Tuesday 22 February 2011

Using Photoshop CS3 and CS5 Extended by Olaide Sadiq

Being the Editor within the group gives me a lot of responsibility regarding the editing of our final products. The development of our Film Magazine front cover and Horror film poster significantly involves image-manipulation. The software which is easily accessible for use is Photoshop CS3, which I will have to use frequently in the editing of both products. But, as a lot of the work I'll be doing with editing these publications will be from home, I downloaded Photoshop for my PC at home, with the only available version being Photoshop CS5 Extended.
Both versions will be key tools in the making of these final products, however, I need to carry out my own research to maximise my skills and ability in using the software. I had previously used Photoshop CS3 and CS4 during my first year of Media Studies, so I have some knowledge as to how to use it, however I need to familiarise myself with the tools and generally how to use it most effectively. Because I have not used Photoshop CS5 before, I will also conduct research into how to use it effectively but presume that it is very similar to versions CS3 and CS4.

Using Photoshop CS3

Familiarising myself with the software:


a beginner's tutorial will remind me of key tools and top-up my knowledge of the software.

Although I would naturally use the 'Lasso' tool to remove the background
of an image, this tutorial showed me alternative ways of doing so. Although I am used to using the 'lasso' tool on Photoshop, it is beneficial for me to learn other techniques.


I thought of different manipulation styles whilst researching and I came across the 'Black Swan' movie poster. I noticed the cracked-style effect applied to the actress' face and I felt it appeared very strong and eye-catching.

 I researched how to do a similar effect for our film poster. 

Other key tecniques in using Photoshop CS3, relevant to this task, would be colour effects. I was already familar with desaturation and creating black and white images but I wanted to see if there was anymore that I could learn to do with colour. I researched further into this and found useful sites for guidance.



To maximise knowledge of CS3 I visited libraries and book stores such as "WHSmith" to
do further reading into the software. 




Using Photoshop CS5 Extended
I wanted to gather some info on CS5 extended before I proceeded to use it, so I used the CS5 and Official Adobe website to find out some useful information. 


From the Adobe website, product information: 


What is Photoshop CS5 Extended and who is it for?

Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended software delivers all of the unrivaled image-editing power of industry-standard Photoshop CS5 plus much more, including breakthrough 3D image creation, editing, and painting; rich motion graphics editing; and powerful image analysis. Photoshop CS5 Extended is ideal for:
  • Creative professionals who create and edit imagery to be used across a variety of media
  • Educators who prepare students for careers in photography, design, video, architecture, medicine, and science
  • Video professionals who design and edit digital images for storyboarding, previsualization, frame editing, matte painting, animating 3D objects, compositing, and title design
  • Manufacturing and design engineers who develop product concepts, create specifications, and design 2D and 3D prototypes by visualizing their ideas and collaborating with designers, fabricators, and regulators
  • Architects, engineers, and construction professionals who create structural drawings and edit 3D textures to communicate complex and technical ideas to clients, regulators, and colleagues
  • Scientific, healthcare, and medical professionals who need to visualize their theories and present their findings, as well as analyze images and measure information without altering the original image data

What are the top new features in Photoshop CS5 Extended?

Photoshop CS5 Extended delivers breakthrough capabilities for superior image selections, image retouching, realistic painting, and 3D extrusions. Experience 64-bit support for fast performance as well as dozens of time-savers throughout your workflow. See what's new.

Why should designers consider upgrading to Photoshop CS5 Extended?

Photoshop CS5 Extended offers breakthrough tools that inspire designers to explore new creative possibilities. Quickly select and mask even the trickiest image elements, such as hair. Realistically blend colors on canvas, and paint naturally using lifelike brushstrokes. And easily reposition or warp any image element, from an arm bent at an awkward angle to a font you'd like to stretch for fun effects. See top features for designers.

I have never used Photoshop CS5 Extended before. Should I consider buying it?

Photoshop CS5 Extended helps you create the ultimate images for print, the web, and video. Get all the state-of-the-art editing, compositing, and painting capabilities in industry-standard Photoshop CS5 plus tools that let you create and edit 3D images and motion-based content. To learn more, visit the Photoshop Extended overview page.

After reading the product information, I proceeded with watching tutorials in how to create effects using the software, to enhance my manipulation skills and knowledge of the software.







No comments:

Post a Comment