(35.1) Understand key issues relating to technical adjustment of Images
1.1 Explain the principles of colour theory, colour mode and colour management
There is also Greyscale colour mode. This is a mode used for black and white images. It only has one channel, meaning that after the conversion from RGB, all that is left are the lightness values. After saving an image as Greyscale, all the data has been thrown away so there is no way of going back to colour. Most people who do this use a copy rather than an original image.
Colour is a very important thing to consider when I am editing images. Photoshop is my favourite Digital Imagery software. I did a short course on it and find it enjoyable to use. I’ve created all sorts of things from montages to putting the sea in Chesterfield! I’ve had a go at digital colouring. I’ve used it for all sorts of crazy projects! Also with the help of tutorials online, I’m still learning tips and tricks to try out.
I love how anything is possible with Photoshop!
When making a montage of my favourite film, ‘The Legend of Zorro’, I had to consider a lot when it came to colour. As it has a sort of western style theme, I noticed that orange and black seemed to feature a lot, so it was important to me that all the images blended well together and complimented each other, and that the filters and effects I used worked.
As a keen illustrator I’d like to look into digital colouring on Photoshop/ Illustrator in more finer detail. Especially with Manga art.
1.2 Explain the Importance of Technical Compatibility in Images with Specified Requirements/
1.3 Explain the Effect of Image Pixel Dimensions, resolution and bit depth on file size
This is very important as certain file formats may only work with certain browsers and operating systems. It’s important to know what the image is going to be used for and what format the client wants it in. There is a huge difference in resolution and size between RGB and CMYK colour modes.
RGB/ Screen resolution, for example, images online have a PPI (Pixels Per Inch) of 72, whereas CMYK/ Print Resolution is 300 PPI. DPI (Dots Per Inch) means the measurement of printed images, while PPI is the on-screen measuring method. This is why when we print out images from the internet, they are often blurry and pixelated, yet on-screen they appear perfect. This is because their resolution isn’t high enough. So say if a client wanted an image editing to be uploaded onto their company website, the PPI wouldn’t need to be big. I’ve also noticed this when customising my blog, with certain images not suitable because they are too big. When saving an image in, for example, Photoshop, you can change the quality of the image. Although selecting a higher quality will make the file bigger. Another way of reducing the file size is to compress all the layers into one and save it into something like a JPEG.
1.4 Explain the importance of having accurate, technical and descriptive Metadata
Metadata is very important when it comes to copyright and the protection of our images online. It’s important to make sure images have all the information they need such as: Who took the photo, where and when it was taken, what time.
It’s important for images to be protected from these risks, for the sake of the photographer’s work and the business they work for.
1.5 Identify the merits of appropriate equipment, software, methods and material for different imaging requirements
Having appropriate equipment, software, methods and material is essential in the Creative Media Industry. We have so much choice at our fingertips. Although they are ridiculously expensive, I love Photoshop and Illustrator. They are both pieces of software that are frequently used in this industry, and each work well for different tasks. For example, Adobe Illustrator would work beautifully with a graphics tablet (Something I would really like to own and use for my drawings).
Getting the things we need can be very confusing and costly for a lot of people. For people who are new to digital imagery and have very rarely edited anything before, it may be a good idea to get a cheaper piece of software to begin with rather than splashing out on Photoshop straight away. A good example for Mac users, such as myself, is Affinity Photo which you can buy from the app store for around £30. Or even better, a free piece of software called GIMP which is available for both Mac and Windows. I started with this when I was new to digital imagery.
1.6 Explain the reasons for using different file formats for digital images, identifying the differences between them
JPEG: This is one of the most common image formats. It is a compressed file with a small size, so is a good format to use for web images. These files can be edited many times.
PSD: This is the format we’d be working on in Photoshop. This means we can edit images creatively over a range of layers. This allows us to be creative in the editing process. You can also vectorise and rasterise your images.
TIFF: This format is often used to store images with strong graphics. Photoshop would store information from these files.
CAMERA RAW: This is used with Adobe to prepare images for editing.
GIF: I see a lot of these on the internet, particularly Facebook. These are images containing animation. These are good for limited colour images as they can only support 256 colours.
PNG: These images are still good quality, even after compression. They aren’t very good for large images as they tend to generate large files. Unfortunately, not all web browsers support PNG.
BMP: These don’t compress as well as other formats. The files are often large, so not very good for online usage. However, they do work well with certain programs.
(35.2) Be able to develop an editing approach to the technical adjustment of images
2.1 Agree with relevant parties the image editing workflow and procedures
I do quite a lot of various jobs on Photoshop both at work and at home. The things I do at home are usually more fun and silliness or more arty and ‘me’ related, whereas at work it’s more promotional material such as posters, banners and fliers. Whether at work or home, I take the editing process very seriously (Unless I’m just being silly like Photoshopping myself with people or swapping people’s faces about for fun!)
At work I have literally just been assigned an editing job to create a promotional flier for the Street Dance session which we run on Tuesdays. The guy who teaches wrote down all the information he wants it to contain and showed me the image he wanted to be used. It’s also important that I make sure to remember the contact details for our organisation. So now I have all the information I need, I am ready to start.
The main important part is the image. The image is on Facebook and as it is to be printed out on a flier, I may face resolution issues. I’ll have to look at the format it is in and try to find ways around this. Luckily it’s for a flier rather than a poster, so it shouldn’t be too big a problem. Once the image is loaded into Photoshop I will make the important adjustments I usually start with. I give the picture more punch if it needs it, by tweaking the levels. Also does it need any Brightness/ Contrast tweaks. How sharp is the image? White balance? Strong observational skills are needed here to work out what needs fixing. Equally it’s also important not to go too far the other way and over-edit it.
2.2 Select the most suitable hardware and software for the image editing
I mainly like to work in Photoshop. We have it on most of our Macs at work and I have it on my old Windows Dell laptop at home. However, as the one I have at home is a Windows version, it wouldn’t let me put it on my new Macbook. So if I ever want to do some serious editing at home, I have to use my old computer.
2.3 Retrieve all relevant material from image sources as required
The image I needed was on the Dance teacher’s Facebook account, so he just asked me to find it on his profile. Once I found the image, I right clicked on it and saved it to the downloads folder on one of the work MacBooks. I then dragged it into my folder. To keep things organised, I created a sub folder called: Street Dance Flier
This makes things more organised and easy to find.
2.4 Import retrieved images into the Editing Software
I opened up Adobe Photoshop on the work Macbook. At the top left of the screen I clicked file and new. I set the width to 1000 pixels and the height to 700 pixels. I then had a background to work on. I used the bucket fill tool to turn this black.
I then opened the image from Facebook in another window by going to file and open then selecting the image.
As it is for a vibrant and youth-appealing session, I began to think about things like font and lighting effects. Straight away from the image I decided I needed a graffiti style font. I downloaded one off the internet called ‘Marsneveneksk’. For awesome lighting effects, I remembered something on GIMP called Fractal Explorer. I opened up GIMP on my personal Macbook and played around with the effects.
With each one I created and selected, I edited the Brightness and Contrast before saving to make them more punchy and vibrant. I then transferred them onto the work Macbook in my folder and decided on one to use.
In Photoshop, I started with the background and fractal effect opened. I copied and pasted the effect onto the black background and gave it a layer mask. This means that you can use a brush with varied opacity and flow settings to fade areas of images both in and out. I’ve used this option a lot before. It works beautifully when creating montages with the images blending together.
I cut the image out of the photo leaving a little bit of background. I copied and pasted this onto the effect and again created a later mask to tidy it up round the edges. By double clicking on this layer, I brought up the layer style menu and selected Outer Glow and Drop Shadow. I then tweaked with the settings until I was happy with the glow around the image. I created a text layer for the writing and typed in the information he had given me. I decided on a lively lime green. I decided not to do all of it in the same font as it makes the title stand out a lot more. I added Outer Glow and Drop Shadow so that the writing didn’t look flat, but using a dark Outer Glow instead. Also not forgetting to add our organisation’s online details. I rearranged things and tweaked various opacities until I was happy. After completing the first idea, I wondered if there was too much going on, so I did a more simplified version without the fractal effect and with a bit more of the original image background showing.
I also created a third version with even more of the original image background on show. This gives the client more to choose from.
2.5 Check the visual and technical compatibility of the elements to be combined in the editing process
I still have to await the client’s response before I can move further from psd format. Though once a final image is agreed on and the client is content, I’ll save it as a JPEG. This format is reliable and used most. They are great for colour quality and are easy to open on Mac and Photoshop.
2.6 Identify how to treat incompatible elements, following workplace procedures and relevant guidelines
It’s always a good idea to keep hold of the psd file version even when you have saved it to your chosen format. At least then if the format wasn’t compatible with whatever it was being used for, you could always open the psd version and save it as the correct format.
(35.3) Be able to produce image files to meet the client’s requirements
3.1 Produce appropriate edited images to meet all the clients requirements and workplace standards
3.2 Produce preliminary proofs, discussing and agreeing any further editing with the client/
3.3 Liaise with colleagues and/ or client as necessary to resolve any identified problems/
3.4 Carry out any further editing to produce final image files
These are the final images. Before This I showed the client the rough idea. He liked them, but a problem I encountered was that they had printed out very dark so I had to brighten them up a lot so they would print well. My manager was also around and with his wide knowledge of digital imagery, gave me a few suggestions on what to change. He suggested the font for the middle part of the text so that there is more of a balance between the title and our organisation details. He also encouraged me to bring the content in more or widen the canvas size so that in the printing process, no text is too near the edge and at risk of being trimmed off slightly. Also just advice on the general layout of the text. I converted the psd files to JPEGs and brightened them up a lot so they would print better, and they did. All in all, after the changes had been made, I showed the client my final printed images and he was happy with them both.
(35.4) Be able to save and store image files
4.1 Append image metadata in accordance with workplace systems copyright legislation/
4.2 Save the edited image files in the correct format ready for outputting or storage
The final images are saved on the work 13 inch Macbook Pro in my folder which is in the staff folder. The images are also backed up. They are both saved in JPEG format as this is one of the best formats for storage.
1st Image: 819,517 bytes (823 KB on disk)
Dimensions: 1056 × 740
Name and Extension: Street Dance Final 1.jpg
2nd Image: 581,268 bytes (582 KB on disk)
Dimensions: 990 × 657
Name and Extension: Street Dance Final 2.jpg
(35.5) Understand legislation, ethics and business requirements relevant to technical adjustment of images
5.1 Identify key aspects of legislation relevant to technical adjustment of images
The main aspect of legislation is copyright. If an image is protected by copyright, the permission of the owner will be needed before the image can be downloaded. In this case certain aspects of the image may have to stay the same, for example the size. Especially if you are going to be using the image for commercial purposes on for example, a website or poster, it’s important that the original owner is credited for creating the image in the first place.
5.2 Identify relevant aspects of Health and Safety Legislation/
5.3 Take appropriate action to minimise potential risks and hazards
Whether employer or employee, Health and Safety is an important aspect. It’s important that the working environment is safe and that any hazards are reported and attended to straight away. Also that exits are not blocked and marked clearly. Everyone needs to be aware of storing items safely and heavy lifting procedures. At our organisation we carry out risk assessments for each session we run, and one for the whole place in general. It is essential for organisations to do this when required. I recently was assigned the job of doing the risk assessment for the two art sessions we run. This gave me a chance to understand how risk assessments work, be more aware of hazards and be able to point out any more potential hazards to note down.
5.4 Identify aspects of codes of ethics/ conduct relevant to technical adjustment of images
Within the process of editing an image, it’s important not to mislead the target audience or client. It’s important to be aware of any possible copyright restrictions on the images to be used. Luckily the image I used was the client’s own image from Facebook and he gave me the permission to edit it.
5.5 Recognise any potential legal issues arising from the nature of the images to be produced
By using the original image without the owner’s full consent. This could result in prosecution for copyright infringement. Even if you have gained their permission, there still may be elements that the original owner doesn’t want changing about the image. You should also consider the content you edit in. Is it offensive or explicit?
5.6 Attribute intellectual property and copyright credits in accordance with copyright legislation
Intellectual Property: This refers to things that have been created from the mind and are entitled to be protected by law. Being protected by this law entitles people to have rights over their creative work, including things that have been discovered and/ or invented. Types of these rights include: copyrights, trademarks, patents and industrial design rights.
Copyright: Copyright applies to all creative works that have been created and recorded. The rights stretch over many creations such as films, written books, art, music etc. It gives the creator/ author rights to their work and the chance to take action against negative unauthorised actions. If infringement/ plagiarism occur, legal action can be taken. This is an automatic right, and by registering with The UK Copyright Service, they will be able to provide evidence making it easier to prove and protect your rights worldwide.
5.7 Maintain the confidentiality of photographic material as required
This is important, especially in our organisation. Sometimes during the sessions, we take photos for photographic evidence and for social media purposes for our online presence, to advertise our sessions. Young people as young as 11 come to our sessions, so it’s important to make sure they have all completed consent forms and that they don’t mind pictures being taken. We ensure that any paperwork of any kind containing sensitive information is stored away safely.
5.8 Comply with all business/ organisation systems and procedures
This is important for maintaining an effective way of working and a professional reputation. When working on editing images, we like to get as many views and opinions from our colleagues, and go through several proof readings. Often any promotional material is shown at staff meetings, so we can all decide as a team what we think. It’s important in our organisation that all criticism is constructive and helpful. Also that we are all on the same level and in the same frame of mind.
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