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

Introduction Project

Photographic Story Board

Flat Plan And Rational

Evaluation

In this project I have used Adobe Photoshop and its features and also used basic photography skills. I think that the photography skills I used were average as I didn’t have as many images and image variations to work with. The Photoshop skills I used were better as I had a set idea that I had made in my flat plan and I stuck to it, I also used the programs features to build upon my plan so that the finished product was good. I think that the things I am uploading to this blog show that I have already learnt how to apply my skills to set thought and complete the task to a fairly high standard. I think the main weakness I showed in this project was planning, If I had a better plan for the shooting process I think that I would have got a lot more pictures and more effective images. If I did this again I would plan the shoot more and decide what shots I needed and what angles and distance I required to fulfil the task requirements. To get final products like ones that would be seen in standard working practise would require more time as every bit would be planned and multiple finished products would be produced so that clients could pick.

In the task I had to rebrand Smash, before I rebranded it appealed to someone in any Full Nest stage as they need to be able to make food fast for the family. I had to make it appeal to 16-19 year olds at the Bachelor stage in the life cycle, they also had to be in A, B and C1. A is made up of higher managerial positions and professionals, B is made up of intermediate managerial, administrative and professional and C1 is made up of supervisors, clerical, junior administrators and professionals. They also had to be in further education and be mainstreamers; this means that I had to make the product trendy. I think our idea of happy smashing will appeal greatly as these people will find the concept funny because it is an unusual act. I do not think my poster gets the whole happy smashing concept across that well because I think that a static image would struggle to show without a over reliance of connotation. If I did this again I would try and subtly hint at the happy smashing concept with a little bit on connotation but  not a lot as I want the audience to be able to see it and automatically understand the concept. I think the work I produced shows I understand audience segmentation systems because the work I produced would appeal highly to the right people as the concept I adopted would intrigue the audience and captivate their imaginations.