(Found via Parade Film)

Ah, I have finally completed my website – well almost, there are still a couple more event posters I’d like to add, as well as two more Penguin book cover designs which need feedback before I can put them on. But other than that, it is pretty much done.

I took an evening class between September and November last year in Web Design and Publishing at Cardiff University’s lifelong learning centre after attending one of Design Wales events at the end of June. A couple of the speakers recommended that students should try and gain skills in both digital and print media, as a lot of design companies work in both and so having knowledge of both would make you stand out more.

I kind of knew this already, but going to the talk finally gave me the push I needed to get myself sorted out. I didn’t have much knowledge about HTML and CSS (not counting the MySpace profile days of ill-thought out and awful backgrounds) so decided to enrol on Cardiff University’s 10 week course. The course was pretty much ideal for me, giving me a two and a half hour blocks every week to learn and practice everything we were being taught (without any distractions) – I have tried in the past to teach myself through tutorials on the web, but had always got frustrated when I got stuck and there was no one there to ask.

One of the assessments meant you had to produce a website, so obviously I chose to produce a portfolio website to showcase my graphic design work. I am pleased with it (though there are one or two photos I think I will retake) and have tried to make it as clean and simple as possible so as not to attract too much attention away from the work itself. I produced it all on Notepad, which I didn’t even know you could do before September. Currently debating whether to enrol on the advanced web design and publishing course which covers Dreamweaver in more detail, or whether to buy a book and attempt to teach it myself fully. Hmm.

(edit: Some of my images in the website look slightly desaturated in Firefox, have no idea why this is. In Safari and Chrome they look how they should!)

“Freelensing means you take photos with the lens detached from the camera but held in place and moved around to focus. This also lets extra light in sometimes causing light leaks and giving a vintage look and feel. You only need to move the lens a few millimetres (fractions of an inch), and doing it this way, there’s not much risk of dust getting in to the sensor. If you want lightleaks or the super-macro kind of effect, you will need to hold the lens a little bit further away (probably no more than a finger width, though). This is a bit more risky if you’re worried about dust, so try not to hold the lens away from the camera for too long and only do it in a dust-free environment.”

- via SwissMiss

an example of the freelensing technique by PIERREPOX http://www.flickr.com/photos/pierrepocs/4738222708/

You can see more examples here.

2nd highlight was Theo Humphries talking about Crapestry. He modifies existing cross stitch patterns to create something that is childish and brilliant.

The second is a self-titled album by Keaton Henson. He also designed the cover, and there’s a lot of other good work on his website.