My preliminary task was to create the front cover and contents page of a college magazine. In that task I had to use the editing software which was Adobe Photoshop CS3 and I took my images using a Canon EOS 400 D. All these pieces of equipment and software allowed for me to produce my final product. I found the task quite challenging as I was unaware as to how I would use the editing software of Photoshop and I had taken images with much more simple cameras before but I had never used anything like a Canon. Getting used to using Photoshop was fairly hard and I can say taking images with the camera was a lot easier. In the end I took some decent images for my college magazine and found that the instructions that I had received from my teacher proved very helpful.
Since doing that task, I believe that the development of my skills has done so by far and my organisations skills could have been done a lot better. Keeping to time and sticking to deadlines was not easy but in doing so I found that this task and the deadlines set made me more focused and allowed for me apply myself effectively. I found my models very easily as they were my friends and the locations where I took my images was on the college site making and giving more of a college and educational feel to my work. I took a wide range of images as it would allow for me to choose the ones I would prefer and like the most at a later stage.
In moving onto this task I learned how to set up cameras, link them to the flash and soft-box also being aware of the danger faced when doing it wrong. Also in doing this I learnt how helpful these pieces of equipment would be and how they would assist my final product. The use of a soft box and a circular reflector allowed for my images to finish with a more professional touch and it removes harsh shadows. Alongside lightening the subject it creates and almost fake light which makes and creates a smoother effect on the final image.Making use of the camera has allowed for me to learn that how to set it and make use of a soft box, connecting it to the trigger, allowing me to take images correctly. I took all of my images in both portrait and landscape orientations allowing for there to be a diverse and wider range of images.
Not knowing how to previously use Adobe Photoshop made my final product even harder to create but the skills and knowledge I gained from my preliminary task made it easier for me. I used a range of tools from spot healing tool, surface blur and hue / saturation adjustments to make my photographs picture perfect. Also the brightening of my models and their clothes made it a lot easier for my photographs to come out in the way that they did. The magnetic lasso tool, allowed for me to put and easier way to cut out models and place them on alternate backgrounds. The use of the spot healing tools and surface blur, gave my models a clearer and more airbrushed look as it removed all of their previous imperfections allowing them to be left with almost perfect faces.
When actually making my magazine, I used a large variety of fonts from those already preloaded on the Photoshop system to some that I downloaded from font websites such as www.dafont.com. The majority of fonts that I used were sans serif. This gives my magazine an effect that is more modern and unlike the magazine of , for example The Rolling Stones, a magazine that has been published for years and the font they have been using never changes of differs to those that he magazine began with. Using a large amount of fonts gave my magazine a larger variety and it gave it a more attractive and welcoming look. Making use of correct fonts is key in the creation of my final product as it will allow for a memorable image to be placed in the minds of my audience as they will know what magazine it is everywhere they go. My main masthead on the front of my magazine is a font from dafont.com called graffiti. It gave my work a rougher and rugged look as it is mostly based on an urban look on music but it has elements of other music genres as I looked at a wide range of magazines to influence my work. I had to use a very loud font which would alternate from that that I had used in my magazine. Having different fonts used for my titles and articles is important so that my audience can easily differentiate my work. It also allows for it to be more unique and stand out better. I used different fonts from hand-written styles to military blocked writing to show a difference and a variety in my work. The handwritten style of font allowed for me to connect with my audience on an informal level, making them feel much more welcoming and inclusive with the magazine.
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