Introduction to Photoshop

This week I began my Preliminary Task to create a college magazine front cover and draft contents page, i began by completing research into the forms and conventions of a College Magazine, I Then began the shoot for my Front Cover and Draft layouts.

Before I started using the software photoshop properly for my front cover, i used the software as a test for using it for this specific type of task on a practise, as i have already used photoshop for other subjects and school, I have basic knowledge on the tools for example in photoshop and their uses. although i have never before had to use a vast amount of layers as it takes to make a music magazine page this was a new concept.

By looking back reflecting on my previous knowledge and combining it with my new knowledge and features i have learnt, I first began by creating draft layouts for my magazine front cover similar to my actual magazine. including in all these layouts forms and conventions of a magazine of this genre. including a selling line, issue number, date, price, and college information and barcode. I included a barcode to add more detail to my magazine, and for the contents i added, the logo of the college the magazine was based around. I even used the forms and conventions of a magazine through image using a midshot (waist upwards) of the model as she has direct eye contact into the camera, maintaining the idea of direct eye contact with the audience. this can be seen in draft layouts of priliminary task.

ON REFLECTION: I did a similar thing with the music magazine by first began by creating draft layout options for my magazine front cover, contents page and double page spread, Including in these layouts all forms of conventions of a music magazine of this genre, including barcode, to add more professionalism to the magazine by including such minute forms and conventions such as this, for this i used a barcode maker, adding issue number, date and magazine "website" such as more high end magazines do, i also added and combined layouts for the contents page to add more detail to my contents, to navigate to my layouts they are under draft layouts.

Photoshop is a incredible software to work with and construct my coursework with for the preliminary task and then to carry forward the skills i learn into my music magazine task, I have included some screenshots of tools i have explored and experimented with to create my preliminary task.

Photoshop Tools

Quick Selection - This tool for selecting parts of the image, that you want to manipulate, the quick of the quick selection aspect is from the idea that photoshop software tries to guess the parts you want to manipulate so therefore is quicker. another concept i would like to add in content aware tools, such as fill - content aware after selecting an image this tool allows photoshop to use the contents around the selection to try and fill in a desired area using components of its surroundings.

Eyedropper Tool - is used used to pick certain colours in an image so you can use the exact same colour in a different section of the image.

Crop Tool - this is used to discard edges of an image and change the focal point of a image.

Spot Healing Brush Tool - Is used to "smooth" areas of an image out, infamously used for blemishes and spots removal in an image, So prodominantly used for improving appearance physically on models etc, this is used alot in the real word for advertising, magazines and promoting, Therefore making this tool a good tool to be used in my magazine.

Shape Tool - This tool is used for creating shapes and even "custom" shapes, this is useful for making features stand out, or breaking up sections.

Stamp Tool - The stamp tool has similar uses as the previously talked about Spot Healing Brush Tool, this tool is used for changing a surface of an image, "smoothing" "repeating" anything a more complex version of the spot healing brush predominately, as you use the alt key on the keyboard to copy an area of like and using that area on the area to be changed.

Dodge/Burn Tool - is used to darken and lighten areas of an image without using a adjustment layer and in for of a brush form, this could be used on human subject matter as a way of "contouring" the face similar to as you would to with makeup but in a more experimental non final way.

Blur/Sharpen Tool - The Blur tool is used to as its very self explanatory to "blur" an area of an image, perhaps on blemishes and spots, and the sharpen tool is used to sharpen areas perhaps edges or more dominant focal points.