Question 6

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

When I started my personal projects for this course I found myself having to use a variety of different software to create the final post production pieces, whether it was done by initially creating a survey within the preproduction stage which was to devise a survey and hand it out to thirty students within the college campus. By doing this they were able to answer the questions provided in an easy way so that I could identify which aspects of the college magazine I created whether the people I surveyed liked or disliked the options.

When using Photoshop I found both what my strengths and weaknesses were through how much time it took to complete a piece of the work as there were different aspects that slowed the process down whether it was due to Photoshop not being able to open various other documents.

My weakness was that I had to learn how to use Photoshop within the period of the course. The problems I faced were that when I wanted to use the downloaded fonts I did not have the option provided for me to directly use the downloaded font in the Photoshop software I had to save the work I was doing then select quit then I had to open the downloaded word document and reopen Photoshop to be able to use the font I wanted. After opening Photoshop I had to select the font within the provided fonts and had to make sure that I was writing on the correct layer otherwise it would not have appeared and I would not have been able to type anything.

My strengths were that within the course I feel that I have learnt a lot, by using the software such as Photoshop which enabled me to modify the photographs I had previously taken inside the studio. To achieve a better quality photograph I had to upload the photograph from inside my documents to be able to open it in Photoshop then I could do various modifications that I felt would make the magazine more appealing to my target audience. An example would be that I have chosen to use the photograph of a teenage male on the front cover as he looked like he would be a part of the RnB scene. Also I felt by using a teenage male it would be more appealing to both genders as by using a guy is less threatening to anyone in the fan base as he could for example be a famous male celebrity.

When using Photoshop I was able to zoom into the photograph whilst modifying the original effect initially I modified the models face by using the repair tool. By selecting the spot tool it enabled me to be correct any imperfections on his face for example scars or blemishes. I got rid of them so that his face looked flawless giving the audience the idealist image of someone that is perfect but could potentially be one of them (average). I did not have to use the magnetic tool as I used the original photograph (did not have to modify it) only by using the colour balance tool to make the photograph less dark this made the model look better.

The equipment I used during the process of taking photographs was professional as in the studio there were the following a Soft Box, a Camera. I found it easy using the studio as the soft box shone the light onto the models face and body giving me enough light to work with and insinuating their facial features to get the best possible photograph. Taking the photographs with a Canon EOS 400d made it manageable as I had to look through the lens and make sure one of the dots was aligned with the models eye making the model the thing that was in focus throughout the photographs I took.

I have learnt a bit about photography as to get an effective outcome it depends on the amount of light that is exposed to the lens in the camera. In the screen prints below I show how I was able to view the camera's property settings. When I was on Photoshop I initially went to file then file info then all the camera settings information appeared on the screen.

To take the photographs I used a Canon EOS 400d in the studio in which there was no outside light coming into the room as the curtains were closed so that I could use the studio facilities to achieve my full potential. This was achieved by using a Soft Box, a camera and a dark screen placed behind the model with the curtains closed I could turn on the Soft Box which created high key lighting surrounding the model or models depending on the picture I took.

High key lighting is what is used in studios internationally. The higher the I.S.O is in the camera, the faster the shutter will work for example in the following photograph the I.S.O rating was at 100, making the shutter speed change to 1/125 per second effecting the depth of field making it narrower.