There is a series of videos in the Robson213Files folder explaining and demonstrating using layers in Photoshop.

Drop off your own samples, and make sure that the FILE NAME REFLECTS the TECHNIQUE. Ex: robsonj_opacity.psd

After viewing those, you should be able to demonstrate the same concepts by using a photo of your own. Use the techniques demonstrated in:

03_Opacity – You are shown how to use the opacity controls to add elements on top of your images. Take one of your photos and add a texture over top (something that will be obvious even at a decreased opacity, like a brick wall, flower, cloud, stones, sand, water, fabric, etc.). Add some text on top of that (using the “T” – Text – Tool.) Make the text bold/thick enough to see some of the detail inside, and turn down the opacity.

Example: robsonj_opacity.psd

05_NewLayers – You’re shown how to add text, and to apply a coloured background to the text. Use one of your photos and add a similar text box on top of your photo, and turn down the opacity so it blends in a bit

Example: robsonj_newlayers.psd

08_ClippingMask – This shows you how to make a really neat effect by placing an image inside of some text. You can use the same image (as in the movie) or put a different image inside and on top of another image.

Example: robsonj_clippingmask.psd

09_StyleEffects – This movie shows you how to add neat layer styles to make elements really stand out. Again you’ll have to add some text, and another image or layer. Use those style effects to make the new layers really pop out.

Example:

Outside of, but connected to Photoshop, there is a great plugin called Camera Raw. It provides a lot of tools that can help you get the best out of your images, especially those taken in the Raw format (which you should be using.)

The easiest way to get to Camera Raw is through Adobe Bridge. Bridge is likely not in your dock, so you’ll have to find it in your Applications folder or search for it with Spotlight:

Bridge allows you to browse for photos, so you can navigate to your folders yourself, or search for images

You could make things easier for yourself and export the photos you want from iPhoto. Select a photo, go to the File menu, and choose Export:

You can choose your location (all work should be in your Drive or DropBox folder!) and your file name (the file name should reflect the task you are completing or the technique you are demonstrating)

of course you could always cheat and just drag it out of iPhoto on to your desktop (although this gives you less control over what’s being exported! You can’t rename or choose a version of the photo, etc.)

Once you find a photo in Bridge that you’d like to adjust, right click on it and Open in Camera Raw…

As you go through the Raw videos, I would like you to adjust some of your photos using the tools demonstrated, and drop off a BEFORE and AFTER version of the photos you fix. NAME THE FILES CORRECTLY so that I know which photos are showing which technique:

Example: files named RAWBasicControlsBEFORE and RAWBasicControlsAFTER

RAWBasicControlsBEFORE

RAWBasicControlsAFTER

Demonstrate the techniques in:

• 03_BasicControls
• 04_Colour_WhiteBalance
• 06_CropTool
• 07_BlackWhite
• 08_ReduceNoise_Sharpen

Again, drop off a BEFORE and an AFTER image, and make sure the file name tells me WHICH VIDEO/TECHNIQUE you used!

One of the things that we look for in a good photo is that we want it to tell a story or convey a feeling. Today I’m challenging you to take some photos that demonstrate a feeling or idea. Your job will be to go and find a place/situation that best demonstrates one of the ideas/feelings below. YOU MAY NOT STAGE THIS – ie you can’t set up your shot, you have to find it AS IT IS in the school. For that reason, you likely will not be able to photograph anyone in this class, so you may have to seek out other people and enter into different spaces (ie you might not find them in the hall.) Wherever you go, make sure that you are not disturbing anyone and that they are ok with you using the photo for this assignment.

For example, if I wanted to demonstrate “stress,” I would try to find a teacher in the school who is planning or marking (believe me, I know all about that stress…) or a student who is studying or someone in the office with a big pile of paperwork on his/her desk, etc. I wouldn’t ask one of my friends to look stressed and take the photo, I would find a situation in the school and take a photo of it as it is.

You will bring your photos back and post them into the class Flickr group. Your classmates and I will then look at your photo and comment on how well you demonstrated the idea/feeling.

NOTE: once again I want you to use your camera set on MANUAL. I want you to think about what settings you’re going to choose for your Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO. You may have to play around with those until you get the ideal setting for whatever location/setting you’re taking the photo in. That’s part of your learning. You should probably take the photo with different settings, because sometimes it’s hard to tell from the display on your camera which looks best. Look carefully at the light in the room/setting you choose, and think about whether you want to let lots of light into your camera or not, and whether you want your camera sensor to be super sensitive or not.

Your topics:

Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, I encourage you to enjoy the true meaning of the season, so here are some ideas that should represent this time of year:

• faith
• charity
• generosity
• kindness/caring
• joy
• love

If you have another topic suggestion, please run it by me first, but I’m open to your ideas. Just look for a scene that portrays your topic and be prepared to tell us about your shot and how you set your camera.

My example

This needs to be done at school, TODAY.

Today we talked about ISO settings. For more information, please visit the following useful sources of information:

Photography Life

Digital Photography School

Today’s task:

Switch your camera to child or portrait mode. Set up a photo of a person/object with good light. Take 3 photos – 100, 800, 3200/hi. POST on FLICKR. Explain what changing the ISO did to the picture. Add a link to your pictures by commenting on this post!

Task #2:

Describe a situation where you’d have to change ISO – what setting/situation would you want to use a low ISO (100/200) and what setting/situation would you want to use a high ISO (3200/hi). Find a photo on Flickr (NOT GOOGLE IMAGES) for each situation. Make sure that you have a link to the source! Post your answer here in the form of a comment.

Refer back to the Composition Techniques Examples and/or your notes, and/or the Internet to make sure that you understand each concept listed below.

Using an item or a willing person, you must demonstrate AND EXPLAIN each of the following:

• Simplicity
• Leading and Disappearing Lines
• Filling Your Frame
• Framing Your Subject
• Symmetry
• Perspective /Viewpoint
• Reflections
• Rule of Thirds

To make things a bit easier, you can use any of your previous photos (but they must be YOUR PHOTOS) to demonstrate.

Again, you may make a PowerPoint/KeyNote slideshow to demonstrate by placing the photo on the slide and above, below, or beside the photo, explaining how the technique is applied in the photo.

For this photo I wanted to look at the school from a different angle primarily so that I could fit in both signs, but I really like how it gives me a unique angle and a different perspective on the school. It also creates some neat leading/disappearing lines, as the roof of the school kind of leads the eye along the building.

This is Jeremy. He’s awesome. For this photo I really wanted to focus on his face paint and the face he was making, so I filled the frame up as much as I could. There was a lot of background distraction (we were at a street festival) and I didn’t want anything to draw the viewer’s attention away.

This is a photo of the world’s biggest cross, on top of the mountain that gives Montreal its name. I positioned the vertical part of the cross along the right “third” line, and put the actual cross part at the top right intersection of the lines. This draws your attention to that point, as it is the most interesting part of the photo.

Examples:

One of the most important concepts, and also one of the simplest to learn and achieve is the rule of thirds.

Download instructions and media

Today we will be beginning our composition project presentations.

Your job was to take one of the composition concepts, research it, explain it, and create some sort of notes/explanation IN YOUR OWN WORDS.

• You should have listed the sources of information you consulted.
• You should have found photos online that demonstrate your concept, and each one should have a link to its source.
• You should also have taken your own example photos.
• You should be prepared to explain/demonstrate your concept to the class

I am also increasingly frustrated with the inability of some of you to complete and hand in assignments. Our school offers a wonderful after school “Homework Club,” which I am going to start inviting people to. If your assignments are not coming in STARTING TODAY, you will be expected to take part in that after school opportunity.

You have some time to work on these things before we begin our presentations. If you have questions or need help NOW is the time. DO NOT waste this time.

Sorry I can’t be there today. Get your flu shot. Take your vitamins. Wear a jacket. Wash your hands a lot. All good advice that might help you avoid whatever I’ve got.

As I mentioned to you last time, it’s really, REALLY important that you all get some good work done and some assignments submitted. TODAY. Report cards are coming, and for some of you, it’s not looking good; getting a few things in would really help improve that situation.

Last time we started a Composition Assignment. That’s important. Do a good job of the research, a good job of creating a teaching tool, and a good job of taking sample photos.

I STILL don’t have photos from the Bruce Park assignment for most people. Unacceptable. If you took them there, drop them off. Label them so that I know which is which. If you didn’t get photos from Bruce Park, take those NOW in or around school.

There was also an assignment from the day we took photos of GWMS students.  Kaitlyn did a great job of this. Ask to look at her photos if you need suggestions.

Although we’re not quite ready to lay out this year’s yearbook, it’s a good idea to take a better look at last year’s, as well as some other books, and see if we can come up with some ideas for the one that we will put together. It’s never too early to get thinking and working on ours. Our decisions about theme and look will influence a lot of what we do, so hopefully we can put together some ideas and allow you some time to think about them, discuss, and formulate some possible plans for us. If we choose to go with a theme, here is a list of thought-starters that could help get you started: ThemeList

We will look at some samples of older yearbooks to see how the book has been laid out in the past.

You will get into a group. This group WILL NOT include the person sitting directly beside you. Mix it up a bit. I will give you some yearbooks to look through.

Take some notes about the following:

What, if anything, is the THEME of that book? (look for similarities & running looks/concepts among the pages)

Observations about the book (good, bad, indifferent)

What you like about the look/layout of the book

What you don’t like about the look/layout of the book