Evaluation Activity 6.

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

I have learnt how to use quite a lot of new equipment from carrying out this task. I have used a mac computer before, but I have never used that many programs on it. During this task, the main programs I have used are Photoshop CS4, Indesign CS4 and Blogger. I have also used more general tools from the mac, such as the grab tool.

Photoshop CS4 was the main program I used to construct my magazine front cover and contents page. I have never

before used photoshop and so it was completely new to me. Although at first the whole thing was very confusing I

quickly learnt how to use it, and am now confident about using it. I have learnt a lot about this program.

Just some of the things I have learnt include:

- how to put effects on the text.

- spot healing and skin retouching tools.

- the magnetic lasso tool.

- gradient effects.

- lighting effects, such as background lighting, drop shadows, lens flares etc.

- enhancing images, touching up photos with different tools.

The other main program I used was Indesign CS4. I used this to complete my double page spread. After editing my

image in Photoshop CS4, I then placed the final image into Indesign CS4 and added the text to it. Like photoshop I

had never used Indesign before and it was quite daunting at first. After getting used to Photoshop I was a bit reluctant

to get used to a whole new program, however once I got started I quickly got the hang of it and I am now comfortable

with using this program. Just like photoshop I have learnt a lot of new skills for indesign, for example how to wrap

text.

The last of the new programs I had used was Blogger. Just like with photoshop and indesign when I first looked at

this I did not understand it, and did not have a clue how to use it. I had never even heard of blogger before this task

so it really was completely new to me. But once again once I got going with it, and started to upload work and just

have a look around the bogs, I realised that it was quite straight forward, and quickly got the hang of it.

I also used cameras for my project. I have used cameras before so these weren't completely new to me. However I

have never taken properly focused and good quality pictures before. I had to learn how to frame my pictures, and

exactly how to use the camera to get the best possible pictures for my front cover, contents page and double page

spread.