Reflection: Bootcamp Week

This past week in PR Publications was called “bootcamp” week because we learned how to use InDesign and Photoshop in just 2 days. The first day was dedicated to learning InDesign. We were first taught the basics and then released on our own to recreate the newsletter example we were given. All the images were already in place so our task was to recreate the text portion. The goal was to practice creating text documents on InDesign.

At first, I was a little confused about how to recreate the newsletter but then I realized you just have to start exploring around to learn and find the right tools. The goal of the assignment was to learn InDesign not to create a perfect newsletter. In the end, I think my newsletter turned out a lot like the original. InDesign was a fun tool to play around with so I really enjoyed this assignment.

Day two we focused on learning Photoshop. This tutorial was easier for me to follow than the InDesign one because I am more familiar with Photoshop. I took 3 years of Photoshop in high school and it came back to me pretty quickly.

After we went over the basics of Photoshop, we played around with editing photos from the creative commons section on Flickr. I chose a photo of the Eiffel Tower. I practiced using the selection tools, which was pretty difficult to do with the Eiffel tower because it has so many little edges. But I was really enjoyed this assignment because I think Photoshop is such a fun tool to use for creativity. I also practiced using filters and changing photo colors.

I really enjoyed bootcamp week, learning how to use these two fun creative tools. I look forward to use them more during the semester.