Final Skills Audit

AS Media Production: Final Skills Audit Print Production

Name: Owen Dixon                     Tutor group:              Date:

Photographic Skills

Which of the following photographic features/equipment have you used on a camera before:

Feature	Yes	No	Comments if yes – where have you completed this skills and to what level
Manual Focus features	X		I used this early in the year but not to a high level, I only really experimented with it as I mainly used auto focus.
Shutter Speed	X		I used this again, early in the year but I used it when I was experimenting with light painting. Again I only used it briefly and not to a very high level.
Aperture control		X
ISO Control		X
A tripod	X		I used a tripod during my photoshoot as it meant I could get a photo closer to what I wanted because it meant I could get the same angle for more than one photo.
External flash	X		I used this during the photoshoot for my front cover and DPS. I didn’t really control it because Phil had a much better understanding. I did however have a say in how bright it could be which would make my image either brighter or darker.
Self timer facility	X		I used the self timer very briefly at the start of the year when I was
Light meter		X
Composition grids	X		I used composition grids when taking my photos as I knew that a photo would be more effective if things like there eye lines fell on the third line.

Photoshop Skills

Which of the following features of Photoshop have you used before:

Feature	Yes	No	Comments if yes – where have you completed this skills and to what level
Text control	X		I had previous experience with this from my media GCSE but I developed my skills during the creation of my magazine.
Filters	X		I used filters previously in my GCSE course but I didn’t really use them this year. It was because I learnt how to edit photos better by using different tools and not just by placing filters on.
Brushes	X		I only used brushes briefly this year. It was when I was making my Christmas card, this meant that my skills using brushes is not very good.
Layers	X		I used layers to get my desired final image. This is shown for my DPS photo when I wanted to place a mod target behind the model.
Opacity control	X		I used opacity control briefly during the unit but I mainly used it for the sell lines on my front cover because I used the stroke effect but I didn’t want the stroke to be a thick black colour so I changed it to make it look more shadowy.
Shape creation	X		I used shape creation to make things like button sells and I also used it to create the mod target behind my model for my DPS.
Brightness and contrast control	X		I used brightness and contrast control for my main image on the front cover, this was because I felt that after I had taken it, the photo wasn’t exactly what I wanted (brightness).
Gradients	X		I used gradients a lot this year, especially when I was making things like sell buttons
Load selection features	X		I didn’t use this a great deal this year and I didn’t use it on my final piece but I learnt how, by using this, I could change things like the gradients of the text by individual letters.
Feathering	X		Again I didn’t use this a lot during the year and didn’t use it on my final piece so my skills for it aren’t at a very good standard but I learnt that it was to do with being able to make the colour in not suddenly stop but to fade into the background.
Colour curves adjustment		X
Resolution setting control	X		I did this a lot during this year when setting up documents and also saving documents as JPEGs because I had to select the resolution of the image.
Magnetic lasso, polygon lasso tool	X		I used this tool a lot so I think that my skills are up to a good standard, I used it for my DPS photo because I wanted to have an image behind my model.
Cropping tool	X		I have used this often this year but not a great deal for my magazine project, I felt that I didn’t need to use it but I feel like I would have been able to use it confidently if I did.
Clone tool		X
Retouch tool		X
Other skills		X

In Design Skills

Which of the following features of In Design have you used before:

Feature	Yes	No	Comments if yes – where have you completed this skills and to what level
Margin and column guide creation	X		We did this when setting up our pages so we could have clear guidelines for things like text and pictures. I don’t think I could confidently do it by myself though.
Inserting an image ID	X		Using the rectangle tool, you draw out where you want to place your image and then file and place your image. I do feel quite confident doing this.
Resizing images in ID	X		I’ve confident at resizing images as I’ve had to do it a lot this year. I know that when resizing an image, you have to hold the shift key to make sure the photo doesn’t stretch.
Text manipulation – resizing, rotation	X		I used this a lot this year for both introductionary work and my final work. I had to rotate and resize text quite often to get what I wanted.
Text manipulation – controlling kerning and leading	X		I used kerning and leading mainly on my DPS to make my product look more professional and also to make my article fit onto the page.
Text flow creation		X
Using transparent imagery in ID		X
Shape/line creation In design		X
Exporting to PDF from In-design	X		We did this at the very end of our project when we had finished everything because we had to export our DPS’s. I did find it a bit confusing but I do think that I would be able to do it again.
Text Wrap	X		I used text wrap for my quote insert but I found it difficult to do. I would have to watch a tutorial if I wanted to reproduce it.
Other Skills

Number of new skills achieved: 20

(compare with your initial skills assessment)