1. Question 6
What have you learnt about techniques from the process of constructing the product?
During the production of the product, I have learnt numerous techniques. Most techniques can be
traced back to my production journal, which actually shows a step by step guide on how I developed
my magazine Some of the main techniques I have learnt when constructing my product, mainly
revolve around camera work and editing tools, such as Photoshop.
For the camera work, I have learnt a lot. Firstly, it is important to have a steady shot, so that the
image is not tilted. We do not want the image to be titled because It would affect the photo, and not
make it look as good. To solve this, I decided to use a tripod, which was really affective. Another
thing that is extremely important about camera work is the fact that you need to always to make
sure the camera is focused properly. If the camera is not focused properly, this will deteriorate the
quality of the image, and overall affect the way the shot looks. The make sure it focused properly, I
made sure the lens was okay, and also, I waited for it to adjust properly, after having moved it. This
meant that the camera was shooting to its highest possible quality, and therefore made it look really
good. The camera angle is also particularly important for each part of the magazine. When
researching other magazines, I noticed that on the front cover, lots of magazines decided to use
close ups, in order to make it very personal. Whereas for the double page spread, it was mainly
orientated on having a medium shot. Lastly, and most importantly, the lighting. Lighting will also
affect the quality of the shot, and therefore it is really important. For a magazine where you are not
including the background, It is usually better to have a brighter light, and make it less gloomy, so it
looks high quality and all of the features are able to be seen. I got someone to shine a torch from
behind the camera, and therefore it would make the shot look a lot better. This subsequently made
it a lot easier when editing the lighting levels directly in Photoshop.
In Photoshop I also learned a lot of valuable skills and techniques. Before going into the project, I
already had an intermediate understanding of Photoshop, and was able to work all of the tools
effectively. However, during this time, I particularly focused on the colour selection tool, therefore
making it look really good in certain parts. Another thing that I found really useful was the way in
which the grid lines would help me to make my placement of text perfect. And I also believed that
the ruler was really helpful when going. Out of all of it, however, one of the most valuable
techniques I learned was removing blemishes on my model. On the front cover, the model had a red
mark, and usually a few simple brushes, I was able to remove them.
