The document discusses the technologies used to create a music magazine, including Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop, an HD digital camera, the internet, Apple computers, and Paint. PowerPoint allowed layout adjustments and Photoshop improved image quality. New skills were developed in magazine design and software use. Future magazines could utilize more advanced publishing software.

1. What have I learnt about technologies from the
process of constructing the music magazine?

2.  The technologies I used to make my music
magazine included:
 Microsoft PowerPoint
 Adobe Photoshop
 HD Digital Camera
 Internet
 Apple Computers
 Paint

3.  This software allowed me to produce my
magazine in an easy and effective way. By using
PowerPoint, I was able to get an overall image of
how my magazine was improving because I could
easily adjust and adapt conventions making it
look more professional and suitable. Whilst using
PowerPoint to construct my magazine, I didn’t
develop any skills because I was already familiar
with the software. However, I did develop in my
magazine creating skills by using PowerPoint
because I was constantly changing and adapting
my magazine to make further improvements. This
was done using different components of
PowerPoint in which I haven’t used before. If I was
to create another music magazine then I would
maybe use a more high tech. publishing
software, meaning that I would be able to do
more with my magazine, to make it more
professional. But I would still use the PowerPoint
software as a ‘base’ for the final magazine so that
I get the best results. PowerPoint was very helpful
when it came to inserting text
boxes, highlighting, creating borders, image
adjustments/effects, layout arrangement and
image and text rotation.

4.  Adobe Photoshop allowed me to alter, change, adapt,
crop and improve the quality of my images. I used this
software for most of my images so that they were
emphasized on my magazine further. I done this by
adjusting colouring, contrast, saturation, brightness,
sharpening/softening, tone and also implementing
artistic effects. Overall, I found this software very helpful,
because it made the images in my magazine look more
professional and of a much higher quality. Whilst using
Photoshop, I developed the skills to be able to use it to a
decent standard, because I hadn’t used the software
beforehand. I found by using this software it made me
gain more creativity when thinking of idea’s/samples for
my music magazine. I think that I will use this software
in the future, If I was to repeat the music magazine task
because I found I very efficient and helpful when
constructing my magazine.
 The main image on my front cover was changed using
Photoshop. This allowed me to remove the colouring and
increase the sharpness and the contrast of the image. By
doing this, the main image then linked and matched with
the colour scheme of the front cover. Throughout the
magazine, I used similar techniques on all of my images
to enhance them, making them appeal to the audience. I
also found Photoshop very useful when trying to get my
layout structured and when making adjustments to the
sizes of some of the components. For example, when
trying to get the double page spread to fit so that the
mast head running across both pages, was the same
size. I did this by using the technology provided by
Photoshop so that I could easily and efficiently adjust the
text and page.

5.  When creating my magazine, I had to use new software
that I haven’t used before via the internet. These were
‘slideshare’ and ‘BlogSpot’. I used these websites to
publish my music magazine. I found that by using these
websites I had more opportunity to be creative when
making my magazine, because it was all interactive.
 I also used many websites to find unique font styles that
would symbolise the genre of my magazine. The main
website I used for this was ‘www.fontspace.com’. I found
that this website had a very large variety of quality fonts
which I could use in my magazine. Whereas on PowerPoint,
there wasn’t a great range of fonts which would grab the
attention of the audience. I used the fonts of this website
mainly for my mast heads, headings and cover lines so
that they appealed to the audience.

6.  I used a digital camera to take the pictures of the
band members, ‘Declan Douglas’ and ‘Eric Logan’. By
using the digital camera I was able to choose the type
of shot I wanted from the band members. This
included, close-ups and mid shots from high and low
angles. By having the variety of shot types, the
magazine is able to look more professional, enabling
it to compete more with other magazines. I
specifically used the HD digital camera rather than a
basic camera or a mobile phone, so that the quality of
the image was of a much higher standard.
Furthermore, on the digital camera I was able to use
some effects on the images to give them a
professional edge.

7.  When creating my magazine I was able to use computers
made by Apple Inc. This proved to my advantage because
these computers have a much larger range of software which
is more at a professional standard. I was able to use software
and programs that I haven't used before, which allowed me to
jump ahead in my magazine construction due to the high
quality of them.
 I also used paint to help me to adapt some of my images
when they needed to be cropped and rearranged.
Furthermore, I used the qualities of Paint to create a
barcode for my magazine. Overall, this programme was
very quick and easy to use when making my magazine
look more professional and of a higher quality; I shall use
it in the future.