Photoshop Tutorial

In this tutorial I made a grassy F

Before

After

I started with a bold F and then using the brush tool I selected the grass brush and set my colours to the ones I wanted. I then made a new layer and on it I made a line of grass.

I then rotated this layer placed it on the side of my F.

Duplicating this layer, I moved it 180 degrees and then eased the rough parts in the middle. This made the grass thicker.

Duplicating the first layer again, I rotated it 90 degrees and moved it in line with my F. I then erased the excess.

 Duplicating the first layer, I rotated it 90 degrees and moved it to the top of the F.

Duplicating the first layer one last time I the top of the F thicker and erased excess. I also removed rough edges and then I was finished.

By doing this task I have developed my skills of layers and of the brush tool. I have seen how I can make effective products using simple brushes. A strength of this is that it is very effective, appealing and eye catching. A disadvantage is that it can be time consuming and difficult to read. These skills can help me when I come to my unit 3 production as I can make effective titles and make them appealing to my audience.

I would like to develop my brush tools further and make more of these using different brushes and different colours to see the effect which it can have.

Double Page Spread

This is my mock up of a double page spread made in InDesign

This was my first time using InDesign and I learnt how to add columns. This is useful as it guides the layout of the double page spread and guides where the text and images should go. I also learnt how to created text boxes and how to use the rectangle frame. This meant I could add text and add images as well as create outline boxes so I know where everything is going to go.

Other skills that I have leant is how to create drop caps. Making a drop caps is effective as it makes the whole text look more professional and it also makes it look inviting for the reader to start reading. On top of this I also have learnt how to use the text wrapping tool. This is where the text goes around an image looking like it is wrapping round it. This makes the whole text look more appealing and also adds more professionalism to the product.

These skills will benefit me when it comes to making my Unit 3 as I will make my double page spread using InDesign and I will use all or most of these tools.

I can develop my skills further by exploring what all the different tools do and by making different things such as more practice double page spreads.

Photoshop Tutorial

In this Photoshop tutorial I was making an 'explosive colour swath' graphic.

 In the first step I filled my canvas in a gray colour. I then used the vignette on the lens correction tool to create an effect of the center being light and gradually getting darker towards the edge. This was going to be my background.

I then created a gradient and made it go horizontal across my canvas. I used the noise tool to create a gradient with lots of different colours. I then removed the colour so I had lots of different shades of grey. 

I transformed this gradient making it smaller. I then used the perspect tool to make one side significantly larger than the other. Using the scew tool I made the gradient go diagonal across the canvas. I used the warp to give a wave effect. Finally I adjusted the levels so there wasnt much contrast between the shades of grey which I had.

Using the brush tool I coloured the line in using different preset colours from the swatches tool. I then used the gaussian blur tool to blend the colours together.

Duplicating the layer and making it transparent to show the gradient underneath, I used a clipping mask so the colour would only show in the gradient. On one duplicate I made the blending mode colour so that it would highlight the colour. I then set the blending mode for the other layer soft light, this made the colours flow into each other more effectively.

Changing the shape dynamics on the brush tool, I made the size gitter smaller and I also set the scattering to 700%. This made the brush appear as scatters of spots on my production. I then made used the gaussian blur tool on the layer to make these spots blury.

Using the hue tool, i seleted the tool colourisze and made the spots 30% darker while having the saturation at 100%. Turning colourize on, I made the spots have a yellow colour. Duplicating this layer and chanign belnding mode to overlay made the dots appear to be glowing and to have energy.
Then I made my finished graphic.

By doing this tutorial I have learnt how to use the lens correction tool. I can use this to create effective backgrounds as well as use it to correct problemas which I might have on some images because of the camera lens. An advantage of this is that I can easily make backgrounds, that aren't play and make the object on the background look more professional and effective. A disadvantage is that I need to develop my skills so I can learn more about different things which this tool can do because at the moment, I am limited with its usage.

I have also learnt how to use the tools of scew and warp on the transform tool. This can be useful for tilting images and also changing the shape of them. An advantage of this is that I can change a shape in many different ways, making the image appear more specialised or having more of an effect. A disadvantage is that it is very difficult to create the exact same object again when using the warp tool. I could apapt these skills by experimenting more and also finding out more about the different tools that accompany the transform tool.

A skill I have also learnt is how to use a layer mask mask. This can be useful when colouring in something using a different tool so that I wont go outside the selected object I am coluring or making edits to. An advantage of this is that I can use different layers to colour or edit and keep the edges accurate. A disadvantage is that is that when erasing the pixels appear to be 'gone' and this means less flexibility.

Another skill in which I have learnt is how to use the gaussian blur tool. This is useful to make things evenly blury. I can use this when making background or to make something look insignificant. An advantage of this is that it can make things blur into each other and combined so the image can flow. A disadvantage is the lack of control which the gaussian blur tool gives you as you can only blur all the object and not blur it in one direction.

I have developed the use of my brush tool. I can now adapt the shape dynamics to suit my purpose. This can be useful if I want something to be stylised, or I need a specific brush shape. The strength of this is that it is much faster than putting the spots in individually  however a weakness is that it is hard to control where each spot is exactly going to go.

This skills will benefit me when it comes to doing my unit 3 practical work as I will be able to use the gaussian blur tool to create an effective background. I could also create a background by using the lens correction. It has also gave me the ability to use layer masks so I might be able to use them in my unit 3 production. I can also control the brush tool more effectively and this can help me when I come to editing or designing my production. Since I know learnt more tools used to transform images, I can edit them to create and effect and fit on my page too.

Lighting

The skills which I have learnt by doing this task is the effect that lighting on photos and what lighting can suggest. Side lighting is where the lighting on the models face comes from the side of her face. In most cases this means that only one side of the face is lit. Front lighting is when the lighting on the models face comes from the front. In most cases this means the whole face of the models face is lit up.

Front lighting can be used for portraits and also to give off connotations of innocence towards the model. Side lighting can be used to create a sense of mystery about the subject to suggest the subject is evil or sinister. This is because side lighting only lights half of the face and keeps hides the other face of the face.

Side Lighting

This is an example of side lighting. Side lighting can accentuate male features such as making the jaw line more dominant. It cans also make features such as the brow seem more defined too and more masculine. Therefore side lighting is best for male photos.

This photo is a bit under exposed in some areas. To fix this I could have taken it at a slow shutter speed, increased the ISO speed of my camera. I could also retake the photo with better lighting conditions.

 

Front Lighting

This is an example of front lighting. Front lighting can be sued to enhance and soften female features such as make the jaw line softer and appear feminine. It can also make the nose look smaller and enhance the eyes. Another thing which front lighting does is smoothes the brow and makes it more feminine.

A problem which I overcame from this image is poor exposure. When I took the photo the first time it was too dark and very unexposed. I then sued a different light source to create the front lighting. Another problem which I over came was the poor framing of the photo which I had previously took. I was too far away from the subject and this resulted in the lighting losing effect. To fix this I got closer to my model to achieve full effect.

The skills I have learnt are helpful as I can use them in my Unit 3 production. I can use different lighting to give off different connotations about the model and as a result I can make my message more powerful.

Skills which I need to progress further with are my skills for framing. Another thing which I plan to do is experiment with light more and discovers what effect they do.

Photoshop Tutorial

How to edit an eye

Before

After  (Note: I have only done the left eye.)

First I zoomed on the eye and make sure the eye isn't in shower or too dark.

Then use the dodge tool on highlights, and make the iris brighter.

Then go around the iris with the dodge tool. Its simple but effective.

This tutorial has taught me how to use the dodge tool and the burn tool. It has also shown me an example of what they can do together. I think I have used these skills effectively, however it hasn't worked very well where the shine is on it. I could progress these skills further by using these skills for other things, such as for shading or highlighting.

This can benefit me when it comes to my unit 3 production as I can use it on my models eyes and this will make the look of the person more desirable.

Aperture Settings

F-Stop

The opening behind the lens in a camera is called an aperture. The number of the f-stop denotes the width of the opening in the aperture. The larger the f-stop number the smaller the opening in the aperture which means the more light is allowed in. The light reacts with cells in the camera to form an image. Controlling this determines the depth of field which refers to the depth of focus. Large apertures offer limited depth of field, small aperture enables lots of depth of field. The larger the field of depth, the more the background is out of focus. The more the smaller the field of depth, the more the focus. 

The f-stop of this photo is F3.5 This means that the background is out of focus because of the small depth of field. This can be used for portraits.

The aperture of this photo is F9. This means the background is party out of focus as the aperture is in between small and large. This can be used

The aperture of this photo is F22. This means that the whole photo is in focus because the field of depth is large. This can be used to establish backgrounds and also for setting the scene.

I think that I used this skill effectively. I managed to take photos of different f-stops and compare them. A strength of the way I have used this skill is how the object I had taken a photo of was always in focus and was significant within each shot. A disadvantage is how the background is still slightly blurred even with the maximum field depth.

This skill can benefit me with my unit 3 production when I take the photos. It had taught me how to make the object I am taking a photo of significant. It also means I can make the reader focus on the object and block out the background.

I can keep experimenting with this skill to develop my progress further and succeed in making the background focus on maximum depth field.

Photoshop Tutorial

Text Tutorial

In my magazine mock up my main sell line looked to ordinary and I wanted it to stand out a little bit so it would look significant. I used a text tutorial on the internet to do this.

This was my original text. I coloured it grey on a white background.

I then used the bevel and emboss tool. I set the depth to 1000% and the size to 50. I made the gloss contour bumpy and set the highlight colour and the shadows colour to white. This made a 'wave' effect on my text and also made it bright and gave it a two tone colour.

I then put a texture of bubbles on my text. I set the scale to 75% and the depth to 15% and this created a stretched bubbles that looked like bumbs. In each one of these pubs were two different colour tones that blended in with each other. This was the effect I wanted as it didn't stand out too much but was interesting. However it was getting lost in the background.

This is what my final text. I put a stroke on it so it didn't get lost in the background. I felt that this would work well with my magazine and looked much better than it did at the start.

Magazine Mock Up

The skills I have learnt by doing this task was how to download fonts. The internet had a whole range of different fonts, and these can be used for different purposes and also display certain attitudes. Here I have used a font that captures a teenage target audience which I was aiming for, and also it styles the magazine as being unique and different as the fonts is unlike normal fonts. By having the font in this way, if the magazine becomes popular the font will be recognized for this magazine. An advantage of using this font is that it appeals to my target audience, however a disadvantage is that it can be hard to understand.

I have also learnt how to use brushes and how to download them. Brushes can be used for lots off different things and are very useful. They can be used to edit pictures, decorate, colour and much more. When editing skin, it can be hard to make it look unnoticeable and therefore brushes allow textures to be added making the edit less noticeable. I have used brushes to decorate the magazine such as the use of spots, lines and stars. The lines give the magazine a 'raw' effect and adds attitude to the magazine. The stars make it visually appealing and  also separate my sell lines. The spots and the lines fill a space and also make the design look more professional. An advantage of the brushes I have used is that it fills space and makes the front cover more interesting. A disadvantage is that the brushes don't match that good and therefore they look as if they have been randomly placed.

Another skill I have learnt is the skills to use guide lines on Photoshop. This is useful to create marks that wont show up on the image so that a layout can be conducted effectively. The is useful when using text so that they are in line with each other. It is also useful for dividing the page up and having the right ratio of different images. A strength for the guide lines I have used is that the sell lines are the same distance away from the edge of the cover, so is the main sell line and the title. A weakness is that I could have used more guidelines and measured the space between the distance from the edge of the cover to the text so that it would be the same for all my text.

I have also learnt how the use of props effect a photo. Props can make photos and pictures more appealing, and if its in the interest of the reader, they will went to read more about this product and be more likely to buy this product. I have used a prop of an Ipod, as this is a popular product for teenagers and also links in with the genre of music. This will add more appeal to my magazine and make the reader more likely to read it. Another thing which I have used is ear phones, this highlights the genre or music and also adds personality to my model.

I have adapted my skills of poses by doing this task. I made my model lean in towards the shot, whilst also holding her Ipod closer to the camera. On top of this I have had her jacket slip off one shoulder. The fact she is leaning in engages the reader and gives her an attitude that she is confrontational and rebellious. The fact her jacket is not on right also express this fact. The Ipod being closest to the camera emphasise the main sell line. An advantage of my pose is that it can engage the reader, however a weakness is that I could have exaggerated the pose more, to get a better effect.

These skills will greatly benefit me when I start on my Unit 3 production work as I have extended knowledge of how to use Photoshop, it's brushes and the guidelines. I will also be able able to use different fonts and use different poses for my models and the effect the use of props has. All together I will be able to convey my message more effective as well has give the product an attitude and convey certain expressions and feelings. I can also make it more appealing to my audience and therefore make it more successful.

Skills I need to progress further is the use of brushes. I can do this by experimenting on different photos, such as using brushes for skin. I can also explore the skill using guidelines more. I can do this by creating collages, or by placing text on an image in Photoshop.

Poses

I have learnt about different pose styles and how different poses portray different emotions and connote different feelings. I also learnt how different poses can attract different audiences.

I feel like I have used the skills effectively however I still think there are a lot more poses I can use and therefore I need to explore and analyse some.

The choice of pose for my model can express different feelings that I want to portray and this can help get my concept and message across. Also it will set the atmosphere for my product.

The skills I need to develop further are my skills to direct how I want my model to act and my communication skills.

This pose is quite seductive and also displays a sense of attitude. It can be used for clothing products.

This pose is closed body language and can give of connotations of innocence. This posed can be used to advertise skin care or hair products.

Photoshop Tutorial

This tutorial taught me how to make glowing lines and how i can use them to give certain effects. I have also learnt how to make it look like the lines are wrapping around something.

Before

I used the glowing lines to highlight th energy of ironman.

After

I can benefit from this during my pratical work as i can emphasise certain parts of the image or use the lines as energy. For example i could use it to show speed creating a good effect.

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed is the amount of time that the shutter is open and the amount of time that the film is being exposed to the scene that is being photographed.

Shutter speed is measured in factions of seconds. Fast shutter speed can be used to freeze the scene creating no blur. For example, if you wanted to capture a splash of water or any movement, a fast shutter speed would be used. This speed could possibly be 1/2000 of a second. Slow shutter speed is used to create an intentional blur from moving objects. This can be effective when used in different ways. For example if you’re taking a photo of motorway using slow shutter speed, a blur would be created where the cars have moved, but the environment would be focused as long as there was no movement. If this photo was to be taken at night the lights would stand out. A possible speed that could be used is 2 seconds.

This photo is a fast shutter speed. The speed 1/4000 of a second was used. It caught me doing a cartwheel in mid-air without any blur occurring. I think that this shutter speed is very effective.

This photo is a slow shutter speed. The speed used was 4 seconds. This captured the movement of the light used in the dark consequently creating a glowing line. Using this technique this is my attempted at creating a smiley face.

Shutter speed does come with problems however. One of these problems is that the images can be underexposed. To fix this the image can be retook at a slower shutter speed or a different time of day or in better lighting conditions. Alternatively the ISO speed of the camera could be increased.

Another problem with shutter speed is poor framing, hands and head could be missing as well as distance of the subject. This can be corrected by timing whilst shooting and taking multiple photos. Also this can be fixed by using a tripod.

A third problem can be that photos can be out of focus. This can be fixed by taking time whilst focusing or putting it on automatic focus.

Overall most problems can be fixed if you get closer to your target, experiment with ISO settings and shutter speed more, review images and take multiple images.

My targets for taking picture next time are to experiment with different camera setting including shutter speed, manual focus, ISO settings and more.

Introduction Project

Photographic Storyboard

Print Product

Evaluation

In this task I have developed my skills by using a camera and editing the photos. By using the camera I practised different shots like close ups and I practised getting the shots level and straight. Also by doing this task I learnt some photo shop skills. I learnt; how to use text and change the font, colour and size of text, how to cut out images and how to import images. I have also learnt how to manage my time more effectively. My weakness mainly lies in the cutting out of images, use of text and effect on photos.

I still have a lot to learn and develop on including more skills on photoshop including techniques regarding some tools and the resolution. Furthermore I need to learn more about camera features and tools.

In my skills development initial assessment I can identify that I have now used composition grids on the camera. I can also check that I have done text control, layers, magnetic lasso tool and the crop tool. As this was my first use of more of these things I don’t feel like I used each of them to their advantage. I could have done different effects on the text, and used composition grids more effectively. However I think that I used the layers effectively as I managed to move every different objects on the advert around and I merged some layers together for different images.

The work on my blog shows my first attempt at creating an advertisement. It also shows my first attempt at planning a storyboard and the use of photo which I had taken. The weaknesses in my storyboard is that I could have done a wide range of different shots accompanied with a range of music to keep the audience interested and drawn in to the advert. My still image also has plenty of weaknesses as I have not tool advantage of the range of tools there are to use. The images are badly cut out and the layout isn’t too good either. I could have maybe developed on my initial idea and thought of a better slogan.

If I was given this project again I would defiantly do it differently. I would explore demographic segmentation more and I would maybe make it appeal to a narrow audience instead of just to males. I would also create a new idea and investigate what my target audience would be interested in. I could use camera modes more effectively and create contrast and eye catching ideas in my advertisement. To make this more professional I could hire professional actors to model in my photos so I could create the expression I was looking for. I could use a professional studio for better background techniques and I could use my photoshop skills better. I could also use manual settings on the camera and I could plan a lot more.

Unfortunately I couldn’t find what target audience Daddies Brown Sauce has before I re-branded it but I decided to use the target audience for males as it matches the name of the product. I tried to make a far fetched idea of a male drinking the brown sauce from the bottle implying only a man could do that. I think this idea worked as it had elements of humour in there but I don’t think it was emphasised enough. I also tried to make the divide between genders stronger by making a different type of sauce for girls. This element worked okay but I think I could have come up with a better idea. I don’t think the font worked every well in my project as it was a bit plain and didn’t have very good effects. I also think the content of the text could have been better.

My project is tailored to meet the demands of my target audience by using slogans like “reds for girls,” and by crossing out the girl in my advert. I could have improved by using more models of different ages so that it appeals to more male people. I could also use pronouns like the word 'you' to engage the audience's attention. I could also put facts in there or statistics such as “90% of men who tried this product said that they felt manlier.” I could also maybe use a main colour of the product and adjust the background colour and text colour accordingly.

Overall I think that this work shows about 40% understanding of segmentation systems as I have used an audience that appeals to wide range of people and there is a lot more segmentation systems that I didn't take into consideration whilst doing this. I could have used segmentation systems that reflected the age or location of people so that they can engage in the advert or I could have used humour or a play on words. I could also match my slogan to my target audience if I made is focus on a specific audience using stereotypical idea.

Initial Skills Assessment

AS Media Production

Technical Skills Audit Print Production

Name: Andrew Brown                           Tutor group: 1.22                Date: 27/09/10

Photographic Skills

Which of the following photographic features/equipment have you used on a camera before:

Feature	Yes	No	Comments if yes – where have you completed this skills and to what level
Manual Focus features		X
Shutter Speed		X
Aperture control		X
ISO Control		X
A tripod		X
External flash		X
Self timer facility		X
Light meter		X
Composition grids		X

Photoshop Skills

Which of the following features of Photoshop have you used before:

Feature	Yes	No	Comments if yes – where have you completed this skills and to what level
Have you ever used Photoshop ever before?		X
Text control		X
Filters		X
Brushes		X
Layers		X
Opacity control		X
Shape creation		X
Brightness and contrast control		X
Gradients		X
Load selection features		X
Feathering		X
Colour curves adjustment		X
Resolution setting control		X
Magnetic lasso, polygon lasso tool		X
Cropping tool		X
Clone tool		X
Retouch tool		X