the joys of printing projects

You have been working hard on a project and you think you have all the tweaks figured out. You have had numerous critiques, revisions, and your project seems to look perfect, on the screen. Then you press print on your computer mere hours before you are to present. You pick up the finished page and it doesn't look anything like the screen version. You then spend the next few hours trying to figure out how in the world to fix your printing error.

For some reason, there always seems to be printing problems, no matter how much you prepare for them. I have done many print media projects that didn't turn out to look anything like I pictured on a computer screen. This happened to me only last week. I had an advertising portfolio due on Wednesday. I had all the pages created saved in the correct format, etc. on Tuesday night. I thought all I had to do was to print. Unfortunately, my first print attempt turned disasterous and I ended up spending six hours of time fixing it. Six hours, of which, I was supposed to be working. Oops. I will never print the same day a project is due again and I would suggest to print the day before to anyone else. It just makes life so much easier.

HTML, XHTML, and CSS

I have recently realized that I have been using the wrong tutorials to create my website. I was under the impression, having never done very much with HTML coding, that I was to be using HTML coding and tutorials. Much to my dismay I have just discovered that HTML 4 switched to XHTML in the year 1998. I was in 5th grade then. Oops. This has solved many problems in validating my code. I thought it was me that was messing things up, but it was really because I was working with the wrong coding.

This is a valuable lesson. If you are just beginning building a website and learning about this world of coding, I would highly recommend searching for the newest, most widely accepted form of coding. I have been told from various professors that XHTML will soon be a thing of the past to be replaced with HTML 5 instead. It's just so interesting to me how fast this world is changing. Technology moves so quickly and if you better keep up with it, if you want to survive in this fast paced world.

Ever Heard of High Dynamic Range?

High Dynamic Range (HDR). Ever heard of it? I sure hadn't. As I am currently in a digital photography/Adobe Photoshop class, I was able to learn all about HDR images. An HDR image is where you take three shots of the same thing at -2, 0, and +2 exposures. I thought to myself that this sounds crazy. Why would I want three shots that don't look professional at these unnatural exposures? Just wait. After you take the shots you combine all three photos into one and it produces amazing results. The best shots are usually outdoors shots with a blue and gray colored sky. It gives a gorgeous contrast to the entire photo. I have posted a few of my shots that I took on a photography trip to Montana a few weeks ago.

Some may be wondering how do I combine three images into one? Many may think to just use the standby Photoshop. Wrong. You can use photoshop for these kind of images, but it does not do as well as other programs. My personal favorite is Dynamic Photo available at mediachance.com. They allow you to even download a free trial version so you can test out it's abilities. I have quite liked the trial version and I plan to get the full version within the next two weeks.

There is, however, a danger in creating HDR images. Many times when these images are combined and the hue/saturation is increased, the images start to appear fake and hand drawn. For a photographer this is not ideal. It is based on personal preference, really. I personally like the HDR images that look more realistic than fake.

Learning how to create HDR images was quite fun. It is a useful skill that I will be able to use in the future.

pre-professional conference

For anyone who attended the BYU - Idaho English Department's Pre-professional conference (PPC), where authors were brought in from various prestigious places throughout the country, you probably were mostly professional writers, or at least English Majors. You probably learned a lot about what your future careers will hold and the skills you will need to attain specific jobs in the real world.

I am not an English major or have any aspiration to become a full-time writer, but I have worked for the English department for three years as a designer. This conference, therefore, was a great learning experience for me because I was in charge of creating an effective color scheme and brand for the PPC. I was also in charge of all advertising for this event. This is my second year helping with the PPC and I think I was much better prepared than I was last year because of one central element. This tip can be used in almost any situation to help proceedings run smoothly.

Consistentcy is the key to any element of design, whether concordant or contrasting. Visual repetition sticks in your memory so that when seen again your mind recognizes the theme of the design. I kept my entire program and all posters in one font; two fonts can be used, but if so, they must be contrasting. Two fonts that are similar cause a conflicting design and make it look messy. I also repeated the lines and color scheme throughout the all the visual elements.

These items helped me to create a consistent theme that paid off when onlookers commented that they knew they were in the right place when they saw the fonts, color scheme, and line directions. Obviously, these are not the only contributing factors to the success of the program, but if you use them in any design, you are bound to be fairly successful.

photography = time

I came to the realization, this week, that to be a good photographer you need to be able to spend a lot of time doing it. It also takes a lot of practice and, like most skills, good photography takes practice, practice, practice.

I am currently taking a photography class where every week I submit 4-6 of my best photos focused on a particular topic or theme, to a blog. I go to school full time, have a job, and obviously have other classes to focus on than just my photography one. This has been a real test of time management. When I have had time to focus on photography I've learned you need to go at the right time of day. You also need to know where you're going and what you're looking to take pictures of. It's difficult to go out and just take pictures without any ideas. You can't be creative without researching and thinking beforehand.

For beginning photographers, such as myself, just remember to plan your location ahead of time, take photos close to when the sun sets and rises, and practice, practice, practice. It will get easier and your shots will become more and more professional the more experience you get.