Lab #1 Reflection

   For this lab, we had to use the pictures we had taken a few days ago during the field trip to create a collage of the ones we loved the most and then transfer them to Photoshop CS6. The objective was to properly learn how to resize the pictures using simple tricks on a Mac. We did this by first importing all of our pictures onto the computer in the school; afterwards we had them set in iPhoto, we opened the Adobe Photoshop CS6 application to start placing the pictures on the blank page. We started the process by clicking on File then opening a new one and named it using this format: LB1_YourName_vd. We then adjusted the settings by switching the unit of inches to pixels and changing the resolution to 250 pixels. A trick I learned during this lab was knowing how to make the page bigger by pressing command and the plus/addition button, which helped out during the process of the collage. After we changed the settings, we went back to File > Place and chose the 4 pictures from our iPhoto library and clicked place after each single one. After placing one picture, we realized it has a big X on top before clicking anything. The X indicates that the picture hasn't been placed on the page yet. But before we press Enter, we press the Shift key and from the corner of the picture, we resize the image making it either larger or smaller. Pressing the Shift keeps the same shape size of the picture instead of making it too wide or too thin. After we know the size we want, we press Enter to have it on the page and then use the same process for the next picture. After all the effort put into this lab, I believe the hardest step was to resize. Sometimes one forgets to press the Shift key while resizing so you mess up the quality and size of the picture and then start again from the beginning, which wasted time in class. I overcame this obstacle by carefully checking whether I was pressing the Shift key or not during the placement of a picture. I enjoyed being able to work with the application itself and knowing how simple computer tricks can enhance and make one's life easier instead of looking for the action itself in tabs. I can use this skill in the future if I ever learn how to make business cards or using this skill itself on schoolwork. We used Adobe Photoshop CS6 in this lab and this is relevant to Web Design because we're creating work that is influenced by planning.