While I have taken many photos before, I have never designed any. However, Adobe Creative Cloud Software such as Photoshop makes that all possible. For my Digital Communication Class at Furman University, I curated and created images I took to create a visual essay.
What did I do?
I created a visual essay to showcase what it looks like to take one of Bote’s iSUPs (inflatable stand up paddle boards) out in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I took these photos on a Canon EOS Rebel t7i using a Canon EF-S 15-88mm lens. I then edited my photos in both Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. When adding text to my visual essay, I referred to Bote’s style guide. One of the main things I did in multiple photos was removing the houses from the shoreline of the river to create focus on the paddle board and the scenery (see before and after below). I accomplished this by selecting the object and using either content-aware fill or the patch tool followed by the smudge tool.
What did I learn?
In Adobe Lightroom, I learned the basics of how to make adjustments to my photos. To be more specific, I learned how to…
- Use the tone curve
- Adjust the saturation
- Adjust the exposure
- Adjust the vibrancy
- Make adjustments on the entirety of the photo and a selected portion of the photo
In Photoshop, I learned how to…
- Layer mask
- Smudge
- Add shadows to text
- Add glows to text
- Combine layers
- Use the patch tool
- Content-aware fill
- Blur
For an example of how I learned how to incorporate text into my photos, see the before and after below!
How will I use what I have learned?
Photography is not just something I am doing for my communications class, but also a passion and hobby of mine. Knowing what I am now capable of in Photoshop and Lightroom will not only enrich my hobby, but it also opens the door to professional careers and opportunities. I learned about specific composition techniques such as the rule of thirds, converging lines, symmetry, simplicity, depth of field, and leading lines that will help me greatly in my day to day and professional photography endeavors. I found that having composition techniques in the forefront of my mind while taking photos not only makes my images more pleasing to the eye, but it also helps me come up with more creative shots. Look below to see the before and after of one of my favorite shots! Click here to see my full visual essay.
Ellie Proctor 
WoW very nice photos 😇
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