How to Write a Good GREAT Letter of Introduction

Hello Students,

Your next assignment is to create a "Letter of Introduction" that describes you! Your special traits, qualities, hobbies, and personal, educational and career goals. List your top 5 skills and abilities. It should consist of at least one page. Make sure to use correct spelling and grammar.

Letter of Introduction Assignment:

• This is an introduction letter, about you, written to people that may be viewing your portfolio
• Should be about 1 page long

You letter should include:

• Who you are
• Where you are currently attending school
• What courses you are currently enrolled in aside from standard courses (such as this ROP class your in right now)
• Your top 5 work related skills
• Special acknowledgments from employers/instructors
• Future education plans
• Hobbies or other activities you enjoy
• Discuss what is contained in your portfolio
• Discuss the type of work/projects/activities you enjoy the most in school

Sample Introduction Letter:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

John Star

242 Crest St.

Capitola, CA 95010

(831) 553-2323

jostar@yahoo.com

Date

To Whom It May Concern:

I am currently attending Santa Cruz High School where I will be graduating this year in June. I have enrolled in ROP classes, which are business-oriented. ROP classes have given me a closer look at the business world and I have learned excellent work skills. 

My top five work skills are:

• Excellent communication skills with strong listening skills
• Responsible and reliable with attention to detail
• Strong team player who thrives in teamwork situations
• Good computer skills
• Excellent time management skills

I have received special acknowledgement from my employers for strong skills and work ethics.

I recently was accepted to CalPoly and plan to go there in the Fall and pursue a degree in Agribusiness. After receiving my degree, I plan to work in my family’s strawberry farming business. Eventually, I hope to be the president of the business. I have many hobbies including surfing, skiing and playing baseball but most of all, I enjoy riding my horse up in the hills. It gives me a sense of freedom and independence.

My portfolio shows some of the skills and abilities I have acquired in while attending Soquel High School and throughout my work experience. I have always enjoyed landscaping and have enrolled in the Horticulture class for my last semester of high school. From my past experience you will notice that I enjoy working especially when I leave the job better than it was when I first got there. I have been doing tree work for three years and have worked for commercial and residential customers. Thoroughness and safety are some of my favorite qualities.

Included in this portfolio, is my resume summarizing my schooling, work experience, and skills. In addition I have a list of references, letters of recommendation, and samples of my work. I hope you enjoy reviewing my portfolio.

Sincerely,

John Star

Due by Thursday!

 - Mr.W

Using InDesign for Portfolio Creation

Hello Students,

To develop your print portfolio we will use Adobe InDesign's powerful layout software to create multiple page document with compelling design, color, typography and content. Use this post and the details below to explore and become familiar with InDesign

Launch and Explore InDesign

• Go to the dock and launch InDesign, or look in your Applications folder to find the app
• Go to the File Menu and create a New Document
• Go to the Window Menu and set your Workspace to Advanced
• Explore the tool bar, click on the text tool and draw a text box to create text, try the shape tools and look for the color modifiers to change colors at the top of the screen
• Open all the palettes under the Window Menu and explore all the functions, look at the quick guides below for reference
• See if you can create text of different sizes, change the colors, modify the text kerning and tracking and draw shapes in different colors and with different borders
• Try importing an image, use File Menu/Place... you can insert a photo into a shape, or drop it onto the page you want
• Try opening the Pages Palette and create multiple pages
• When you are comfortable, begin creating your portfolio!

Hidden Tools and Shortcut Keys

Character Formatting Panel In InDesign

Paragraph Formatting Panel in InDesign

Have fun!

HDR Pro Project

Hello Students,

Your new assignment is to shoot a set of bracketed exposure images and combine them with Photoshop's "Merge to HDR Pro" feature. HDR Pro is a powerful tone mapping program, and is the best way to merge multi-exposure images.

This image was created with 4 exposures, tone mapped with Photoshop and adjusted for best results

Project Requirements:

• You will produce 4 final images for this project.

• You must use a tripod to shoot a set of multiple exposure images. and then combine them with the Merge to HDR Pro feature in photoshop. Take 3 different exposures, underexposed, normal and overexposed. Team up since we only have a few tripods.

• For your first image you will merge the separate exposures and use the sliders in the HDR Pro interface to achieve your best desired look.

• For the other 3 images, reload your separate exposures in HDR Pro and choose your 3 favorite Presets from the Preset Menu.

• Upload your 4 final images as jpgs to your blog when complete.

Tips and Advice to get great results:

• Subject matter is your choice, but avoid any portraits or any subject that will move between taking each picture. 
• HDRI process works best with landscapes, cars, architecture and objects that have rich texture or very shiny surfaces, like cars, windows, glass, water reflections, etc...
• HDR Pro can align your images, but if there is too much movement between exposures than results can be less than desirable. Check the "Remove Ghosts" button for best results
• Use a tripod, it is mandatory for this project!
• If you want to use this for portraiture, make sure your subject can hold themselves extremely still between shots... otherwise there will be ghosting and blur in your image.

How To Merge with HDR Pro in Photoshop CS5:

AKA: Tone Mapping

• Take your 3 different exposures and place them in a new project folder
• Launch Photoshop and go File > Automate > Merge to HDR Pro
• Browse to your files and load all 3

• Merge to HDR Pro launches
• Input the Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO for each exposure

• Modify the sliders as outlined below to achieve your best look
• Check out the Presets at the top for your other 3 versions

Check out this video about using HDR Pro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsaS5vgzlek

Setting Camera Up for Bracketing:

Menu > Camera  >Bracketing > AE Bracketing > Choose exposure

Click here to check out this link to see details on setting up AEB on the Rebel T3i

Merge to HDR Pro Slider Functions Explained:

Edge Glow:

Strength <--- Increase these numbers for more halo effect, decrease for less

Radius <--- Increase these numbers for more halo effect, decrease for less

Tone/ Detail

Detail <--- Sharpens your image and adds contrast, ADJUST THIS FIRST then adjust others.

Exposure <--- Increases or decreases brightness

Shadow <--- brighten or darken shadows

Highlights <--- brighten or darken highlights

Color:

Vibrance  <--- Adjusts muted colors first, then others

Saturation <--- removes or adds more color

Have fun!

Introduction to Image Post Editing / Image Enhancement: "Fake" HDRI process

Hello Students,

Your next assignment is to create 3 "mock" HDRI Images with photoshop. Follow my process below very carefully for success. Check out this  link of cool HDRI Images for inspiration.

 

Project Requirements:

• Pick 3 of your own images, your images should be high resolution originals and in color. The more image "data" the better. The subject matter is your choice, landscape, portrait etc. Choose images that have good color variation and are properly exposed and in focus for best results.

• Process each image with the steps below, post a before and after version for each image to your blog upon completion.

Simplified HDRI Process with Photoshop:

You can make a "mock" HDRI image from a single photograph with photoshop. Normally creating an HDRI image requires multiple exposures. We will try creating one with a single exposure. The results should add a big color boost to our photographs.

Step 1) Open your image in photoshop. Rename your background layer to "Original".

Step 2) Create a duplicate layer and rename it "black&white". Go to Image > Adjustments > Hue and Saturation. Pull the saturation down until your image loses all color. Now change the Blending Mode to Overlay. This is located on your Layer Palette.

Step 3) We need to "invert" or reverse the "black&white" layer. Go to Image > Adjustments > Invert.

Step 4) Now we add some blur for that airbrushed look. Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. I used a Blur setting of about 40, if your photograph is lower resolution than our classroom DSLR you may need to adjust this number. Adjust till you achieve the desired look.

Step 5) Now duplicate your "Original" Layer and place it above all other layers. Rename this layer "Linear" and change the Blending Mode to Linear Light. Lower this layer's opacity to about 60, or adjust to your desired level.

That's it your done! Repeat this process with 2 more images and place a before and after version for each image on your blog.

Have fun!

 -  Mr.W