Final Blog Essay
I thought the final project was a great way to combine everything we learned in this class and use it to display an aspect of our identity. Over the last couple of years golfing has taken up more of my time and I really enjoy it. I have worked on a golf course the last three years and even though I am still not very good, I try to get out any play all the time. For my final project, I used many pictures I have taken recently while golfing and during my job. Although this would likely never happen, I always thought it would be cool to own and design a golf course. I wanted to portray a part of my own identity as spending time on a golf course has been a large part of my life, at least over the past few years.
Before this class, I had almost no prior experience using Photoshop or iMovie. I had never even opened photoshop and had only used iMovie once or twice in high school. If I had ever needed to manipulate photos for any purpose, I found myself struggling and trying to use PowerPoint or my phone to edit pictures. I had no idea that both Photoshop and iMovie offered so many features. I came to learn that Photoshop can not only be used to simply edit photos, but does a great job of also allowing the user to create artful graphic elements that can be used for all kinds of needs such as business cards, posters, etc. I found the different features of Photoshop very useful and can certainly see myself using it in the future. I like how Photoshop allows the user to make almost any photo feel warmer/colder/ brighter/darker, change the color scheme, add objects from other photos, and eliminate objects from the original photo.
I have made a few short movies in the past, but mostly through using Windows Movie Maker. I found that iMovie provided a lot more options from adding elements into a movie such as better transitions, sound effects, titles/credits, etc. In the future, if I need to make movie for any reason, I will absolutely prefer using iMovie as opposed to other simple movie editing software.
After taking this class, I can see that all kinds of art, as simple as a photo can really say a lot about a person, whether that person is the subject or the photo or the photographer. Both Photoshop and iMovie allow an artist to further individualize their work, allowing them to demonstrate a clear identity or message about something personal to them. I liked how this class allowed each student to focus on subjects relevant to them and did not force everyone focus their art on the same subject. I think that this made me more interested in my assignments and I also thought it was interesting to see how everyone else personalized their assignments.
Through the different elements of the two software programs we used, everyone was able to create a piece of art that created a specific identity and was meaningful to them. So much can be said about a person’s identity through a photo or movie, and I feel that this class has taught me that art can really be analyzed in many ways and can mean a lot more than I might think at first glance.
One difference I would recommend is that towards the beginning of the class, many of our assignments involved taking pictures of different subjects in several different settings. Most of the time we were assigned to take the pictures on a Tuesday and asked to have the pictures for Thursday. I think that the quality and subjects of my pictures could have been improved if we were given more time to take these pictures, even as simply as assigning the pictures to take on Thursday and having them for Tuesday class.
I also think that I would I have liked to spend a little more time learning iMovie and a little less time with Photoshop. I know this a personal preference and I am sure there is plenty of people who would prefer the opposite. I just thought it would be interesting to be able to create a few different movies and learn a few more of the features iMovie offers.
Overall, I really enjoyed taking this class. I can absolutely say that for most of my general education classes, I am happy to forget everything I learned the day after the class is over. However, I can see myself using what I learned about Photoshop and iMovie in the future and maybe even in some of my engineering classes for various projects.