Final Skills Audit

AS Media Production: Final Skills Audit Print Production

Name:                         Tutor group:              Date:

Photographic Skills

Which of the following photographic features/equipment have you used on a camera before:

Feature	Yes	No	Comments if yes – where have you completed this skills and to what level
Manual Focus features	x		I used manual focus when taking photos for my product, it allowed me to create a really good quality and focused image. I was able to change the focus easily whilst at any distance.
Shutter Speed	x		I used the shutter speed in my unit 1 whilst trying to capture movement. I tired to do this two ways, one of which I used lights, the other I chose to capture my friends moving at different speeds. These photos are available earlier on in my blog.
Aperture control	x		I used this whilst learning new skills of the camera, I developed some images and experiments of my friends and objects. I took the same image but changed the aperture each time to create different depths of field. The lighter the environment the bigger the hole of the lens needs to be, this would need a smaller aperture of around F3.5. There are images available on my blog to show the experiments.
ISO Control	x		The ISO control was another skill I gained whilst trying out the camera these photos are also available on my blog. ISO is good for catching noise, the higher the ISO number the more noise is picks up, a high ISO number would be needed in a dark environment so it can work fast to capture the image. When taking my images I took the same photo but changed the ISOs to see what I could create.
A tripod		x
External flash	x		I used this in the production of my unit 3, this was to create different lighting to achieve the best outcome. I was able to create different backlighting and techniques such as butterfly lighting. This allowed me to change the lighting to fit with my style of magazine. I have posted the different photos from the shoot on my blog.
Self timer facility		x
Light meter	x		I was able to change the light meter to tone down the lighting and soften up the image. I used this when taking the photos for my product.
Composition grids	x		I used the composition grid when taking photos for my product, it helped me to make my model look vulnerable as I placed her eye line below the top third of the grid, without the grid I wouldn’t have been able to figure out where the top third was. It also helped me to make sure that my model was central to the camera.

Photoshop Skills

Which of the following features of Photoshop have you used before:

Feature	Yes	No	Comments if yes – where have you completed this skills and to what level
Text control	x		I have used text control when creating my product, I have downloaded different fonts and inserted these at different sizes, colours and I have adjusted the rotation and opacity of some of these. I have also moved text so that it lays on top of each other. I have used techniques such as bevel and emboss, and inner stroke to define the text more.
Filters	x		I have used the filters when editing my photo for my product to enhance the image.
Brushes	x		I’ve used brushes when creating my product for when I have circled words, and created shapes. I changed the colour and the size of the brushes to achieve the best visual outcome.
Layers	x		I have worked with layers before, but I have increased my knowledge on how to use them. Previously I had only used two layers however when creating my product I needed to use multiple layers to create a 3d effect.
Opacity control	x		I have used the opacity control also when creating my product, I changed the opacity on some of the shapes and text to soften them up and make the product look more 3d. I have also used the opacity control when editing photos for art, I have been able create layers on photos and change the opacity to reveal the image behind as well as a faint image of the one on top.
Shape creation	x		I have used this feature to create circles that I have placed onto the front of my product. I have been able to change the shape, size, colour and the stroke of the shape.
Brightness and contrast control	x		I have used these features when editing the photos for my product, I was able to adjust the brightness and contrast accordingly to create a successful image.
Gradients		x
Load selection features		x
Feathering		x
Colour curves adjustment	x		I have used the colour curves when editing a photo I took, I took a photo and changed each colour and saved it before doing the next one. All these photos have been posted on my blog.
Resolution setting control		x
Magnetic lasso, polygon lasso tool		x
Cropping tool	x		I’ve used the cropping tool many of times before when changing the size of the photo, or taking a part out that I didn’t want in the shot. I did this when I was editing the photo for my dps of my product, as there was a slight shadow from the paper at the top that I wanted rid of.
Clone tool	x		I used the clone tool when editing Zoe’s skin, the before and after photos are available on my blog. I was able to select a small part of the skin colour next to the red area and cover the red area with the normal skin colour, I did this multiple times over Zoe’s face so she was able to have a flawless skin.
Retouch tool		x
Other skills	x		I am able to edit photos using the dodge and burn tool. This allows me to touch up the areas of the photos I have taken by slightly lightening and darkening them. I have also uploaded some images onto my blog to show this. I have also used the select tool to cut part of an image out of one photo and place it onto another. I have also uploaded this image onto my blog.

In Design Skills

Which of the following features of In Design have you used before:

Feature	Yes	No	Comments if yes – where have you completed this skills and to what level
Have you ever used In design ever before?		x
Margin and column guide creation	x		I used margin and column guides when creating my product, to insert these I clicked on the ruler above the open document and dragged down, I then repeated this to get one for the top. For the vertical guides I did the same but on the side ruler.
Inserting an image ID	x		The images to display this work are available on my blog to view. I inserted an image into ID when experimenting with the programme, I created a ID page to learn the features and have a go at using them before creating my product in it. I was able to create a box to a certain size and place my image inside it, I could then adjust the size and rotate the image inside the box I had already created. I then inserted multiple images onto my product at different sizes, some placed on top of others.
Resizing images in ID	x		Once I had inserted my image I knew if I double clicked on the image and not the box it was inserted in that it would select the image and I could then press control and T and this would highlight the image and allow me to change the size of it. To keep the image from stretching I held down shift when resizing the image.
Text manipulation – resizing, rotation	x		To resize text I simply changed the numbers at the top to a larger one to increase the size. To rotate the text I clicked on the text that would highlight the box it was in and then pressed control and T, this selected the box and let me move the arrows on the sides to rotate it. There was also a box at the top where I could manually input the angle I wanted the text to be on.
Text manipulation – controlling kerning and leading		x
Text flow creation	x		I used text flow when creating my product, it allowed my text to flow from one box to another and over the page. To do this I created a few text boxes, I then clicked on the first box, went on file, place, I then selected my article from my documents and placed it, then in the bottom hand right corner on the text box, there was a small red box, I clicked on this then clicked on the next text box and so on until my article had spread out over the other boxes.
Using transparent imagery in ID		x
Shape/line creation In design	x		I used both shape and line creation in ID, I created multiple boxes that I could then layer on top of each other to create a 3D effect, I put the boxes behind text such as the header, kicker and quote inserts to make them stand out more. To to this I elected the shape creating tool, drew the shape and then filled it in with the colour tool, I could also add stroke and emboss to the box although I didn’t I left it plain as I thought it looked better. I then inserted a dotted line under each fact on the breakout box to section off each one to the other. To create the dots I created a line using the line tool then I changed the format of it using the effects tool. I could change the thickness, length and colour of it.
Exporting to PDF from In-design	x		When I had to hand in my product I needed the file to be a PDF, this just meant that when I saved the file I had to use the drop down menu after I had chosen save as and select save as a PDF.
Text Wrap	x		I used text wrap when creating my product on things such as my quote inserts. This meant that instead of my text going over the top of the quote it would wrap around the quote so you could clearly see both. To do this I elected the quote and at the top selected text wrap, sometimes I had to click on the text of my article and select for it to be brought to the front as some of the rectangle shapes on the quote insert blocked the text.

Number of new skills achieved:

(compare with your initial skills assessment)

At the start of the course I knew 3 skills.

Now at the end of the course I know 26 skills.

Therefore overall I have learnt 23 new skills.