Lifelong learning

Jogort have a look at Luminar AI. Really really intuitive. It’s just had a big UI overhaul iirc, and has some really powerful AI features that do a lot of the heavy lifting.

I’m constantly both despairing of it and very impressed by it, because it does things like sky replacement (I’ve discovered I’m more of a purist than I thought ) so effortlessly.

Still has the advanced stuff if you need it too. I’m too deeply embedded in Lightroom to make the move permanently, but for certain jobs that used to take ages with painstaking masking etc, I might actually buy it.

I had one of the previous iterations and aside from missing certain features only a professional would need, it was fine.

Thought I’d necro this thread as it seems like a good place to post about new courses regardless of lockdown status etc. Excuse the long post.

Anyway. I’ve come to a bit of a crossroads with my career. My photography is taking off slowly but nicely again, after coming to a full stop in 2020, when I was a gnat’s chuff away from selling all my gear. I’ve actually been asked to write an article for Scotland’s top documentary photography org, about one of my projects.

But in the process of getting back up and running I’ve come to realise that I actually really miss graphic design. There was the podcast thread which prompted me randomly to listen to an episode about the hierarchy of design elements as they relate to everything from botched Oscar announcements, to 3 mile island, which made me realise I have more knowledge than I give myself credit for.

Then I decided to redesign and relaunch my site. Which I’d been putting off because I’d sworn off design after the last UX job I had about a decade ago. Much to my surprise I really loved the process. I really enjoy playing with fonts. I love colour theory, and playing about with colour palettes. All that jazz.

It’s also become obvious that my work is very often influenced by my design years anyway, whether I do it consciously or not, so it makes sense to start letting both sides of my creative brain flex and work off each other.

Practically speaking, it all feeds into my health too. Which frankly sucks at this time of year. Ever since it started, February has always been my hibernation month. I just don’t have the oomph to get out and make photo work. I do, however, still have the ability to write and design. In fact I feel the need to do something, in the absence of having my camera gear on my back. So I can do this, from the comfort of my chair and an iPad Pro, or I can head into the studio and work there if I need peace.

If, heaven forbid, things get so bad that I can’t continue as a ‘tog, then I’ve got a way forward too.

All of which is a very windbag way to say I’ve started a new series of courses which will get me back up to speed over the course of a year. Some of the courses are Adobe certified, which will mean I’m Adobe certified too, which will be great. The main thing is that I’ll have a better grounding in the discipline. I was self taught, and had a fairly instinctive grasp of design concepts, but I didn’t have the lexicon to explain them or learn more. I got by because I was at a basic level, reasonable at design, but it was things like being very good at talking to clients and interpreting their needs that saw me through.

So this time round, I’m giving myself a framework to really improve and understand the medium.

My daughter decided I have ADHD a couple of years ago, and honestly, I’m coming round to the idea that it might be true, and that she should pursue a career in psychology I’m just not happy unless I’m learning, and I need to start to see my ever-shifting focus as an advantage. I suspect my gaming habits stem from this too. Once I’ve learnt everything in a game to my satisfaction, I get bored and move on.

Anyway, I’m doing courses at Yes I’m A Designer. I’m guessing no one else is interested in this specifically, but it’s more about staying open to learning with an old brain like mine

So I’ve just one upped myself.

I interviewed for this late, just a couple of days ago, because I only discovered and applied for it at the beginning of July.

Thankfully I got accepted during the interview, into a part time MA in Contemporary Art and Archeology. If you’ve seen my Clootie Wells project, you’ll know that, just from that title, the course could have been made for me. I nearly fell off my seat when I found it.

It’s based in Orkney through the University of the Highlands and Islands but is entirely remotely taught. They do a non compulsory winter school every January where you get great access to normally restricted archaeology of which Orkney is a literal treasure trove.

To say I’m quite excited is a massive understatement. I start on the 29th.