Photoshop – Learning new skills

One of the assignments for university, is to take some pictures and edit them with Photoshop to enhance them. This has now been completed and submitted. So fingers crossed that I do well.

Previously I was never a big user of Photoshop. I tried to use it once, but got a little lost, so kept within my comfort zone of Fireworks (even though I knew it had a lot more limitations). However when I purchased, CS5 I decided that I would need to sit down and learn how to use Photoshop properly. I have a book that I intend to go through over the summer holiday.

These are the 5 images that I have submitted as part of my assignment. I have included the unedited and finished images to show the work that I have done:

Original Image

Image 1 – Portrait (Jen)

Edited Image

I took this image in the first week that we started the assignment, and is one of my favourites. I on purpose didn’t want to overdo the Photoshop and go for the airbrushed effect on the picture. Instead I opted just to reduce some blemishes, such as the mark created by Jen’s glasses. The one thing I did agree with Jen is that her freckles would not be removed.

I also love black and white images, as I feel it can offer a sense of emotion, but also hide possible bad lighting. As I don’t have the lovely lights I am using natural light only I thought the black and white was more ideal for the photo.

When I completed the grey scaling of the image, I looked at the soft and hard lighting to see what effects I could get. I preferred the soft lighting look overall, as the skin and lips just seemed perfect. However Jen’s eyes in hard lighting image appeared to ‘pop’ more, so I decided to blend them into the image to which created the final image.

Image 2 – Artistic portrait (Sash)

Original Images

I walk past ‘The Avenue’ sign regularly and have always thought it would be great to have the same person posing within different areas of the sign.

When speaking to Sash about it, the best way for me to describe the feel I wanted from the image was, that it was a group posing for a band photo, but Sash was going to be all the members in the group.

Edited Image

I had never used the camera tripod before, and it was obvious when taken the pictures as it kept on moving, so I thought I had ruined the chance of getting the photo to work. Personally, I think it has worked out just well.

Apart from the obvious, which is that I have blended 5 images together (just incase you didn’t notice), there was a number of small changes that I did as well, some of which are unnoticeable, but when I was working on the full size were bugging me. These included removing some of the obvious black marks and the bolt marks from the bottom of the lettering.

I also amended the hue/saturation slightly before cropping the image to remove the dead space around the image.

Original Image

Image 3 – Landscape (Castlefield)

I am lucky enough to live close to the canal, and Castlefield has some beautiful scenery around it. I have taken a load of pictures that it was in fact difficult to decide which image to use. In the end, I decided to use this one.

Edited Image

Unfortunately when I went for a walk around Castlefield, it was overcast and raining, which meant that some of the pictures were not good lighting and sky wise.

Within this image, I had to use brightness/contrast as well as use hue/saturation to bring out a lot of the hidden elements, such as the tree’s bark and the bridge. I also like the fact that the sky’s reflection on the water has been reduced.

Original Image

Image 4 – Object (Canal boat)

While I was walking along the canal collecting images for my landscape part of the assignment, I came across this boat that after taking a couple of pictures knew would be by object picture

Edited Image

The image was created by changing the hue/saturation to make the bricks and rust a little more obvious. Using layers, I then created an image as grayscale and then re-added the colour for the boat.

Just by having the boat in colour, I think it makes it more focal (which isn’t that difficult since it’s the only thing in the image), but I also believe you get a sense of story with all the bumps and scrapes along the boat.

Unedited Image

Image 5 – Pop art (Ben)

The last image that we have to submit was in the style of pop art. We could choose from either Warhol or Lichtenstein. As much as I love both artists work, I was not that impressed with the effect of Lichtenstein within Photoshop, so decided that I would create my own Warhol style image.

Edited Image

I wont go through the whole process of what I did to create the effect, but it involved using the cutout filter within Photoshop to create the edgy look, removing the back ground from the image. The image was duplicated and then layers within each image were brightly coloured and screen/multiplied to give the coloured effect.

As much as I like the finished product, it is one of those that you can do for as long as you want because there is so many alternatives available.

I just want to add…I know that these images are not perfect. I am not a photographer and I am new to Photoshop. And while other people, may laugh at the simple work that I have done…I am happy with the end results. However, I would like to know what you think of all the images. So feel free to comment away. Good or bad!!! Do you have a favourite?

Please let me sleep!!!

Image via spreadshirt.co.uk

Ever since I can remember, I have always been a night owl. I always have this fear that I will miss something if I go to sleep. What I am going to miss, I have no idea!

However, recently I have not been getting to sleep till around 4 or 5 in the morning. Even if I want to go to sleep, my mind won’t let me rest. Being a wake at this time is alright if I had a night job…or a layabout with nothing going for them. Neither I am.

These late nights have especially had an effect on me this week. I have been getting into university at 9am and then picking up extra work hours so not finishing until 11pm…so I am physically and mentally tired. Come to the end of the week and I didn’t have the motivation to do any work. Now, I feel under more pressure to play catch up on the stuff that I have put off.

Next week is definitely not going to be an easy week that is for sure.

Things are looking up

 

Image via BBC

After last week, I spoke to my lecturer about my issues that I expressed, and it kind of eased my feelings a little. However, I am still not 100% yet. It seems pointless to quit now, so I will be completing the year at least and then see what happens from there.

On the other hand, I am finally getting some experience with coding, which I am really happy about. I have started to pick up some work for MMU’s community engagement group, Web Angels. The first task that I did was collating event information and updating the page using HTML, which I really enjoyed doing. So I am looking forward to getting someone more projects handed my way.

For one of my Media Making assignments, I need to take some landscape photographs, so I went for a walk around Castlefield and took some pictures along the canal. Even with it raining, I was able to get some good pictures. I was also lucky enough to get my object picture as well, meaning I can spend more time using the Photoshop facilities to enhance the pictures. The only problem I have is that I have the difficult job of trying to select which pieces I want to use within my assignment.

As for the rest of the assignments…well they are just plodding along.

Portfolio | MMU Website

To get some experience in coding, I am doing some work for MMU’s Web Angels. Before I start getting involved with the community projects, I picked up a small task to update a web page on the MMU’s own website.

It mainly involved locating information from a number of sites, and inputting it within a pre-existing web page.

As students are not allowed to update the website personally, the work I had done was then passed to the person responsible to update.

Although, there was nothing wrong with the coding that I had done, a couple of changes were made to bring it inline to “house rules”.  Below is a view of what the page looked like prior to the changes.

The page I created was W3C validated.

MMU Website

Coding used: HTML

What the hell are you doing?

Image via BabyAnimalz.com

What the hell are you doing?

This was a question that I asked myself at the beginning of last academic year, in relation to going back to university. And it’s the question that I seem to be asking myself a lot again just recently. This time, it is about whether I am cut out to follow this career path.

Within the first couple of weeks at university, I learnt that everything that I was doing was wrong. So straight away I feel like I took a huge leap back. At first, I didn’t let this bother me, because I was going to learn about how to do it the correct way. Right?

Well I am not so sure I am going to be learning much about coding. There is going to be some, but I am expected to learn (or actually know already) a lot of it by myself. Which is fine, so this is an additional workload on the existing university units’ work that I have to complete?

To add insult to injury, I am seeing fellow students who “know everything”; okay they don’t and like to think they do; but still, that brings me down as well.

I have some group work to do this term, and don’t feel like I have the skills to help. I tried to be diplomatic and suggest we all have a go at creating and go from there, to find out someone has updated the pages already…and by a far superior standard than I can do. So what is the actual point in me trying?

Then, there is the fact I do not have a creative bone in me. I think my brother got all of them! So, why do I want to follow a career which has a design element to it? Surely, this is just madness in a tin?

While admiring some of the sites that the professionals have done, and apart from thinking “I can’t do that”. I am also thinking “I wouldn’t even know how to think up something like that”.

Can you get taught things like this?

I know that having a degree on its own is worth nothing nowadays. We are told that we should be trying to get work experience as soon as possible, as this is what employers are looking for. Additionally, we need to get out there and make ourselves known. This is drummed into us from the start of uni life.

To get work experience, you need to have knowledge in several types of coding. This is something that I am going to need to work on so won’t be able to get the work experience at the moment. So when does it actually become too late and come graduation time I don’t have a job in the industry, and instead I am back in a contact centre (with a degree) doing a un-related career to what I want to do?

The annoying thing is, I offered my time to charities, for free, to try and get some hands-on experience with websites (mainly non-coding), but this doesn’t seem to be enough. After copious amounts of chasing (which is on the verge of being classed as stalking), and promised that someone would contact me. No one did. Even though they said, or requested, help.

Then I am told to get out into the industry and mingle. I just don’t feel like I have the confidence to do that. Additionally, I would just feel like a traitor and laughed out the room for knowing nothing.

So, if I am being told that a degree is in fact useless and that the majority of coding will be taught by me, then why the hell am I actually at university? Where’s the logic in me wasting four years of my life, having no money while putting myself in loads of debt when all I will get is a piece of paper that is worthless?

I know that I am being hard on myself. I am only in the first year of uni, and I am expecting too much of myself, but I can’t help but think that maybe this is something that I might not actually be cracked up to do.

Let the assignments begin

Image via illcallbaila.blogspot.com

Just as I was saying last week that it felt like it was the calm before the storm, I can now vouch that this is in fact, true. This week, see the start of the assignments to be set properly and boy they are piling up. I have to admit, I think I prefer to work under a bit of pressure. Granted those around me probably wouldn’t think that.

So what are the assignments that I have ahead of me?

• Data Technology – This assignment is to add a new section to an existing website. To be honest, this is a little daunting as I have no idea what I need to do. That’s because the majority of it has not been taught yet. Should be interesting to see how this pans out. Especially as it is 50% of the overall mark.
• DigiComms – The 2nd part of the portfolio is to continue this term, which also includes this delightful blog. I am struggling with the blog. Some of it is down to noise pollution (I like quiet when concentrating), but then some of the stuff I have write about is not something that I am interested in. I mean, who blogs about stuff they have no interest in? Aren’t they called assignments?
• Media Making – The first assignment that we have is about photography, and we need to submit 5 images taken into account the rules of photography that we are learning. I would love to be able to take great professional photographs, but I don’t have the knowledge or skills to pull them off in such a short space of time. Saying that . I am enjoying this assignment.
• Media Making – The second assignment is a group video. Again something I have absolutely no experience in. It shall be interesting to see how this piece of work pans out, especially working the group that I am in.
• MISO – The group portfolio needs to be looked at and fixed accordingly so it is prepared for marking in March. Our team is a little harder, as it is two teams conglomerated together so we need to merge the work that we did separately together aswell.
• Network Society – The essay was set before the Christmas period. The majority of the research has been done (as part of the first coursework), but I just need to go through it all again, making notes and then researching the missing information need.
• TCM – Like Network Society, this was given last year and I have to go through the same

Oh…and then I have an in-class test for data technology!!!

So as you can see, this is a heavy workload that I have to contend with. Let’s hope the planning and organising works out as I hope.

DigiComms Class Task | Week 2

For those of you that have come across this random blog…feel free to look away.  It is purely a class task and of no interest to anyone, unless you are a fan of the film, Green Hornet; or  music piracy. Then you can stay.

Green Hornet

I am not comic book fan, but I am of their film counterparts. The trailer provides the audience with an inclination of what the storyline is about this film, delivering it via a good mix of non-stop, fast-paced action and comedy. This in return makes it a must-see film for me.

Image via Apple iTunes

Guardian Article – Music Piracy

Alternative Heading

“On air, on sale” policy set to excite the music charts while tackling piracy

250 word summary

Piracy remains to be a big issue for the music industry with the overall market falling 6%, and albums sales falling by 7% in 2010. Two of the UK’s largest record labels, Sony and Universal, plan to tackle music piracy by making new singles available as soon as they reach the airwaves.

The original policy of building up a demand for six weeks before placing the single on sale is deemed out of date. Research has found that searches on Google and iTunes for songs peak two weeks before the single being released. This suggests that the potential buyer has either got bored or already pirated the song.

The record companies are aware that the current generation do not want to wait for their music, and require “instant gratification”, and they are looking to the X Factor as an example of this. The Matt Cardle’s winning single ‘When we collide’ was released as soon as the final has ended and sold over 439,000 copies.

Additionally, the new “on air, on sale” policy should excite the charts, similar to what was seen when download sales joined the mainstream. Under the old policy, heavy pre-released marketed singles tend to land in its peak position within the chart. However, the new policy should see singles climb the charts, like Jessie J’s ‘Do it like a dude’, that went on sale and radio at the beginning of December and since been climbing the charts to number 5.

50 word summary

Two of UK’s largest music labels plan to excite the charts and tackle piracy by changing their singles release policy to “on air, on sale”. Research has shown that people prefer “instant gratification” instead of the 6 week pre-release marketing. This should also see the singles climb the charts instead of peaking at their highest position.

Original Article

Guardian | Universal and Sony Music plan ‘instant pop’ to beat piracy

Lifelong Learning

Image via First Nations Holistic Lifelong Learning

The phrase lifelong learning was originally coined by Basil Yeaxlee in 1929, and is about how, as individuals, we continue to learn throughout our life. It is defined as:

All learning activity undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competence, within a personal civic, social and/or employment related perspective.

ESAE

Yeaxlee states that as we progress through life, we require more not less need for adult education and is much a need as food and exercise. To get more from life, we are required to reflect on past experiences and learn from them.

Related Articles:

Mark Smith | Lifelong Learning

Europe Society of Association Executives | What is lifelong learning?

Barack Obama | Information Challenge

Image via The White House

In 2009, Barack Obama spoke about the current challenges to literacy, which need new skills that were not necessary needed previously.

Barack Obama raises the concern that anyone can publish their opinion, whether it is true or not, but accessing the varied sources of information, either independent or government will help locate the truth from the fiction.

He wants to inform and educate US citizens, with the help of institutions, by increasing awareness and understanding the importance of information while gaining the skills required to obtain, collect and assess information as well as the ability to use current technologies, such as computers.

Related Articles

Whitehouse.gov | National Information Literacy Awareness Month, 2009

Calm before the storm

Image via School Psychology Blog

The second term has started, and I feel like I am being given a false sense of security. On the other hand, maybe it is just the calm before the storm.

I know that the assignment workload is high this term; but, at the moment, it just feels as if I am plodding along. Maybe I am just ignoring it in the vain hope that it will all go away. Better still, all the work will miraculously be done by itself…and I shall pass with flying colours (obviously). Wishful thinking, eh?

I advice to anyone that wants to do something that you always put off (like the dirty dishes)…then start studying. It appears that this is a common remedy to getting that work done instead of studying. This term has seen me try something different in relation to organising my time (a goal that I set myself at the beginning of the year); in the vain hope that this will help reduce my procrastination. I hope that being more organised and planning what I want to do that week will help get the work done, instead of leaving it all to the last-minute.