Beginning Students Assignment #12

Post your retouching project before Friday morning March 26 at 7 am. I will be grading your projects from your blog for the progress reports on Friday.

I want to see both the before and the after. If you post the map I will give you extra credit.

Write about what you learned from the project. Can you make changes in photoshop that look real? It is easier to make the changes in photoshop or is it easer to take the photo correctly in the first place? What about the background was it easy or hard to change the color. Describe your experience.

Beginning Students Assignment #11

Photojournalism is about telling stories. I would like for you to post a self portrait telling me that you are a photographer. Tell your story.

Be sure you are checking your dashborad for comments andpublishing them. Don;t forget to comment on other peoples photos as well.

I'm noticing a lot of you are way behind on your posts. This blog is a grade and if you don;t get finished at school it is homework. I'll be grading them again later this week so this is your chance to get all the past postes published before I grade at the end of the week :)

Beginning Students Assignment #10

Post your Photo Montage and tell your readers why you chose the subject you did. Why is this a subject you are interested in sharing with your viewers?

I will be grading your photo montages off your blog so make sure it is posted by the end of the day to make sure it is counted as being turned in on time :)

Comment on the photo montages of three people not in your class.

Beginning Assignment #10

How can you find what you are looking for on someone's blog? Labels. Labels are like a mini search for the most often posted things on your blog. If you notice in the right sidebar on this blog there is a place where you can click and only see the beginning class assignments, the advanced class assignments, the extra credit assignments, etc. This makes it easier for your readers to find what they are looking for. Today we are going to set that up on your blog.

Go back to your posts and add labels. You can have as many labels as you want but I would use general labels like: photos, portraits, scenics, sports and stuff like that. Click on the pencil underneath a post and will open your post back up in the edit window and at the bottom of your post there is a box to add labels. Add them, if there are labels you use over and over again you can click on the "show all labels" text and then you can click on each label to add it.


Now you have to add a way for your readers to search for the labels. Add a gadgets. Gadgets are widgets. Little programs that run on your blog to add features. These can be in your sidebar or at the top or bottom of your blog. You should have already added a Text Gadget to put a copyright notice on your blog. Today I would like you to make sure you have a Labels gadget so your readers can easily search for what they want to read on your blog.

Don't forget to approve your comments from your readers. You can comment back it you like and your comments will show up under your readers comments.

Beginning Assignment #9

Post your finished word photo. Write your word and quote below it. Tell your readers how your photo/word combination makes you feel.

Beginning Students Assignment #8

Comment. Comment. Comment.

Go to the blog of the person who sits to your right and post a comment constructively on one of their photos.

Go to the blog of the person who sits to your left and post a comment constructively on one of their photos.

Go to the blog of someone who sits in the other computer room and comment constructively on one of their photos.

By the end of the day everyone should have at least two comments on their blog. Publish your comments.

Beginning Students Assignment #7

You should have posted two photos of the Jaguar statue. Now you need to follow the instructions from the end of Assignment #6 to create a new photo with both of these photos. You cannot change the basic makeup of your photo. This means that if you made it black and white you have to leave it black and white. If you used some crazy filters on it...you can't take them off. You can change the size and use the eraser to get rid of backgrounds if you want, but color photos must stay in color. You can change the blending modes and opacity though.

After you have finished with this task I want you to save it and post it. Then I want you to open up the texture photo you took and add the texture as a layer on top of the finished photo. Go to Image - Adjustments - Hue/Saturation and move the saturation slider all the way to the left. Then change your blending mode to Multiply or Overlay. Save it as a new name and post it. Tell you readers what you photographed as a texture and if you like the finished effect.

Beginning Students Assignment #6

Go to your e-mail and accept all the invitations you have gotten from your classmates. You need to be able to see their blogs to make comments. I've noticed a lot of you haven't done this yet.

Go to your dashboard and approve any comments you have. Social networking and blogging doesn't work if you don't comment on other peoples work and enter into conversations with your reader's through your comment steam. If you have any comments, go to the blog of the person who commented on your post and comment on one of their posts today.

Now for todays photo assignment. Post the new photo you took of the jaguar photo and tell me why it is so much better than your first one.

Next class we will be using both photos to create a new image using both jaguar photos. Here is an example I created with some photos I took last week at the cemetery. Both photos are the same size and one is of the angel and one is of the trees. The angel photo is the bottom layer and the trees are on top. I then changes the blending mode to multiply and erased the parts of the trees that were on top of the angel. You can have as many layers as you want but we are going to start with two.

If you want to go ahead and get started here's what you need to do:

• In photoshop go to File - New - and create a new document 8x10 @ 300 DPI.
• Open both of your jaguar photos.
• Copy and paste each one separately into the new 8x10 you have created.
• In your layers panel select one of the photos and go to edit transform and make it fill your new page making sure to lock your proportions. When you have done this then drag that layer below your other layer.
• Click on the top layer. Use edit - transform and make this photo a size that looks good on top of your first photo. When you are done you can use the eraser tool to selectively delete the background from the top layer.
• Play with the blending modes to see what different effects you can achieve.
• When you are finished save it as a .psd file in case you want to go back and edit it later.
• Finally flatten your image and save it as a .jpg

Next class we will post it so...get creative!

Beginning Students Assignment #5

Post your really creative and unique photo of the Jaguar Statue on your blog. Tell your readers why you took the photo the way you did and why your's is better than everyone else's.

Go to your classmates blogs and look at their jaguar photos. Leave a comment on the blog that you think has the most unique jaguar photo telling them what you like about their photo.

Go back to your blog post and edit it. Click on the little pencil icon and it will bring up your blog post in the edit window. Add a sentence that says you looked at some of the other Jaguar photos taken by your classmates and this is your favorite. Link to that blog. To link you highlight the words you want your reader to be able to click on and you click on the "Link" button at the top of the edit window. Then you copy and paste the URL of the blog page you want them to be able to see.

If you want to actually put that person's photo on your blog then drag their photo out of their blog onto your desktop. Upload it as an image into your edit window and GIVE THEM CREDIT. Always, always, always give credit to the photograper and link back to their blog. When you use their name, highlight it, click the link button, copy and paste the URL of their blog. This is common courtesty in blog-land.

Photo Assignment for Everyone

So I have asked you you to post a photo that says "cold" and I'll play along. It snowed today and one of my students made a ting snowman outside my classroom door. As soon as I saw it I was inspired. The kids that were in my class at the time knew I was inspired...ask them they will tell you :)

I ran into my office and found this tiny camera that Michelle Showers gave me earlier this year and I added it to the snowman. I call this frozen photographer! I like it, it reminds me of how I fell when I go outside to take photos in the cold.

Now this all supposed to be about learning so I'm going to offer extra credit to the first student who comments on this blog post telling me what I have not done that I have been asking you to do with your photos on your blog. What is it?

Now for the assignment. Everyone needs to post another "cold" photo. The second one should be better than the first one you posted, right? Compare your first photo to your second and tell me which is better and why. What did you learn about shooting in the cold?

Beginning Students Third Assignment

Today post your photo that makes me feel "Cold".

Comment constructively on the posts of three classmates.

Go to your dashboard and moderate your comments.

Beginning Class Second Assignment

You have four things to do today.

1. Follow this blog. I need to be able to see you in the list of followers by the end of the day today.
2. Set up your profile. Add a photo from your self portrait project so that your followers will know who you are and write something about your self and your photography.
3. Arrange your page. Move your profile to the top of your sidebar so your visitors can see who's blog they are reading and add a text gadget to the bottom that says "all images copyright your name 2010".
4. Write your second post. I would like for you to post a photo you have taken in the last week. To post: change the resolution of your photos to 72 dpi and add a watermark to deter people from taking your photos off your blog and reposting them on theirs. Then when you write your post just add the image and tell me about it. What was your inspiration or what do you like about the finished image? Did you do anything special in photoshop? You don't have to answer all the questions, but you do need to write something about you images to keep your readers interested in your blog.

I will be grading your blogs during my conference period today and here is what I will be looking for:

• you have a blog
• it is easy to read
• your profile is at the top of the sidebar column and has a photo
• you have copyrighted your photos at the bottom of the page
• you have two posts. One welcoming your readers and the other with photos from the last week
• you have a watermark on your photos
• you are following this blog

Everyone's First Assignment

Your first assignment is to set up your blog. You have some freedom but there are a few requirements.

1. The title of your blog must be based on your name so that your classmates, parents and I can find it. I recommend that you first check the availability of your first and last name. If that is not available, first initial and last name, first name and last initial, etc. If you have a question - ask me.
2. You may choose any template you like but I ask that you make it easy to read. Try light writing on a dark background or dark writing on a light background. Do not put a pattern under your text. You want people to read your blog, make it easy for them.
3. Set up your comments with word verification ON. This will reduce spam.
4. Set up your blog to invited readers only and invite your classmates, your parents and me.
5. Write your first post welcoming your readers to your blog. 

Easy enough. You are almost done for today. Go check your e-mail and accept the invitations of your classmates and then go to each of their blogs and "follow" them you also need to "follow" this blog so that you can get your assignments and examples. You are also more than welcome to "follow" your photographers friends who are in my other classes. The more photos you look at, the more you will learn.