- Setting up a New Document
Facing pages allows you to see inside and outside margins; deselecting this you se left and right margins. The page size can be adjusted from presets, or a custom size. By default bleeds are linked, but this can be changed so that they are different sizes. Even numbered pages are all on the left side. Right clicking on this allows you to change how you view the different pages: vertically, sequentially or horizontally.
- Using Layers
By using different layers you can gain complete control of the document. Double clicking on the title of the layer allows you to change the name of the title. Clicking and dragging allow allows you to change what the top and bottom layers are. By locking a layer you are no longer able to select what you are clicking on. Only what is visible will fit, but this can be adjusted by clocking on the layer.
- Using Control Panel
The control panel is located at the top of the screen- giving you access to the most frequent options used in InDesign. The features in the control panel change depending on what you have selected.
- Customizing the Workspace
Working from the dock you can only see one panel at a time, as each one closes as another is opened. Panels can be pulled out and positioned any where on the screen so you have easier access to it. Dragging a panel into the dock allows you to change where it is located within the dock. Shortcuts can also be customized. These customizations can be saved as part of the workspace- you can then choose if only the panel changes are kept or the entire workspace.
- Working With Master Pages
Dotted lines are used to show that an object or objects are on the master page. Using a master page sets up the same features on every page in a document- these features can only be changed from the master page.
- Working With Objects
There are 4 objects: filled, image frame, custom graphic and text frame. Images cannot be created in InDesign and therefore need to be imported. Where you click on the page locates the left top corner of where the image will be places. By selecting multiple objects at a time you can move them all at one, keeping their placement.
- Working With Object Styles
First you create an object style based off one of your object, and then you can apply this object style to other objects within the document. The dialog box provides every object formatting available. This style can be edited by right clicking on the style, from here the style can be changed to fit your needs: all objects under this style will then change. A style works throughout the entire document, not just on one page.
- Using the Text Wrap Panel
Text can be changed so that it wraps around an object. The text can be manipulated so that it directly surrounds the picture, rather than a square around the photo.
What tips from the videos do you think will be most helpful in creating multiple page documents in InDesign?
I think that the videos provided a variety of information that will become helpful in create multiple page documents. Setting up a new document described how to arrange the document to fit your needs when you first open the document: this will be helpful when you have an idea of what you want to do in InDesign. Object styles will be useful when you want the entire document to be unified. By creating a style you can ensure that all objects selected will be formatted in the same manner throughout the document.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Self-Portrait Inspiration and Technical / Creative Resources
Part 1:
What is a self-portrait?
A portrait is a representation of someone, and if it is a self-portrait it is a representation of you. This representation is most commonly in the medium of photography or painting, although any mediums could be used to create a self-portrait. The portrait does not need to be representational, but could be abstract or be a combination of different objects that you believe represents yourself.
What are the distinctive things that make me "me"?
The distinct things that make me who I am, aside from my physical appearance is the experiences I have, how I respond to these experiences and what I am interested in. Some of my chief interests are ceramics and rugby,
How do I want people to see me?
How I want people to see changes with who the person is. I want my teachers and employers to see me as responsible and hard working. My friends should view me as someone they want to hang out- being fun, independent, and adventurous. I want those on opposing rugby teams to see me as fierce, tough and fast. Although I attempt to change that I am, I hope that my personality still somewhat shows through the screens I put up, so that I can be differentiated from those around me.
How can I express my many different sides?
My many different sides are expressed constantly as I move from one situation to the next. Those who I am constantly around are able to see all of these sides, and thus gain a better understanding for who I am. In the majority of situations I try not to modify who I am, thus allowing only who I am to be revealed.
How can I reinvent myself for various purposes or times in my life?
Since people are so visual, the best way to reinvent who you are is to change your appearance. This generally happens on it own; as you change the people you constantly hang out with and see the faults in what you were doing before. As we age we gain more knowledge, which allows us to better shape who we are so that we can transform into who we want to be.
How am I changing from day to day or year to year?
I constantly change day to day depending on the people I am around. While at work or in some classes I attempt to act professional watching what I say and how I act. With my immediate family and friends I am much more free as I have known these people for a long time and no longer need to change who I am, and just act however I feel. When I meet new people I am generally reserved, and the more I am acquainted with the person the more I open up, until my personality is completely revealed. Although even personalities change on a regular basis.
Who do I want to become?
I would like to become someone who is happy with their life- where I have been, where I am and the direction I am heading. I do not want a life that is all planned out, but desire spontaneity and oddities. I hope to reach success in life, although I have yet to determine exactly how I would define success for myself.
Part 2:
I selected this picture because when I think of portraits, Richard Avedon immediately comes to mind. This specific self-portrait is similar to what we are to do in class, as he made a triptych out of his images. What I like about this triptych is that the images all relate yet show a different perspective along with a different emotion expressed by Avedon. By doing this you are able to see three different personalities of the same person. This photo inspires me to do something similar, where multiple photos of me are used to show different perspectives of my personality to give someone a more holistic view of me. These photos also seem to follow a movement, by doing this Avedon allows the different pictures to look more complete when put together- something to consider when I create my own self-portrait.
I liked this portrait of Henri Cartier-Bresson because a lot of information is given about him in this one photo. Not only are you able to see his actual face, but also the viewer is also able to see the portrait he drew of himself. Therefore we are able to see how he looks and how he physically views himself. When creating my own portrait I may want to create multiple photos that create one composition like Cartier-Bresson did in this photograph.
Part 3:
http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/S/selfportraituk/making_selfportrait_01.html
This website was designed for a contest in creating self-portraits. The section titled Making a Self-Portrait points out different ideas and questions to consider before designing your portrait. The size of the image/images will greatly affect how the portrait is viewed and interpreted. Also the artist should consider where the figure or portions of the figure will be located on the page. Is the background going to be part of the photo, or will it just be a solid color. What are you going to express, as posture and mood can greatly change depending on how they are expressed.
What is a self-portrait?
A portrait is a representation of someone, and if it is a self-portrait it is a representation of you. This representation is most commonly in the medium of photography or painting, although any mediums could be used to create a self-portrait. The portrait does not need to be representational, but could be abstract or be a combination of different objects that you believe represents yourself.
What are the distinctive things that make me "me"?
The distinct things that make me who I am, aside from my physical appearance is the experiences I have, how I respond to these experiences and what I am interested in. Some of my chief interests are ceramics and rugby,
How do I want people to see me?
How I want people to see changes with who the person is. I want my teachers and employers to see me as responsible and hard working. My friends should view me as someone they want to hang out- being fun, independent, and adventurous. I want those on opposing rugby teams to see me as fierce, tough and fast. Although I attempt to change that I am, I hope that my personality still somewhat shows through the screens I put up, so that I can be differentiated from those around me.
How can I express my many different sides?
My many different sides are expressed constantly as I move from one situation to the next. Those who I am constantly around are able to see all of these sides, and thus gain a better understanding for who I am. In the majority of situations I try not to modify who I am, thus allowing only who I am to be revealed.
How can I reinvent myself for various purposes or times in my life?
Since people are so visual, the best way to reinvent who you are is to change your appearance. This generally happens on it own; as you change the people you constantly hang out with and see the faults in what you were doing before. As we age we gain more knowledge, which allows us to better shape who we are so that we can transform into who we want to be.
How am I changing from day to day or year to year?
I constantly change day to day depending on the people I am around. While at work or in some classes I attempt to act professional watching what I say and how I act. With my immediate family and friends I am much more free as I have known these people for a long time and no longer need to change who I am, and just act however I feel. When I meet new people I am generally reserved, and the more I am acquainted with the person the more I open up, until my personality is completely revealed. Although even personalities change on a regular basis.
Who do I want to become?
I would like to become someone who is happy with their life- where I have been, where I am and the direction I am heading. I do not want a life that is all planned out, but desire spontaneity and oddities. I hope to reach success in life, although I have yet to determine exactly how I would define success for myself.
Part 2:
I selected this picture because when I think of portraits, Richard Avedon immediately comes to mind. This specific self-portrait is similar to what we are to do in class, as he made a triptych out of his images. What I like about this triptych is that the images all relate yet show a different perspective along with a different emotion expressed by Avedon. By doing this you are able to see three different personalities of the same person. This photo inspires me to do something similar, where multiple photos of me are used to show different perspectives of my personality to give someone a more holistic view of me. These photos also seem to follow a movement, by doing this Avedon allows the different pictures to look more complete when put together- something to consider when I create my own self-portrait.
I liked this portrait of Henri Cartier-Bresson because a lot of information is given about him in this one photo. Not only are you able to see his actual face, but also the viewer is also able to see the portrait he drew of himself. Therefore we are able to see how he looks and how he physically views himself. When creating my own portrait I may want to create multiple photos that create one composition like Cartier-Bresson did in this photograph.
Part 3:
http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/S/selfportraituk/making_selfportrait_01.html
This website was designed for a contest in creating self-portraits. The section titled Making a Self-Portrait points out different ideas and questions to consider before designing your portrait. The size of the image/images will greatly affect how the portrait is viewed and interpreted. Also the artist should consider where the figure or portions of the figure will be located on the page. Is the background going to be part of the photo, or will it just be a solid color. What are you going to express, as posture and mood can greatly change depending on how they are expressed.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Photoshop Videos
http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop/
- Making and Refining Selections
The selection tool allows you to select specific objects within the photo, and also lets you choose spaces you do not want selected. By refining the selection tool, you are able to see the object on different backgrounds, where you can then adjust the edges of the object.
- Using Layers-
The background layer cannot be changed. One image can be added to another simply by dragging one window into the next. Multiple layers can be selected at one time, allowing you to modify multiple at once. A layer mask allows you to hide or create a gradient of the image.
- Converting Color Photos to Black and White- Russell brown
Different colors, along with the hue and saturation can be adjusted to get the specific look you were after. By doing this you can directly target colors and objects within the photo you are working on.
- Applying Smart Filters
This allows you to adjust a layer without changing it, so that you are able to go back to the original photo. Multiple filters can be added to a single photo. By double clicking on the filter you are able to modify the specific filter.
- Correcting Lighting with Camera Raw The fill light command opens the midtones of a photo. In order to keep the shadows of the original photo it is recommended that you adjust the blacks of photo.
- Making Tonal Corrections
By adjusting the contrast of a photo you can brighten up a photo. An advanced way to adjust the contrast is to use the curves tool, which gives you a diagram of the blacks and whites you can adjust.
- Making Lighting Corrections
The curves adjustment tool allows you to change the lighting on only one side of the photo if desired. The channel mixer adjustment layer can convert an image from color to black and white. Also the black and white command lets you instantly change a photo to black and white, and then you can adjust specific colors to be either darker or lighter/
- Using Vanishing Point in Photoshop
The vanishing point lets you edit the perspective of photo. You are now able to adjust the angle that you want the perspective to be from. CS3 lets you wrap multiple art works at once, so you can move all images in one step.
- Importing Content in to InDesign
When importing an image you can use the frame fitting options, so that content can be fit proportionally or the frame can be filled proportionally. Not only can images be imported, but text can be imported as well.
The video I found most helpful was making and refining selections. As this allows you to select a certain object within a photo, which will be extremely helpful when modifying an image.
What I liked about the videos presented by Mike Ninness is that he concluded each video with a recap. By doing this you are able to remember the important factors presented in the video. I found that the videos presented by Katrin Eismann were very boring, as her voice made it seem as though she did have an interest in what she is presenting. I would prefer if she showed excitement in her voice, as this tends to grab the attention of the listener. Although like Eismann, Terry White sounds monotone, he uses words that make him seem excited, as he constantly claims that he loves certain tools or features within the program. I found the presentation by Russell Brown was very good, as the black and white feature he was presenting on genuinely excited him. Also during his video clip, areas were blown up so that the viewer could see what it was he was clicking on to get the feature he was after.
- Making and Refining Selections
The selection tool allows you to select specific objects within the photo, and also lets you choose spaces you do not want selected. By refining the selection tool, you are able to see the object on different backgrounds, where you can then adjust the edges of the object.
- Using Layers-
The background layer cannot be changed. One image can be added to another simply by dragging one window into the next. Multiple layers can be selected at one time, allowing you to modify multiple at once. A layer mask allows you to hide or create a gradient of the image.
- Converting Color Photos to Black and White- Russell brown
Different colors, along with the hue and saturation can be adjusted to get the specific look you were after. By doing this you can directly target colors and objects within the photo you are working on.
- Applying Smart Filters
This allows you to adjust a layer without changing it, so that you are able to go back to the original photo. Multiple filters can be added to a single photo. By double clicking on the filter you are able to modify the specific filter.
- Correcting Lighting with Camera Raw The fill light command opens the midtones of a photo. In order to keep the shadows of the original photo it is recommended that you adjust the blacks of photo.
- Making Tonal Corrections
By adjusting the contrast of a photo you can brighten up a photo. An advanced way to adjust the contrast is to use the curves tool, which gives you a diagram of the blacks and whites you can adjust.
- Making Lighting Corrections
The curves adjustment tool allows you to change the lighting on only one side of the photo if desired. The channel mixer adjustment layer can convert an image from color to black and white. Also the black and white command lets you instantly change a photo to black and white, and then you can adjust specific colors to be either darker or lighter/
- Using Vanishing Point in Photoshop
The vanishing point lets you edit the perspective of photo. You are now able to adjust the angle that you want the perspective to be from. CS3 lets you wrap multiple art works at once, so you can move all images in one step.
- Importing Content in to InDesign
When importing an image you can use the frame fitting options, so that content can be fit proportionally or the frame can be filled proportionally. Not only can images be imported, but text can be imported as well.
The video I found most helpful was making and refining selections. As this allows you to select a certain object within a photo, which will be extremely helpful when modifying an image.
What I liked about the videos presented by Mike Ninness is that he concluded each video with a recap. By doing this you are able to remember the important factors presented in the video. I found that the videos presented by Katrin Eismann were very boring, as her voice made it seem as though she did have an interest in what she is presenting. I would prefer if she showed excitement in her voice, as this tends to grab the attention of the listener. Although like Eismann, Terry White sounds monotone, he uses words that make him seem excited, as he constantly claims that he loves certain tools or features within the program. I found the presentation by Russell Brown was very good, as the black and white feature he was presenting on genuinely excited him. Also during his video clip, areas were blown up so that the viewer could see what it was he was clicking on to get the feature he was after.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Technical Training Video - Summary and Critique
Technical Training Video - Summary and Critique
http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop/
- Making Selections: This feature is similar to that in the other Adobe programs, as there is a regular and direct selection tool. Using these two tools, you are able to resize and crop images or objects, or change their shape. While cropping an image you can get a ghost image, so that you are able to move the picture and put a specific section of the photo into the crop box.
- Working With Text: You are able to apply a specific style to text. By saving the style you can easily access it and apply the same style to other areas of the document. Also you can change the case of a word if you would rather have it all in upper or lower case. At the beginning of a paragraph you can create a character drop, where a large letter is placed at the head of the paragraph.
- Working With Text Styles: When you save a style if you hold down the option key, the panel pops up and you are able to save a specific name for the style.
- Creating Bullets and Numbering: Bullets and numbering can be made by selecting the paragraph you want the bullets and numbering added to, and then selecting the icon from the overhead panel. InDesign automatically will change numbering if you add or delete something.
- Using the Text Wrap Panel: Text can be changed so that it wraps around an object. The text can be manipulated so that it directly surrounds the picture, rather than a square around the photo.
- Managing Pages: By turning the vertical display off, you are able to see pages in a more manageable fashion. Pages can be added to the layout, or if you like a setup you are able to duplicate pages.
Which video was most helpful? What do you think of the different presenters? i found the managing pages video to be most helpful, through my brief encounters with Adobe InDesign, I have had difficulties figuring out how to change the display so you can see multiple spreads. From this video I now understand how to change the layout, so that I can see the various pages desired. I greatly enjoyed Terry White's presentation, as his text was the steps he was describing. This allowed the viewer to not only listen to what he was saying and presenting, but also to read the steps as well. I also found Anne-Marie Concepcion's presentations to be enjoyable as she became excited about the different features she was discussing.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Photobucket
Elements and Principles of Design Slideshow
Before beginning this assignment I read the definitions of the different principles and elements of design. After I gained an understanding of what each of the words were, I began to formulate different possibilities of what to take photos of. During the process of taking photos, I frequently returned to the list of definitions, to be sure each photo was representing what my goal was. When it came to create the photos I attempted to utilize different and interesting angles. The majority of the photos I used in this slideshow were new photos, as only two (line and color) are pictures that I had taken before being assigned this project. When I was ready to shoot the images, I walked around my house and looked for different possibilities of what to create images of; then I took pictures from different viewpoints. After the photos were taken, they were uploaded on to my computer, and I was able to choose which image best represented the principle or element I was attempting to show. Many of the photos had to be cropped, so that only the essential material was being revealed. After all my pictures were selected, I uploaded them to photobucket, which was extremely easy. I then created the slideshow, which took me some time to figure out how to do, but the instructions provided along with the slideshow creation, made it easy for one to use. The only area I experienced difficulty in was deciding what to take pictures of, as a plethora of photos could have been used to show the element or principle.
In conclusion, I found this project helpful, as I have not utilized photobucket in a very long time, and never had made a slideshow before. I now feel confident in using photobucket as a tool.
Before beginning this assignment I read the definitions of the different principles and elements of design. After I gained an understanding of what each of the words were, I began to formulate different possibilities of what to take photos of. During the process of taking photos, I frequently returned to the list of definitions, to be sure each photo was representing what my goal was. When it came to create the photos I attempted to utilize different and interesting angles. The majority of the photos I used in this slideshow were new photos, as only two (line and color) are pictures that I had taken before being assigned this project. When I was ready to shoot the images, I walked around my house and looked for different possibilities of what to create images of; then I took pictures from different viewpoints. After the photos were taken, they were uploaded on to my computer, and I was able to choose which image best represented the principle or element I was attempting to show. Many of the photos had to be cropped, so that only the essential material was being revealed. After all my pictures were selected, I uploaded them to photobucket, which was extremely easy. I then created the slideshow, which took me some time to figure out how to do, but the instructions provided along with the slideshow creation, made it easy for one to use. The only area I experienced difficulty in was deciding what to take pictures of, as a plethora of photos could have been used to show the element or principle.
In conclusion, I found this project helpful, as I have not utilized photobucket in a very long time, and never had made a slideshow before. I now feel confident in using photobucket as a tool.
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