The document discusses the various hardware and software that Oliver Palmer used to produce his music magazine. He used an iMac to design the magazine, find images online, and upload photos from his Nikon D3100 camera. The camera allowed him to take high quality photos, while additional equipment like a flash trigger and soft boxes helped improve photo quality. Software like Photoshop, InDesign, and WordPress were used for layout, design, and publishing the magazine online. Through using this equipment and programs, Oliver was able to learn new skills and complete the production of his magazine.

1. Technologies behind the
magazine
Oliver Palmer

2. In the process of constructing my music magazine I had
to use certain pieces of hardware to make it possible.
Whether it was for designing the look of my magazine
or taking photos with the artist, I had to use the right
equipment. The following slides reveal what hardware I
used and how it helped in the production of the
magazine.
Hardware

3. The opportunity to use iMacs were provided by the school, they are an
expensive piece of hardware that I may not have been able to use
otherwise.
http://www.apple.com/uk/imac/
Apple iMac
I made use of the iMac in every lesson I had when
completing my magazine. On it I was able to make
use of the specialist software, find necessary
images online and upload my cover photos from
the camera. Previous to completing the magazine, I
had never used an iMac so essentially I was always
learning new skills.

4. Camera
For the taking of photos I used a Nikon D3100 –
digital SLR. This camera allowed me to get high
quality, HD shots that I could use to make my
magazine cover, contents and article eye
catching. With this particular camera I could
adjust the shutter speed to 1/300th of a second.
I learnt how to use the flash to take a clear
photo using this camera.

5. To create a flash from the camera I used a
Horseshoe flash trigger which is placed on top
of the camera. It uses infra red signals which
are sent to the strobe flash (Hemisphere 300).
This then triggers a flash at the
same speed as the camera
shutters.
Horseshoe flash trigger // Strobe
Flash
Using these pieces of equipment made sure that my
images were of the highest quality. It essentially created a
modeling light effect on the artist.

6. I made use of soft boxes in the photo-
shoot as another way to add clarity to
the photos. The boxes disperse the
light and also give a softer, rounder
light on the artist.
Soft Boxes//Back Drop
A plain white backdrop was placed behind
the artist when taking the photos. This
made the artist stand out and create a
high exposure background.

7. I made use of software and specific programs to
complete certain operations. Some of the programs I
used are exclusive to the iMac for instance photoshop
that I hadn’t used before. Some however, I have used
many times previously such as safari or Microsoft
powerpoint. Therefore, through using software to
complete my magazine I was able to learn new skills
and enhance ones I already had.
Software

8. Photoshop was used throughout the process of
creating my magazine. It is a designing software that
allowed me to put together text, images and colours to
produce the final product. This is a screenshot of
Photoshop:
Adobe Photoshop

9. The most I learnt during the process of using Photoshop
was when using the tool bar on the left hand side of the
page. It was here that I could insert new text and
headlines, add boxes and colours and use the cursor on
the top of the bar to move things around the page.
Another very important tool on the bar is called the
lasoo which I used to cut around my photos precisely so
that I could place them in my magazine. I learnt how to
do this as well as use the refine edge tool to get a clean
finish around the image.

10. Indesign is a piece of software that I used when
completing my article. It allowed me to incorperate the
text onto the page I designed on photoshop which I
learnt how to do through the keyboard shortcut cmdD.
The screenshot on the following slide shows Indesign, it
has a very similar layout to Photoshop however as I
learnt it is used for very different things.
Adobe Indesign

12. Wordpress is a website I used in the process to publish
all my work and my final magazine in a blog format.
Wordpress allowed me to set my work out clearly so
that it can be viewed by others.
Wordpress.com
I learnt how to publish new blogs and pages
using the bar along the side of the page.

13. Safari and Firefox were the internet browsers that I
used during the process of constructing my magazine. I
used them for researching existing magazines, finding
relevant images and adding my work to my blog on
Wordpress.
At one stage in the process, Wordpress would not work
with Safari so I learnt how to download Firefox to get
around the issue and continue with my blog.
Safari/Firefox

14. I used Microsoft PowerPoint on a couple of occasions
during the planning and evaluation stages of the
process. I learnt that to insert a PowerPoint onto my
blog I had to use a website called slideshare.
Microsoft PowerPoint/Slideshare
Here I learnt how to upload
a PowerPoint and use the
link to display it in my blog.

15. Finally, Prezi is another website I used during the
process that I hadn’t worked with before. It provided an
alternative way to present my work other than using a
PowerPoint or working straight onto my blog.
Prezi
Prezi provides an onscreen tutorial
which would teach me how to use
the website to present a piece of
work.