Question 6-What have you learnt about technologies in the process of creating this product?

Technologies UsedThroughout the process of creating my media product, I used and

developed my skills using pieces of technology which enabled me to create the best product. The following is a list of all technologies (as well as a computer which is evident) I used:

-Digital Nikon D3200 camera -Lighting

-Internet explorer

-Microsoft PowerPoint

-Adobe Photoshop CS3

Digital Nikon D3200The camera was an important part of the process of creating my

media product, as I need to use my own images, these were to be taken with this camera. This specific camera’s features were helpful also. For example, the fact it is a digital camera had it’s benefits, as it gave me an immediate insight as to what the image looks like, so I could therefore change and retake if features such as the brightness weren’t right. Similarly, trial and error was a huge factor for me, as I was vaguely inexperienced with such an advanced piece of technology, I needed to repeat the process and take multiple pictures in order to see which photo looked the best. The large storage space (memory) on the camera enabled me to do this.

What did you learn?As mentioned before, I was very inexperienced with a camera of

such quality, so I learnt how to use it and how to use and apply the functions effectively. Developing my knowledge of the camera was relatively easy, getting advice from my fellow students or simply working it out on my own. However, I felt the most effective way was to use the internet to find tutorials online.

Adobe Photoshop CS3This piece of software was possibly the most useful

for creating my media product, as it allowed me to manipulate and alter the images I took for the benefit of my magazine. To learn the skills to operate the system, I had to use the internet and find tutorials on YouTube; these were often slow paced and very well informed, which enabled me to learn quickly. An example of a change I made using Photoshop was the use of the Spot Healing Brush, this and an adjustment of the brightness/contrast allowed me to create an image which seemingly had perfect skin. Similarly, I had to move and rotate the main image on the front cover in order to fit it in next to the text.

Internet ExplorerI used this mainly for my research, as I needed the

internet to research the codes and conventions of hip-hop magazines. The internet was also vital in the production of my media product as I needed it to access YouTube and therefore be able to operate the other systems required (e.g. Tutorials for Photoshop) and also to keep my blog updated with any recent work I had completed. Using Internet explorer and being able to access blogger was a huge success for me, as I quickly learned how to use it and therefore had an efficient and clear way of setting out my work. This meant that throughout the rest of my production, if I needed to refer back to any of my previous research, blogger allowed me to do this easily.

Microsoft PowerPointI used this during my research to

co-ordinate the common conventions of other magazines, I put in in a PowerPoint so it was in a presentable, clear and concise format, so it would be easy to refer to at a later date. It also means other can relate to my PowerPoint's that I publish.

LightingThe lights and equipment I used were

relatively simplistic, with not much outside knowledge needed to operate. The lighting was a case of trial and error, as I had to keep trying different intensities of light and many different positions in order to gain an outcome I was happy with. The lighting was important as it allowed me to produce a professional image which could be easily be used in an established magazine.

In conclusionI feel as if the technological elements helped me to

create a more professional and accomplished product, as without them it would be very much less presentable and at a much lower standard. The way I used my technology allowed me to keep the process of creating my media product very clear and organised, allowing me to contribute changes by looking back at my previous work (research). Without the clear planning and layout, perhaps my work wouldn’t be as easy to understand and interpret as it is with the use of technology. The introduction of these pieces of technology to me was new, and it with the help of people and the slight knowledge I had, I was able to use the features of the technology in order to produce a clear and understandable media product.