The first chapter proved to create the perfect introduction to the characteristics and overall environment that Photoshop provides. Right off the bat we became familiar with the significant menus, toolbars and panels that paved the way for what we would go on to learn and build upon later in the semester. Creating a birthday card was my first instance of trying my hand at photo editing as we explored the features of the menu bar and the editing bar as well as the extensive list of tools used to add depth and personality to an image. We learned how to use the zoom tool as well as using the options bar to tweak the ways in which the selected tool will affect the image. The fit screen was also used to show perspective in terms of how the edited section compares and plays into the image as a whole. Layers were also introduced which allowed foe certain parts of the image to be worked on individually, in this case the blue ribbons reading “Happy Birthday”.
In addition we adjusted the brightness and contrast as well as used color samples to detect specific colors from the selected part of that image. By using the rectangular marquee tool we added a second ribbon and used the color from the first ribbon to fill in the margin as well as doing the same with the text tool and horizontal type tool to add text to the newly formed ribbon. We also used the polygonal lasso tool to create a notch for the ribbon. The highlight of the chapter for me came through the independent piece as we were able to use these same skills on our own images, made use of through this card I was able to make using a personal photo of mine:
