Week 9: Weekly Blog Post 5

Jaiden O’Brien 

Sean Brennan 

FMX 210-3 

October 30, 2024 

Throughout class, I explore a variety of ideas and perspectives that have surfaced over the past week, offering new insights into key course topics. By critically analyzing relevant comments and examples, I aim to convey a clear main idea that captures my growing understanding. This blog post not only shows my engagement with the material but also reflects a deep comprehension of the assignments, providing a thoughtful examination of the themes that I have met. 

This week, we started exploring Adobe Photoshop, a software I had no prior experience with. I approached this introduction with curiosity rather than intimidation, especially compared to my first encounters with Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. Photoshop is a powerful tool for image editing, and mastering its layers feature is essential for any beginner. This guide walked me through the basics of how layers work, some quick image adjustment techniques, and the process of combining multiple images into a single composition. 

For our first project, we watched a video tutorial that introduced the fundamentals of Photoshop. For homework, we were tasked with completing lessons one through four. The introduction and first part began with a warm “welcome to the course.” This first section outlines what the Adobe Photoshop course entails. I will go over all the topics we’ll explore over the next three hours and detail what you need to get started. Essentially, all you need is a copy of Photoshop—no prior design experience is needed, as I’ll begin from scratch, assuming no prior knowledge of the software or design principles. 

The second part focused on “getting started.” This section covered how to set up your workspace effectively, ensuring that you can complete all the beginner tutorials throughout the course. It says that if you’d like to follow along and complete all the exercises, then you can download the free source files. 

The third part focused on basic image adjustments within layers. Auto tone automatically adjusts the tonal range of an image, enhancing its overall brightness and contrast. It’s a quick way to improve the image’s appearance without extensive manual adjustments. Auto color corrects the color balance in your images, making them appear more vibrant. With just a click, you can significantly improve the overall color quality. Auto contrast works by increasing the contrast between the light and dark areas of an image, this adjustment helps to create a more dynamic and visually appealing photo. These techniques serve as a solid foundation for improving your image. Once you are comfortable with these adjustments, you can begin adding and editing layers in Photoshop. 

The fourth part focused on combining multiple images and the process behind them. To combine images in Photoshop, begin by navigating to File > Open to select the images you wish to merge. You can select multiple files at once by holding the Shift key, allowing you to open all desired images in a single action. Once your images are open, select the Move Tool and click on the image you want to move. Drag it onto the tab of another image while keeping the mouse button pressed; once the tab becomes active, drop the image into the new document. Repeat this process for each image you want to add. After all images are in place, ensure they are properly aligned. If resizing is necessary, use Edit > Transform > Scale to adjust the size of each layer, ensuring that all elements fit together cohesively. 

I find Photoshop to be one of the most practical applications in Adobe. Compared to Illustrator and InDesign, I think Photoshop has a more straightforward interface, making it easier to navigate as a beginner. I believe that mastering this software will equip me with valuable skills for my future endeavors in digital media. 

Photoshop offers endless opportunities for creativity and learning. While using its various tools may seem daunting at first, I’m learning that precision comes with practice. Reflecting on what I’ve learned so far, I’m excited about the knowledge that will come as this class progresses. I’m confident that my efforts in mastering Photoshop will be rewarding and beneficial as I continue my journey in this class.