AS Evaluation Question 6
Posted by Martyn Hollinshead | Labels: Evaluation Questions | Posted On Friday, 30 March 2012 at 05:16
What have
you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
From constructing my magazine I have learnt numerous skills
and techniques for creating multiple formats of media. First and foremost, my
ability to use Photoshop effectively and productively has increased
dramatically. For example, when I began constructing my preliminary magazine I
only had a brief understanding on how the program worked, what the different
tools did and how to use the expansive adjustment options. I therefore searched
through endless tutorial websites and experimented with different techniques
and designs, picking up the knowledge of the program as I went along. What I
found was that as I used Photoshop more frequently I understood just how
complex the suite can be; you can create literally anything you want to, as
long as you know how. I also learnt how the program can be used in a
professional manner for creating advertisements and publications such as the
magazine that I have constructed. From constructing this product I think that I
have benefited somewhat as it has taught me how to develop my skills through
experimentation and 'trial & error’. The main feature that has stood out
for me though in Photoshop is the blending options. From here you can add
effects to the layer you are working on, for example I used it to add shadow to
the text on my contents page to help it stand out and look dynamic, rather than
simply let it lay flat on the page. Furthermore, I found that despite the fact
that shadow is only a small detail of the image, it made a dramatic difference
to the impact of the magazine as a whole; the masthead had the pronounced look
and feel that it needed and the clarity of the cover lines on the background
improved too.
Photoshop however was only one of the tools that I used when
creating my magazine. Another piece of technology that had probably the most
significant impact on the appearance of the magazine was an SLR camera. The
camera in question was a Canon EOS 500D, which had a pixel rating of 15.1
megapixels and a strong built-in flash. An 18-250mm Sigma lens was used in conjunction
with the camera. The reason why I opted for an SLR over the common digital
camera was because the detail of the image is always of a better standard; you
have a much higher resolution to work with and greater control over the focus,
lighting and shutter speed settings. Another advantage with the Canon was that
it could take RAW data of the shots. This image data is uncompressed and so,
when placed in Photoshop, extra tweaks and adjustments can be made to every
aspect of the image, from colour temperature to sharpness and noise levels. To
ensure that the shots I took were sharp and clear I used a tripod for stability
and control over the height and angle. The end result of all of this made for a
vivid end result; the images were sharp and detailed with a good balance of
colour and light. I found that taking the right photos depended on technology
that would be able to reflect the real thing, so that the audience could be
brought closer to the action and feel connected to the photo.
The third piece of technology that I have used to construct
my magazine was my laptop. I decided to use my own system rather than those of
the college as I owned my own copy of Photoshop CS5. This meant that I was able
to spend much more time on the construction of the magazine as well as create
all of the other work (including this evaluation) for my blog anywhere. I felt
this was extremely important as the extra time that was available allowed me to
refine and enhance my product until it was to my liking. A second advantage of
using my laptop was that the specification of the system was more than adequate
to run Photoshop smoothly and without crashes. The program recommends 2GB of
ram, a fast processor and a dedicated video card in order to perform well, and
my laptop met these requirements comfortably. In short this allowed me to have
a consistent workflow in which I could switch between my files, the internet,
Photoshop etc. without having to wait or suffer crashes, meaning that more time
could be spent on editing and less on troubleshooting. In the context of
constructing this product, the computer that you use is important in the fact
that it allows you to manage the construction of the magazine effectively by keeping
all of the resources in one place where they can be accessed quickly and
smoothly.
Finally, the internet was the last technological tool that I used to enable me to gather the content necessary for creating the magazine. I used several websites in my progression from draft to final product, downloading endless brush sets for Photoshop and reading guide after guide to aid and refine my editing skills. The three websites that I used mostly though were:
http://psd.tutsplus.com/
This website allowed me to learn a number of editing techniques such as layer management, colour enhancement, photo manipulation and creating dynamic text. In my opinion though the most significant tutorial for me was the fire manipulation that I used to change the image of Pyro playing the guitar on my DPS (see left).
http://photoshoptutorials.ws/
From here I found several brush sets such as the smoke brushes I used on my double page spread and the 'grunge' brushes that allowed me to create rough edges to my boxes. This site also included some useful tutorials such as using gradients to create a grungy feel to my photos.
http://www.dafont.com/
This site contains custom typefaces/fonts ranging from clean Sci-fi to messy Distorted. I downloaded around twenty new fonts from here as every typeface on the site is made to very high standards; there are an infinite amount of designs to choose from and in short they allowed me to convey the genre of Rock very effectively.
Finally, the internet was the last technological tool that I used to enable me to gather the content necessary for creating the magazine. I used several websites in my progression from draft to final product, downloading endless brush sets for Photoshop and reading guide after guide to aid and refine my editing skills. The three websites that I used mostly though were:
http://psd.tutsplus.com/
This website allowed me to learn a number of editing techniques such as layer management, colour enhancement, photo manipulation and creating dynamic text. In my opinion though the most significant tutorial for me was the fire manipulation that I used to change the image of Pyro playing the guitar on my DPS (see left).
http://photoshoptutorials.ws/
From here I found several brush sets such as the smoke brushes I used on my double page spread and the 'grunge' brushes that allowed me to create rough edges to my boxes. This site also included some useful tutorials such as using gradients to create a grungy feel to my photos.
http://www.dafont.com/
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