image compositions.

Links:

Impossible Images (CNN): https://www.cnn.com/2015/02/19/world/gallery/photoshop-artist-martin-de-pasquale/

Topics Discussed:

• Photoshop
• Selection Tools
• Clipping Masks
• Transform Tools

Assignment:

Over the past few days, we have tested our acquired Photoshop skills by fixing a Photoshop Disaster. Today, we are going to use our acquired Photoshop skills to create something entirely new, and completely impossible.  

1. Visit the above website for inspiration. Notice how many of the images use scale (size) to make the images impossible: some of the elements are impossibly big or impossibly small. Others place elements in places where they don’t normally belong (i.e. a giant mouth where the subject’s stomach should be).
2. Your goal is to produce an Impossible Image, just like the ones in the example link, with the following restrictions:
   • You may ONLY use photographs that you took yourself. You MAY NOT use any images borrowed from the Internet, from other people, or from any other source other than your own original photo collection.
   • You may use your own camera, but you must provide the original photo files as proof that you are the photographer who took the pictures. If you do not have a camera or phone with camera capabilities, you may borrow a digital camera from me.
   • You must use at least THREE original images to comprise the final composite image.
   • Your image should depict a completely impossible scenario, situation or condition, but should look as realistic as possible.
   • Your image should be 11″ x 17″, (or 17″ x 11″, if you’re making it landscape).
3. Apply whatever modifications you feel are necessary to make the image look as realistic as possible. Pay close attention to detail, shadows, scaling and your selection edges. Don’t make this into a Photoshop Disaster!
4. Save your image as a .PSD file.
   • In Part 2 of this assignment, the final image will be placed in InDesign, in a photo frame with a 1″ colored border – arrange your image accordingly.
5. Upload your Photoshop image (.psd), the pictures you used to make your Photoshop image, into the “Impossible Images Part 1” post on the Google Classroom page by the end of the day on Friday, November 14th.

Assigned: November 12th, 2025
Teacher Pacing Due Date: November 14th, 2025