6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Photoshop CS6
I learnt quite a lot about using this program throughout the course of the year. Although I had a little experience of it from doing GCSE Art, I haven't used it on as much of a scale as this. I have been able to remove red eye using the painter tool by colouring the red pupils black again without having to retake images.i have learnt how to cut out the image using the magic eraser by adjusting the tolerance, lower means not as much cut out but more accurate, and high tolerance for larger areas to be cut out. That way you can erase the background of the image (layer) without erasing the rest of the image, and reduces the room for error with erasing which gives off an uneven and unprofessional look.  I can also move the text around on a magazine cover so it is easy to rectify mistakes in a text and alter the font, font size and font colour. i had difficulty learning how to link layers at first, but i learnt it eventually. I also learnt that you enter Ctrl T to move several layers at the same time, which I had difficulty doing before.

Camera (Kodak EasyShare C143)

I used this camera to take my images with. It has 12 megapixels which is quite sharp and provided clear images. I didn't learn as much from doing this as I have already had experience with using it. I have learnt that keeping the artist relaxed is essential for taking images as if the artist is in a bad mood or a bit camera shy, this will reflect in the images. The artist will look awkward if they are not relaxed in front of the camera, which gives off an unprofessional look. A relaxed model will look more comfortable in themselves and show off their individuality off. I found this difficult as I am not as creative with poses as I would like to have been as my knowledge of music magazines was limited before this project. Secondly, hair and make up is essential in creating a professional image for the artist. it is important to keep the hair sleek with no stray hairs which again gives off an unprofessional image as it looks like not as much effort has been put into the image. the correct makeup, especially eye makeup finalizes the artists image, and to keep it flawless which will reflect that the artist is comfortable in their own skin. I have learnt that camera angling is essential too, experimenting with different angles like closeups and medium shots is essential in order to get the right one. 

Laptop/School computers

I used the school computers and my Compaq laptop to do my work on. I didn't really learn how to use these as I have already learnt how to use it. It has been my basis for learning about a lot of the tools used for creating my magazine. I used it for my research and planning, and creating the magazine itself. it is also the main store for all of my work as it is enhanced digitally.
Memory Stick and SD card
I used this to carry my work on between computers. I didn't learn anything from doing this as I use memory sticks a lot.
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program ) 
I used this software to do my draft. Whilst I have used this I have learnt that it is not a good piece of software for major projects as you cannot move the layers or visibly see in in a side pane, which you can on Photoshop and it is difficult to put text in and move it around. Photoshop is better for these projects as it is easier to edit layers and erase things, whereas on here you only have one chance to do that, so if you make an error you have to start again. this was a major difficulty as my draft was rush and to do simple things such as moving text was very time consuming as you have to retype the text. This software was very dated and difficult to navigate as well.
Blogger
This has been used to document all of my work on this magazine project. I have learnt how to use this website as I have never had a blog before doing Media AS. I have learnt how to embed html documents such as Prezis, Scribd documents and YouTube documents onto my blog to minimize having several windows open to get my point across.  I have also learnt that it is easier to hand in without having to print all of my work off. It is easier to store my work on as well as it takes up less space than on paper and it is harder to lose.
Animoto
I used this for my 25 word pitch. I learnt that it is really easy to use but it doesn't allow a lot of time to present it, only having 30 seconds to present it in. it takes a while to export it as well which is very time consuming.
Google Chrome 
I had no experience of using Chrome before this project. I learnt that it is a lot faster than Internet Explorer and easier to navigate as the tab and navigation bar was simpler. I now use Chrome as a browser as it doesn't freeze as much. you can also access blogger from this browser as it is a Google service.
Prezi
This is a presentation software that I used for question 3. I have learnt that it is an intricate and unique way of presenting data in a more visual way than reading text which can be difficult to read and get the full point across without using imagery and videos. It is like a slideshow with animated effects on it which can be clicked through.