17-06-2011, 12:56 PM
(17-06-2011, 11:44 AM)Aerodyne Wrote: I use Photoshop CS3 and would not be without it. A brilliant program, I use it for everything graphic.
-Tony
But you, if I may say so Tony, are soaring with the Eagles, whereas I'm swimming with the pond life! I attended a ten week course 2 hrs a week to use Photoshop, and pre-enrollment, students were given a check-list pointing out that the course assumed a level of competence in using a PC. For example, how to use WinXP, how to load, open and save a file, use a mouse an keyboard, and understand terms such as cursor. Anyone who didn't have these basic skills was told to not enrol on the course but to do a basic computing course first.
The reality was that most fellow students were a bunch of numpties, so much of the time was spent by the excellent tutor teaching them basic computing skills. EG, he started by saying 'boot up your computer, look on the desktop and you'll see an icon 'Local pictures'. Open that folder and open the file entitled Wilmington Bridge'. Some were quite literally looking on the tops of their desks and saying 'I haven't got a folder on my desk' - that's how stupid they were. They'd been asked to bring along their digital cameras and a 1gB memory stick. The woman next to me brought a digital cemara she'd had as a Christmas present, still shrink wrapped in its box two months later without the battery having been charged. Half of them hadn't a clue what a memory stick was or what one looked like, and some didn't know how to use their cameras When we got past that point, they were continually saying 'I've saved my pictures and can't find them on the computer. Because of course, they'd saved them back on the momory card. None of this had anything to do with developing competencies in the use of Photoshop. Absolutely dire, and truly frustrating for the tutor who had to slow things down to the lowest common denominator. Personally, from day one, I'd have told them they were on the wrong course and wouldn't be capable of competing this one.
That course was in Feb 2006, the fee for which, being over 60, was £25 for the ten sessions - very good value. However, the concessions have long since been scrapped and the fee for a ten-week course is now £130 - £13 per session. A well run course is far better than fumbling around using HELP screens and reading books, but not at that price.
Not wishing to get too political, but Governments (of any persuation) bang on about older people keeping active and getting stimulation and social contact to aid their mental wellbeing in their 'third age'. Many who in the past would have attend evening and day classes no longer do so because of the cost. Instead, they languish at home, often living alone, and then queue up in Doctor's surgeries to be treated for depression brought on by lonliness and lack of stimulation, and walk out with free prescriptions for anti-depressants and sleeping pills. Not me of course - it's being so cheerful that keeps me going - that and my Gospel singing (not!). But I do think it shows that when costs are cut and prices go up tenfold, that the law of unintended consequences kicks in and it becomes false economy. Back in 2006, I used to attend Model Engineering classes, and my wife and I attended French lessons. They've all folded - not enough enrol so the course gets cancelled. No prospect of any changes in the present economic climate.
Moan over - back to the plot, I think that a CAD course would be more approriate to such things as creating radio dials and the like, but I only use a fraction of the capabilty of Photoshop. I find the clone stamp tool especially useful for cleannig up pics, such as removing unwanted street furniture and signage, and poke around with the crop tool, fill, erase and paint.
David.
('Rotational whinger' - whose turn next?)
