Navigations above.
Pencil: Photography
Brush: Photoshop
Glue: Video Editing
Scissors: Credis, Disclaimer, Developers

Education and Computer Science, see the connection?

This educational site will provide the answer to the query asked above. If you think that these two fields are hard to connect, think again. This site is a combination of Education and Computer Science that is shown in the discussion regarding arts. We focused on three things: Photography, Photoshop and Video Editing. The site aims to teach teens with regards to the three components.

The main topic on FOUNED that is being discussed in this is site is the Formal – Operational Stage in Piaget’s Theory of Development because we focused on the age bracket and the learners’ abilities on this stage. It is said that learners are able to use their abstract thinking during this stage and we could further enhance their abstract thinking by giving them tutorials on the basics of photography, photoshop and video editing and let them discover the rest. Through this learners will be able to exercise their creativity and other aspects.

With the whole 1 term that we spend to learn the foundations of education, this site is what we know that best connects Education to or field, Computer Science. Since our specialization is about Instructional Systems Technology, we had based our site as an Instructional tool to teach arts to teenagers. As Computer Science majors, making a website is something that we would regularly do, thus we came up with this concept.

Introduction to Photography

Photography is the process and art of recording pictures by means of capturing light on a light-sensitive medium, such as a film or an electronic sensor. The word "photography" comes from the French photographie which is based on the Greek (phos) "light" + (graphis) "stylus", "paintbrush" or (graphê) "representation by means of lines" or "drawing", together meaning "drawing with light." Traditionally, the product of photography has been called a photograph, commonly shortened to photo.

Photography has many uses for both business and pleasure. It is often the basis of advertising and in fashion print. Photography can also be viewed as a commercial and artistic endeavour.


Choosing a Camera

Certainly, the most obvious question that users have is what kind of camera they should choose. Camera users normally fall into one of three main categories: amateurs, hobbyists and professionals, and knowing where you fit can help you identify what features might be important, and what type of camera would make sense for your needs. Are you looking to just take a few pictures of family and friends, capture memories from vacations, or produce shots of nature and landscapes to build a portfolio? Also think about how much quality you are willing to trade away for portability, as cameras can range from large and bulky professional quality SLR cameras (Single Lens Reflex) to small ultra-portable cameras, some of which may not even have a flash.


Being a Photographer

Your first tasks will be:
• Learn what makes a good photo (composition, technical qualities, etc).
• Learn all the functions of your camera, in particular the manual settings (if it has them).
• Learn what digital formats to use and how to work with photos after you've taken them.


How to take a picture

Compose and expose.
You have to do two things when taking a photograph.
• Compose:
This is the creative or artistic bit where you arrange all of the elements of your picture within the frame or viewfinder to produce what should hopefully be a pleasing composition.
• Expose:
This is the scientific and mechanical bit where you expose your film to light through the lens of your camera and if you are lucky preserve the image for posterity.

You compose first and expose second that is the rule.

Composition
There are lots of rules about composition, most of them fairly simple. If you follow the rules (at least when you're starting out) you will find your photos naturally become better.

1. Be clear about the subject
Make sure you know exactly what it is you are photographing, i.e. have a clearly defined subject. For example, if you are photographing a person and you are not interested in what's happening in the background, compose the photo accordingly (i.e. zoom in on them or get closer).
Don't have unnecessary empty or useless space in the photo (e.g. lots of sky if the subject is on the ground). In some cases you may have a good reason for including empty space — the rule is to leave out empty space which serves no purpose. If it adds to the effect of the composition, that's fine.
In some cases the subject is simply a scene or a landscape. You don't necessarily need a person or object to be the subject — it can be anything at all. The point is to be aware of what it is you are trying to capture, and how you can best compose the photo to achieve this.

2. Compose the entire frame – not just the subject
While concentrating on the subject of the photo, it's easy to overlook other parts of the composition. Before you hit the shutter button, take note of everything in the photo — not just the subject.

3. Use different camera angles
One of the most common ways to add dramatic effect to a photograph is to use an interesting or unusual camera angle.
Many shots can be given added impact by simple changes in the camera view.

4. Strive for balance
There are many types of "balance" in a photograph; for example, a mix of close and distant objects, a mix of light and dark, etc. Poor balance is not usually good, for example, a photo with too much light and no contrast. Experiment and learn how to provide a pleasing balance.

5. Use lines
Look for different types of lines in the composition (e.g. buildings, poles, the horizon, etc).
Different lines have different effects:
• Vertical lines emphasise strength, power and height.
• Horizontal lines emphasise width, stability and security.
• Diagonal lines have a more dramatic, dynamic effect than vertical and horizontal.
• Curved lines reflect nature, relaxation, sensuality, etc.
Lines can be used to direct the viewer's interest, emphasize parts of the frame, and generally create interesting effects.
Note that lines do not have to be artificial or even particularly obvious. In the example on the lower right, the man's arms create a diagonal flow from the bottom right to the upper left of the frame.

Exposing
The most important thing to understand about photography, whether it’s digital or film, is that it’s all about capturing light. So by understanding how different light affects your picture, you can significantly change the way your pictures turn out.

1. Indoor photos
The most obvious area where light isn’t always possible is indoors. No ceiling light or table lamp can be as bright as the sun, so you will almost always have to add more light with a flash. Most professional photographers prefer to have more control over the lighting so they will use a variety of stronger lights to help them. By adding more light to an indoor scene, you can avoid the need for a camera flash, which can be distracting to the subject, particularly when you are trying to capture unposed or natural shots.

2. Flash
When it isn't practical to add more light to an indoor or low-light scene, you can often rely on a flash to help add to the available light. A common mistake with a flash, however, is to misunderstand the reach of the resulting light. Most portable cameras can only light up a subject within an average of 10 to 15 feet – so, if the subject of the photo is further away than that, then either move closer, or look for an alternate light source or option.

3. Controlled lighting
As you become more comfortable with lighting, you can change the feeling of a photo by controlling the way light hits different parts of the scene or subject. For example, having the light hit the side of a subject can add more contrast between facial features and shadows, making for a more dramatic pose.


50 Tips about Photography

1. Never do photography to become popular.
2. Enjoy what you are shooting.
3. Prepare well for your shooting.
4. Pay attention to your thoughts and emotions while you are shooting.
5. Set goals you can achieve.
6. Watch the place you want to shoot first with your heart then with the camera.
7. Always stay calm.
8. Know that you tend to overestimate yourself.
9. Dedicate yourself to photography, but never browbeat yourself too much.
10. Keep your camera clean.
11. Never compare yourself to others in a better or worse context.
12. Find your own style of photography.
13. Seek out and learn to accept critique on your images.
14. Do something different to recover creativity.
15. Get inspiration from the work of other photographers.
16. Criticize honestly but respectfully.
17. Don’t copy other photographer’s style.
18. Read books about photography.
19. Every shooting situation is different than you expect.
20. Keep your sensor clean, so you can save some work cleaning your image in post production.
21. Discover the things you think are beautiful.
22. It takes time to become a good photographer.
23. The best equipment is that what you have now.
24. You can’t take photographs of everything.
25. Everyone has to start little.
26. Your opinion about photography is important!
27. Speak about your experiences with your photo buddies.
28. Limit your photograph to the substance.
29. Always remember what brought you to photography.
30. Never shoot a person who doesn’t want to be photographed.
31. Always turn around, sometimes the better image is behind you.
32. It’s who’s behind the camera, not the camera.
33. Mistakes are allowed! The more mistakes you make, the more you learn!
34. Know your camera, because searching the menu button in the night is time you don’t want to waste.
35. Shoot as often as possible.
36. Believe in yourself.
37. Never trust your LCD. Normally it is brighter and sharper as the original image.
38. Learn to enjoy beautiful moments when you don’t have a camera with you.
39. Pay attention to structures in the sky and wait until they fit into structures in the foreground.
40. Print your images in big size. You will love it.
41. Calibrate your monitor. Working with a monitor that is not accurate is like being together with someone you can’t trust. It always ends badly.
42. Don’t think about what others may say about your image. If you like it, it’s worth publishing.
43. Fight your laziness ! Creativitiy comes after discipline.
44. Ask yourself : What do you want to express in your images ?
45. Always try to think outside the box, collect new ideas about photographs you could do and ask yourself : Why not?
46. Search for a mentor.
47. Photography is never a waste of time.
48. A better camera doesn’t guarantee better images.
49. Have fun!
50. Love what you are doing.


Basic Photography Terms

Angle Of View
The area of a scene that a lens covers or sees. Angle of view is determined by the focal length of the lens.

Balance
Placement of colors, light and dark masses, or large and small objects in a picture to create harmony and equilibrium.

Composition
The pleasing arrangement of the elements within a scene-the main subject, the foreground and background, and supporting subjects.

Exposure
The quantity of light allowed to act on a photographic material; a product of the intensity (controlled by the lens opening) and the duration (controlled by the shutter speed or enlarging time) of light striking the film or paper.

Flash
A brief, intense burst of light from a flashbulb or an electronic flash unit, usually used where the lighting on the scene is inadequate for picture-taking.

Frame
One individual picture on a roll of film. Also, tree branch, arch, etc., that frames a subject.

Lens
One or more pieces of optical glass or similar material designed to collect and focus rays of light to form a sharp image on the film, paper, or projection screen.

Shutter
Blades, a curtain, plate, or some other movable cover in a camera that controls the time during which light reaches the film.

The Basics of Adobe Photoshop

Have you ever wanted to edit a picture so badly, but you don’t know how? Well, you are now holding a paper that would help you in achieving what you exactly want. Adobe Photoshop is an image editing tool that helps you fix images and create a digital art. This is widely used around the world and is used with different purposes. And so, in learning the basic Photoshop manipulation, you must know the Photoshop workspace, effects, and the final steps to be done.

Before anything else, you should know first the tools used in this program. Once you open the program, you will see on the left side of the screen, a rectangular box containing different buttons. These buttons symbolize a tool that you could use. The toolbox is divided to different categories: the selection tools, crop and slice tools, retouching tools, painting tools and drawing and type tools. The selection tools are used to remove a portion of an image. The crop and slice tools are used to remove a portion of an image. Retouching tools are for fixing a certain area of an image. Painting, drawing and type tools allow you to add either a drawing or a text. The next thing that you should know is the workarea in which everything happens. The workarea consists of different boxes that tell you what is happening to your work. The product settings for Adobe Photoshop display the swatches, layers, history, and navigator box. There is also a menu bar on the upper area of the screen, just below the logo of the Adobe Photoshop. This box is where every action available is posted.

And now we reach the interesting part: the use of effects and filters. Colors, this is the most important aspect in all images. In order for you to fill up a new canvas, you click on the paint bucket tool on the toolbox, click on a color you want on the swatches box and click on the canvas. You will see then that the whole canvas will be filled with a solid color. If you want it to be fading, click on the gradient tool and draw a line using the tool on your canvas. On your menu bar, there is an option there called filters. Once you click on it, there would be a list of effects you can try on your digital masterpiece. Play around with it and experiment on the vales and see what happens.

After doing everything, you would want to save it. Click on the file option on your menu bar and click “Save As…” A box would then open asking you for what destination, the file name and the file type. Most computers use the “.jpeg” format for the images, but if you want to edit your pictures later you should use the “.psd” format. After choosing the file type, press the “OK” button. If you are able to do such a masterpiece, and you would want to print it, just click File again and press “Print…” After clicking it, you would be prompted to fix your settings fir printing. Click on “OK” when you’re done. And voila! You’re done!
I hope you were able to learn the basics of Adobe Photoshop. You can now open an image and start clicking away. This is a really interesting application and I wish you would want to learn more about it. This would not just help you edit your pictures on the internet but it is also a way for you to show your emotions just like in a piece of painting.


Loading a Brush

Have you tried downloading a brush over the internet and you have no idea on how to load it? This tutorial would tell you how to properly organize and load your brushes.

Organizing Your Brushes
The first thing to do is to place all your brushes in the same folder so that you would not have a hard time opening and closing folders to look for the brush that you want. Save it to somewhere that is connected to your other Photoshop “gadgets.” By doing this, it would be easier to load brushes on your project thus maximizing your time.

Loading Brushes

Figure 1: For obvious reasons, select the brush tool.

Figure 2: Click on the arrow bar on the options bar. Then another bar would appear after and click it again. On the menu bar, there would be an option to load, reset, save and replace a brush, select on the “Load Brush” option.

Figure 3: A pop-up window would display and select the brush that you want to load. Click it then press the Load button just at the lower-right of the window.


The brush then would appear on your brush palette and you’re off to experiment!


Photoshop Pixels to Pencil Drawings
by Mark Clarkson

Photoshop offers a number of special effects filters designed to create pen, pencil, and paintbrush effects, but none of them creates a really satisfactory pencil sketch in my opinion.
The best pencil sketch effects are achieved through Photoshop's very coolest feature -- Layer Blend Modes. It's easier that you think. Here's one way to do it:

1) Start with the photo to be Sketched
Open your photograph in Photoshop and crop or resize it as necessary.

2) Remove The Color
(If you're starting with a black and white photo, you can skip this step.) Create a new adjustment layer, by selecting menu:
Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturate.
When the Hue/Saturation dialog appears, slide the Saturation slider all the way to the left, removing all color from the photo.

3) Duplicate The Photo On A New Layer
In the Layers palette, click and drag the original photo onto the Create a New Layer button at the bottom of the palette. This creates a duplicate of your original artwork.

4) Invert The Colors Of The New Layer
With the new layer selected, press Ctrl+I to invert the colors in the photo. (Your photo will look like a negative, which it is.)

5) Set The Mode To Color Dodge.
Change the blend mode of the new, inverted layer, by choosing Color Dodge from the blend modes drop-down list at the top of the Layers palette.
Dodging lightens the underlying image; the lighter the upper layer is, the more it lightens the bottom layer. Because the two layers contain opposite versions of the same image, they cancel each other out. The results will be pure white, or nearly so.

6) Apply Gaussian Blur
To get some interaction going between the layers, you blur the inverted, Color Dodge layer slightly.
I prefer Gausian blur in almost all things and it usually gives me the best results here, too.
Select menu: Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.
As you drag the slider to change the blur amount, the pencil sketch will begin to appear. The amount of blur you need depends on your particular image. I used a setting of 3.8 pixels here.
The greater the blur, the wider and darker the lines and shadows will become.
The Motion Blur, Radial Blur, and Blur More filters give nice results too. It depends largely on the image at hand and your personal tastes.
At this point, you can try changing the layer blend mode from Color Dodge to Linear Dodge. It's up to you which looks best.
7) Burn and Dodge to taste
You can stop here, or you can use the Burn and Dodge tools to selectively lighten and darken areas.
Burn and Dodge on the upper, inverted, layer, not on the background layer.
In this example, I burned the shirt fairly heavily to recreate its original dark color, and I dodged the background to remove unwanted texture there.

8) Add some texture
You can also create a touch more realism by adding some texture with Layer effects.
In the Layers palette, right-click on the upper, inverted photo layer, and choose Blending Options from the pop-up list.
When the Layer Style dialog appears, select Pattern Overlay.
Still in the Layer Style dialog, set the Pattern Overlay's Blend Mode to Overlay, which will confine the pattern to the darker areas of the image.
Choose a dark, neutral pattern such as Oil Pastel on Canvas (in Artistic Surfaces), Stucco (in Patterns 2), or Shingles (in Texture Fill 2). Experiment with scale and opacity to find the look that best fits your image.
Note: If you hide (or delete) the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer, the results resemble a colored pencil sketch.
Remember to experiment with different settings in the blur phases, and make sure to try other textures and texture depths for a wide array of striking effects. Try other images too, like flowers for Mother's Day, or Western scenes for Father's Day. Print this to a slightly textured paper, and your colored pencil drawing is ready for that book cover or menu... or for framing as a gift to the grand parents!

That's all there is to it. Have fun, and let us know how it turns out!


Leaving a Portion of the Image Colored

Have you ever wondered how it is possible to have a picture where only a specific image has the color while the rest of the image is in black and white? Worry no more, this tutorial would teach you how to create your own.

Step 1: Open the image that you want to render. Make sure that your background color is white and the foreground color is black.
Step 2: On the layers panel, click on the black and white circle and on the menu, click on the Gradient Map then press the “OK” button.



Step 3: Select the brush tool and use the round brush and just brush away on the area that you want colored. Voila!


Some Question and Answers

Q: How do I unlock my background?
A:
You simply double click the background layer then a box would appear asking you if you want to change the layer properties. Just click “OK”

Q: How do I merge layers?
A:
Select the layers that you want to merge then right click on one layer then click on the option, “Merge Layers.”

Q: How do I resize images?
A:
From the Image menu, click on the “Image Size” option. A box would appear asking you about the specifications of the image. Adjust, then click “OK.”

Q: How do I select only a portion of an image?
A:
There are various tools for this one. You have to find what suits you best. The selection tools, the wand tools, and the pen tool are the most commonly used.

Q: What are the basic keyboard shortcuts for Photoshop?
A:
There is a wide list of Photoshop key shortcuts, and it could be found over the net. But for the basics:
Ctrl + N - New Project
Ctrl + S -Save Project
Ctrl + O -Open an existing file
Ctrl + Shift + N – New layer
Ctrl + Z - Undo

Introduction to Video Editing

Video editing is a process by which you would create your own personal video by using either pictures, home videos or other videos, audio and other stuff that could make your personal video as presentable as possible. With the latest technology available today, this kind of production is possible.
In this part of the Educational Website the viewers will be able to get information regarding video editing: what it is all about, why it is being used, the needed materials in order to make it, a tutorial on basic video editing and tips on how to make video editing easier. We hope that the visitors would learn while having fun at the same time while visiting this site. Enjoy viewing!


Purposes of Video Editing

There are lots of reasons why video editing is being used by many people, professional and non – professional. Simplest of reasons is just for leisure, just plain fun. Everybody wants to do something different every once in a while. And let’s admit that the simple thought of creating your own video is fun and exciting, like turning a very dull movie into something far more interesting for other people to see. Though it’s not as easy as it looks, you might quit the first time you try it without really being interested. But some people are making the best kids of personal movie once they get the hang of it.
Other people use video editing to enhance a certain presentation for a report. Visual aids are essential components in a presentation because it enhances and gives further emphasis on the message that the speaker wants to say to his audience. Of course you could choose to get the available videos on the internet but if you really have a specific standard then personal videos could satisfy you.
Another purpose of video editing is for creating a documentary film on any topic or issue that you wish to promote. Given the issue of global warming, many documentary films are being created like the inconvenient truth to open the minds of other people. It has become a big help in opening the minds of people regarding the issue and many are still trying to make that kind of personal videos. Many would benefit from the process.
And the last on the list is video editing is used for making probably the next block buster movie hit of the century. Everyone loves movies, generally speaking. And if everyone loves them, they would be thrilled if they are the ones who will make a movie that everyone would love. These are just some of the common reasons why people are interested in video editing. So video editing, though serious, could also be fun.


Materials used in Video Editing

Here are two of the things needed for video editing:

a. Video Camera _ It is mentioned a while ago that video clips from the net could also be used for video editing but it is much better if you would use personal videos and a video camera is perfect for the job. The camera doesn’t have to be really expensive because the output would not depend on the video alone. There are still other factors to be considered. Pictures could also be used for video editing.
b. Video Editing Software _ These software are used for the main editing of the raw videos and pictures. It is easier to compile and alter videos from its original form in order to create a new version of personal video. Some software may seem complicated but it will be much easier if you are given basic tutorial and you will take an initiative to explore the software yourself.
More materials could be used for video editing to create a good personal video.


Tutorial on Basic Video Editing

Here are some steps to make a good home video by video editing:

a. Have a good topic for your video _ It could be about anything: birthdays, wedding, even how you go through a simple day. Anything is possible as long as it is something worth your time to make and watch.
b. Think of a title that you would like to call your video _ A good title would help you get motivated in doing your personal movie. There’s really no format to follow on making a title, just something catchy to introduce your interesting movie.
c. Make plenty of shots _ a shot is defined as a specific object filmed from a specific angle. It is always a nice way to portray a good story. For example, in a wedding, you could make shot of the setting before the event – how the bride and groom is preparing and are both nervous. Then you could make shots during the wedding, flower girls throwing petals in the church aisle, the couple saying their vows, the ring bearer walking carefully to deliver the rings.
d. Make the transitions appropriate and interesting between shots _ since shots portray different scenes, it is up to you to connect these different shots and you should keep the movie coherent because if it not, your viewers would become confused.
e. look for good music _ It is not only the transitions that should be appropriate, but also the music. It is not advisable to have a sad music on a wedding video. Though it is really dependent on the editor on what he/ she wants to put.
Features like subtitles or the speed of the movie should also be considered, it is better if all the features are complete but try not to overdo the whole video, simplicity is still beauty.


Tips on Basic Video Editing

Lastly, here are some tips to help make video editing easier.

a. It is very important to use a tripod for most footage. There may be some special situations where it would actually be more effective to not use a tripod. In our experience a tripod is a necessity. You will also want to invest in a fairly nice one with a fluid-filled head. This will give you some very smooth footage.

b. Don't forget about the rule of thirds that you learned about in your high school photography class.

c. When your subject is moving provide enough "lead" room so it doesn't look like they are crowding the edge of the screen. You want to keep a comfortable cushion on the opposite side of the screen.

d. Try not to shoot with light behind the subject unless you are going for a special effect. It is best if the light source is coming from behind the videographer and to one side.

e. Always shoot more footage than you think you'll need.

f. When shooting it is best to record only RAW footage. Forget about all those special effects and titles built into your camcorder. The problem with using these is they become permanent; you can't change your mind later. However, if you have RAW footage you can add in any effects you want during the editing process. If you don't like the way something turns out then you can always change it.

g. Before using a new tape fast forward it to the end and then rewind it. This helps to take up any extra slack in the tape.

h. Don't forget to record ambient noise when on location. Ambient noise is the noise you almost never notice until you begin editing your footage. It's basically background noise such as traffic, wind, voices in a crowd, birds, etc.

Lastly, practice, practice, practice. (=

SOURCES

Digital Photography School

Cambridge In Colour

Kodak

Shabby Pricess

Photoshop Support

Photoshop 911

How Stuffs Works

Home Theater



DISCLAIMER

This site is created by...
Valerie Lim
Lara Lorenzo
Nicole Tablante

All information in this site are ours unless stated. Other information that is not ours is credited.

This site is for project purpose only.



DEVELOPERS


Valerie Mae Lim



Lara Monica Lorenzo



Nicole Tablante





-----FRONT PAGE INTRODUCTION----



Education and Computer Science, see the connection?

This educational site will provide the answer to the query asked above. If you think that these two fields are hard to connect, think again. This site is a combination of Education and Computer Science that is shown in the discussion regarding arts. We focused on three things: Photography, Photoshop and Video Editing. The site aims to teach teens with regards to the three components.

The main topic on FOUNED that is being discussed in this is site is the Formal – Operational Stage in Piaget’s Theory of Development because we focused on the age bracket and the learners’ abilities on this stage. It is said that learners are able to use their abstract thinking during this stage and we could further enhance their abstract thinking by giving them tutorials on the basics of photography, photoshop and video editing and let them discover the rest. Through this learners will be able to exercise their creativity and other aspects.

With the whole 1 term that we spend to learn the foundations of education, this site is what we know that best connects Education to or field, Computer Science. Since our specialization is about Instructional Systems Technology, we had based our site as an Instructional tool to teach arts to teenagers. As Computer Science majors, making a website is something that we would regularly do, thus we came up with this concept.