Technical Skills Audit Print Production

Name: Adam Lazenby                           Tutor group:1.22                 Date: 15/4/11

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		Used this at GCSE to attempt to focus on an object and leave the background.
Shutter Speed	x		In GCSE Graphics i adjusted shutter speed so that I could the headlights line as the car drove.
Aperture control	x		I have used aperture control during a blog post, I took various images of a whisky bottle showing different depths of field.
ISO Control		x
A tripod	x		I used a tripod that the photos I took of the object were from the same location.
External flash	x		I used external flash when I was taking photos for my graphic project.
Self timer facility	x		I helped a friend by setting the timer so that could start a moving object, this made the photo be took when the object was in the right place.
Light meter		x
Composition grids	x		During my photo shoot I played with composition grids to see if I could convey some meaning with my positioned with the more dominant object in the top right box.

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		GCSE Graphics and designing posters for bands.
Text control	x		I manipulated texts for my final GCSE design.
Filters	x		I applied filters to some of my images to make them stand out of the image more for GCSE.
Brushes	x		I used a range of brushes to complete GCSE.
Layers	x		I had to understand layers to complete my GCSE Graphics course.
Opacity control	x		I used this to put images on top of others, increasing the opacity meant that both could be seen.
Shape creation	x		I created shapes in GCSE Graphics to put things into in the exact shape.
Brightness and contrast control	x		I used this to sort out some images I took for GCSE as they were too dark.
Gradients	x		I used this when I wanted a background of two colours.
Load selection features		x
Feathering		x
Colour curves adjustment	x		I did this to manipulate the colours in images to make them vivid and stand out more.
Resolution setting control	x		I did this when an image I scanned in was too high resolution to load on Photoshop.
Magnetic lasso, polygon lasso tool	x		I originally used this to cut objects out when I first used Photoshop.
Cropping tool	x		I used this when I was doing a piece like a artist I researched where you boxes and used detailed zooms of a standard image.
Clone tool	x		I used this when I made an eyeless person for GCSE Graphics.
Retouch tool	x		I used this tool when I was making my front cover image look like ”perfection” as this is what sells in the media world.

Weekly Production 29th March

Progress

Double Page Spread Image

Day One: Here I put boxes in my double page spread to signify the images’ locations and began putting the images into the boxes.

Day Two:  I then began to edit pictures for the DPS, an example is on the right.

Day Three: On this day i began to make my front cover, completing the background, title and also inputted my edited image.

Day Four: Here I finished my front cover by adding sell lines and essential information

Targets

My last target of the course is to finish my evaluations and complete the course to the best of my ability.

Weekly Production 22nd March

Progress

Photoshoot Image

Day One: I started researching tips, so that I could make my own top 10.

Day Two:  I then started to finish the article I started and began placing tips in the boxes that I set out earlier.

Day Three:  By doing the background on my front cover I am saving time because all I need to do it emboss an image of a tree on the dead side in a black colour so that it looks dead.

Day Four: I finished off my front cover design; all it needs is its pictures.

Targets

This week I have my photo shoot booked so once I have finished this I will add the images in to my front cover and double page spread design so they are complete.

Contingencies

I may not get the globe I have ordered in time, this will make me unable to take photos, if this happens I will have to go into town and buy one. 

Weekly Production 15th March

Progress

Day One: I finished off my flat plans and began to make these and set them up in Photoshop and In design.

Day Two: I began to set out my front cover and add the title of the magazine and aligned the pars where the image is.

Day Three: I then began to plan out my double page spread and put boxes where the images were to be place.

Day Four: I then wrote some of my article as I didn’t have any pictures so I used my time to get some of this done.

Targets

This week I am hoping to finish off my article and get my photo shoot booked, this will leave me with only a few things left to complete. To do this I am going to book my shoot and then finish my article on in design. I will have to learn how to manipulate things on in design and also I need to learn how to use a lighting rig so i can take my images for the project.

Contingencies

Font Test

I may encounter technical difficulties with the lighting rig, if this occurs then I will have to ask the engineer to show me how it can be resolved.

Weekly Production 8th March

Progress

Day One: I started a treatment about what I aimed to create for my final project and what I wanted to achieve from my products.

Day Two: On this day I continued the treatment document I has nearly finished

Day Three: I then did two mock ups for front covers made out of images from the internet.

Day Four: I then designed the double page spread and how I wanted it laid out; I placed images and text boxes. I also drew up my favourite front cover design by hand.

Targets

My only target this week is to get an idea of what I would like my finished product to look like, this is because i find that if i have a rough vision on my head it will help the final product take shape better.

Contingencies

If i am struggling to think of mock up ideas i am going to do some research via the internet of professorial publication that have tried this before and the attempt they took at it.

Snow Tutorial

Link:http://www.tutorialwiz.com/snow_on_text/

I made the original for a punk tribute band from Darlington, they then asked me to redesign it for a Christmas gig. This was when i looked for this tutorial to add some winter magic to the poster. If i could of done this again i would have changed the snow layer so that the transparency was reduced so it was block colour, i regret making the snow seem like a thin layer.

Depth Of Field

 In this lesson I learnt how to adjust the camera setting to get different depths of fields. There are three different depths of fields, these can be altered by altering the f setting on the camer, the higher the f setting the longer the depth of field. Taking images that show different parts of an image in detail allows you to use imagery to convey something. I think that the imags i have included show that I have used this skill effectively as they all show different depths of field.

 

Magazine Front Cover

I used margin guides to align my title with the main sell line, most magazine that i was trying to make mine like such as Kerrang! also do this. Using these makes the product more professional as it produces a more structured, better laid out product. The font for the sell lines is downloaded from the internet, it provides a grungey feel for the main story which is about the new Kurt Cobain. The main title is a block font that i downloaded from the internet and then began to slice lines through the text to create the slice effect. I tried to use a limited colour palette although the main image I used's background had to be included becuase i wanted to create a trippy effect present of the grunge era. I put in the banner across the top of image because it brings attention to it so the audience see what the magazine features. I got he barcode off the internet and pasted it onto my cover, I then deleted the background and applied a stroke so that it applies to my colour scheme. On the banner I have used the word "Exclusive" this will trigger a thought in the audience so that they feel like they need to get this magazine as they will not be able to read this anywhere else. The trippy background influenced by the hippy era shows the audience what it was like when Kurt Cobain was alive.  The image takes up most of the cover, this was intentional as I think that it is a strong image that will impact the audience.

Side Lighting



Example Of Side Lighting



Side lighting is when light is cast from one side of the model to the other, it leaves one side of the models face in shadow with the light shining on the other. Front lighting is when light shines on the model from directly in front if the model lighting all of their face. Side lighting is often used to connote a person being a villain, this is because the audience cannot fully relate to them as half of their face is hidden. Side lighting however connected to villains can be used to make some models look better. A female model can use side lighting to increase their sex appeal, as the side of their face is hidden it adds a feeling of mysteriousness to their persona attracting the opposite sex.



Example Of Front Lighting.



Skills Development

Shutter Speed 7/11/2010

Shutter speeds are used to show motion through photographic images. If a fast shutter speed is applied to the camera the nthe image will be a still frame of high detail whereas if a slow shutter speed is aplied then the image will capture movement until the shutter is closed. This is because the shutter acts a stopper for the light  that enters the camera to capture the image, With a slower shutter speed more light is allowed to enter making the image more prolonged. The images on the left are the photos I took after we learnt how shutter speed is used, the top image is the example of a fast shutter speed. This isn't the best example as the car is moving quite fast so the image looks blurred due to the object. The bottom picture however is a perfect example of a slow shutter speed, the fairy lights' movement is caught as more light is allowed to enter via the lens.

Initial Skills Audit

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		Used this at GCSE to attempt to focus on an object and leave the background.
Shutter Speed	x		In GCSE Graphics i adjusted shutter speed so that I could the headlights line as the car drove.
Aperture control		x
ISO Control		x
A tripod	x		I used a tripod that the photos I took of the object were from the same location.
External flash	x		I used external flash when I was taking photos for my graphic project.
Self timer facility	x		I helped a friend by setting the timer so that could start a moving object, this made the photo be took when the object was in the right place.
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		GCSE Graphics and designing posters for bands.
Text control	x		I manipulated texts for my final GCSE design.
Filters	x		I applied filters to some of my images to make them stand out of the image more for GCSE.
Brushes	x		I used a range of brushes to complete GCSE.
Layers	x		I had to understand layers to complete my GCSE Graphics course.
Opacity control	x		I used this to put images on top of others, increasing the opacity meant that both could be seen.
Shape creation	x		I created shapes in GCSE Graphics to put things into in the exact shape.
Brightness and contrast control	x		I used this to sort out some images I took for GCSE as they were too dark.
Gradients	x		I used this when I wanted a background of two colours.
Load selection features		x
Feathering		x
Colour curves adjustment	x		I did this to manipulate the colours in images to make them vivid and stand out more.
Resolution setting control	x		I did this when an image I scanned in was too high resolution to load on Photoshop.
Magnetic lasso, polygon lasso tool	x		I originally used this to cut objects out when I first used Photoshop.
Cropping tool	x		I used this when I was doing a piece like a artist I researched where you boxes and used detailed zooms of a standard image.
Clone tool	x		I used this when I made an eyeless person for GCSE Graphics.
Retouch tool		x