What have you learnt about

technologies from the process of

constructing this product?

New technologiesThroughout the process of creating and researching my magazine I have discovered many new methods and techniques, which have helped me to produce my final product. Without learning new techniques I would not have been able to produce my final front cover, contents page and double page spread in such a professional image

Photoshop

Photoshop was essential for making and designing my magazine. However, when I started my coursework it was the first time I had used Photoshop, so I was very unsure of how to use it. After experimenting with different tools on my mock ups, I started to adapt to the way Photoshop works.

I found Photoshop very useful as you can crop, edit and move parts of the photo out that wasn`t required. Using Photoshop is a quick and easy way of editing a photo to put on my magazine, an example of this would be the use of the magic wand tool.

The camera I used and the set up of the studio

I have used the spot lights and flood lighting, as spot light focuses on one area which can create shadows and which also adds contrast . Flood lighting covers the background. Lighting was used to add effect to my image which made my final photo look more professional.

This is an image of me taking the photos of my model and the setting of the photo shoot.

This is a photo of me using the camera, taking different shots and using different angles without the tripod. The camera I used is a Cannon DSLR.

I have used the green screen to make the editing process easier, as the green screen contrasts with the model so it makes it easier on Photoshop to cut around her. Green screens also allow the floor and walls to be covered

This shot is one of the images that I chose not to use, as I thought my model had the wrong type of clothing and didn’t suit my double page spread.

Eraser Tool

The eraser tool is a very quick way to remove parts of the image that you don’t want. It is also very useful as my models hair is down and natural, so I need to use a feathered eraser whilst going around her hair, this gives a softer effect, and it doesn’t give a sharp edge around her head. On the image above you can see the difference between the feathered eraser (left) and hard edge eraser (right).

To change the hardness and size of the eraser, I used this box to enable me to get the right size.

Crop Tool

I used the crop tool to cut out parts of an image/wording that I wanted to use. To enable me to use this tool I had to click on the icon on the left hand side, drag the arrows to the part that I wanted to crop and then pressed the tick on the top right hand side. The image above shows an example of how to use this tool.

Magic Wand Tool

I used the magic wand tool a lot as it is quick, easy, and effective. It is also useful if you want to change the colour of parts of the image. To use this tool, I duplicated the image, clicked on the icon on the left hand side, pressed on the part of the image that I didn’t want, and then pressed delete on the keyboard, which left a transparent background. If I had wanted the magic wand tool to select more than it did, I would have clicked select at the top of Photoshop and then pressed similar. To cancel the magic tool wand I pressed select and then clicked deselect.

AfterBefore

LayersLayers are very important when I was creating my front cover, contents page and double page spread, as I had to learn how to use them effectively. The layers are found at the right hand side, near the bottom of the page. If I needed to make a part of the magazine appear over the top of another, I had to drag that layer above the other layers.

For Example: my front cover image is in front of my mast head

The layers My Front Cover

I used Blogger to organise and show all of my research, planning/designs, and my final products all in one area. Through using blogger for my coursework, I have learnt how to make new posts, and change the dates of my posts, therefore I can put them all in order to make my blog look professional. I have also learnt how to embed videos, upload photos and other content onto my blog, this makes it more interesting and attractive. Personally, I feel that blogger has been very helpful as it has kept my work tidy, presentable and organised. Blogger also allows me to keep up to date with my course work, and repost any work that I could improve which will enable me to obtain the best grade possible.

Prezi is an online programme that creates a presentation/power point, which I used a lot as it made my blog look more attractive and interesting, with all the information being presented in a unique way. I used Prezi when I was researching R&B music and artists costumes/make-up, as it presents the information like a spider diagram, so bringing all my ideas together. Prezi is very easy to use and I would definitely use this programme again.