Final Skills Audit

Photography

Feature	Yes	No	Comments if yes – where have you completed this skills and to what level
Manual Focus features	X		I used the manual focus feature when I was doing my photoshoot, I also used it when I was taking all of the photos for my blog. This prevented my images from being out of focus. I did this to a medium level.
Shutter Speed	X		I experimented with shutter speed for one of the articles on my blog. I did this by talking photos of Abbi as she jumped into the air. I did this to a high level.
Aperture control	X		I experimented with aperture control as part of the work on my blog. I did this by going outside and taking photos of a toy bear, on some photos I had a high aperture which meant the background was out of focus and on other I had a lower aperture, making everything in focus. I did this to a medium level.
CSM Control		X
A tripod	X		I used a tripod throughout the course whenever I needed to do any kind of photography; this allowed me to take more stable photos. I did this to a high level.
External flash	X		I used the external flash during my photoshoot so that my subject (sean) was well lit. I did this to a medium level.
Self timer facility	X		I did not use the self-timer facility during my media course but I have used it outside of lessons many times, examples include when I went on holiday and wanted A group picture. I did this to a medium level.
Light meter	X		I experimented with the light metre at the same time as I experimented with shutter speed. I did this to a medium level.
Composition grids	X		I experimented with composition grids early on in the course. I did this for my blog when I was taking photos of Abbi in medium close ups, extreme close ups etc. I used the composition grids to make sure her eye level was on the third line in the photo. I did this to a medium level.

Photoshop

Feature	Yes	No	Comments if yes – where have you completed this skills and to what level
Text control	X		I used text control when I created my first magazine front cover at the beginning of the course, I also used text control when I created two CD covers and I finally used it when I designed my final magazine front cover. I did this to a high level.
Filters	X		I experimented with filters, such as the liquify tool, when I tried to make zoey look more visually attractive. I did this to a medium level.
Brushes	X		I used brushes when I created my two cd covers. I had downloaded the brushes from the internet and they were shaped like farm animals. I did this to a medium level.
Layers	X		I used the layer tool on my first magazine front cover, on the zombie photo and on my final front cover. I feel confident in using layers in photoshop. I did this to a high level.
Opacity control	X		I experimented with opacity control when I was turning someone into a vampire. I did this to give her eyes a slightly red tint. I did this to a high level.
Shape creation	X		I used shape creation to make a price sticker for my final magazine front cover. I did this to a medium level.
Brightness and contrast control	X		I experimented with the brightness and contrast tool when I was trying to enhance a photo of Abbi. I did this to a high level.
Gradients	X		I used gradients to make the background for my magazine front cover. I did this to a medium level.
Load selection features		X
Feathering	X		I experimented with feathering when altering the photos on my front cover. I did this to a medium level.
Colour curves adjustment	X		I used the colour curves to enhance the photographs I took of Abbi and make them look more professional. I did this to a medium level.
Resolution setting control	X		I experimented with the resolution setting control to enhance the photographs I took of Abbi and make them look more professional. I did this to a medium level.
Magnetic lasso, polygon lasso tool	X		I used the lasso tool when editing my final front cover because I wanted my subjects head to be in front of the text. However it didn’t look how I wanted it so I used the rubber tool instead. I still feel confident that I could use the lasso tool if I had to. I did this to a medium level.
Cropping tool	X		I used the cropping tool when I was creating the main image for my double page spread. Cropping is fairly simple so I think I achieved this to a high level.
Clone tool	X		I used the clone tool when I tried to make zoey look more attractive. I used it to a medium level.
Retouch tool	X		I used the retouch tool when I tried to make zoey look more attractive. I used it to a medium level.
Other skills			I used the rubber tool on my final front cover to make it look as though my subject was stood in front of the title.

InDesign

Feature	Yes	No	Comments if yes – where have you completed this skills and to what level
Have you ever used In design ever before?	X		I used InDesign in order to design my double page spread. Both the first attempt and the final thing. I think that I used InDesign to a medium level because there are probably still lots of options and features that I have not experimented with.
Margin and column guide creation	X		I used this when I set up my document so that text would not be too close to the border of the pages. This was relatively easy to do so I believe that I did this to a high level.
Inserting an image ID	X		I inserted an image I created in photoshop into InDesign using the place command. I did this to a high level.
Resizing images in ID	X		I did this to the images I had on my final front cover, I held down shift whilst resizing them so that the images would not become distorted.
Text manipulation – resizing, rotation	X		I resized the text on my article and on the kicker of my DPS. I also experimented with rotation of text for the title of my break out box. I did this to a high level.
Text manipulation – controlling kerning and leading		X
Text flow creation		X
Using transparent imagery in ID	X		I imported png files into InDesign. I did this on my file double page spread because I wanted to have a smifnoff bottle on the page but I had to find one that had a transparent background. I did this to what I believe was a medium level.
Shape/line creation In design	X		I did not really experiment with shapes in InDesign however I did insert a few lines into my final dps. I think that I only did this to a low level.
Exporting to PDF from In-design	X		I did this once I had finished both my final front cover and DPS. I did this successfully and therefore I feel like I now know how to do this to a high level.
Text Wrap		X
Other Skills			I also learnt how to download fonts from the internet and use them in InDesign.

I have learnt 26 new skills since the start of my course.