External Hard Drive

A 1TB external hard drive has been allocated for this course. As visible, 250GB of free space is available, which considered an appropriate amount. 

Folder Structure: Top Level

When you open the external hard drive, you might find other folders and materials. The 1740QCA folder, which is the same as the course code, contains data relating to the course. 

Folder Structure: First Level 

I have included my full name in the first tier of folders. This is helpful in case the hard drive is lost, so it will be easier for the finder to return it to its original owner.

Folder Structure: Second Level 

Here is a full list of different folders for different software that are taught in this class. For illustrating the following levels, we will select the folder called Lightroom.

Folder Structure: Third Level 

When I click on the Lightroom folder, I see three subfolders: 1740QCA (for the Catalogue File), RAW (for exported files), and BACKUP (for backup data).

Folder Structure: Fourth Level 

I selected the RAW folder here. As is demonstrated, there is only one folder here. Assignment 02 and Assignment 03 will be added in the following weeks. 

Launching Adobe Lightroom Classic

Now it is time to open up the software (2025 version). 

Creating a new catalogue file

After the application is opened, I go to the bar on the top of my screen and select File. 

Creating a new catalogue file 

I click on the option New Catalog (since the default language of my Adobe Creative Suite is set in North American English, the word "catalogue" is written as "catalog").

Choosing a destination folder 

As stated earlier, the folder 1740QCA will house the catalogue files. Once selected, I click Create and the destination is defined. 

I return to the home screen and then click on Edit in the menu bar this time. 

Among the options in the menu, I select Catalog Settings. 

I click on the Backups tab on the top, then choose my backup destination by selecting the bottom Choose... In addition, I have set the backup frequency to the option Every time Lightroom exits. This means that every time I want to close the application, it would ask me whether I am willing to make a backup of the modifications applied (one might decide not to make a backup once closing the application). 

Ultimately, I click on OK on the bottom of the window to save the changes.

In the Library, there are two buttons on the corner left of the screen. I click on "Import" to import my photographs into the application. 

After finding my pictures on the file locations and folders demonstrated on the left, I choose the desired images by clicking on the little boxes next to every thumbnail photograph. Here are two series of photographs taken of me and my friend. Since the series related to me are selected before, they are displayed in grey colour. 

After selecting the images, I select Import. 

As you can observe, all of my selected images are shown here. 

In order to be able to edit desired images individually, I double-click on any random thumbnail image. By doing so, it transfers the isolated picture to the Develop tab. 

Altering the Temperature 

The first thing I want to edit in this image series is the temperature. On the right-hand side menu, there are many options for editing the image, such as temperature, hue, saturation, and more. 

Here, you can see that even this simple change has rendered the image much more pleasant. 

Mask Selection

If I go to the Masking section (depicted with a circle with a checkerboard inside it), I see that a menu called Masks pops ups on the left. 

When I click on the Create New Mask option, I am presented with multiple choices. As their names suggest, each of these options corresponds to a different type of area selection. Fortunately, Adobe Lightroom Classic includes a built-in AI-powered subject selection tool that automatically detects and highlights people in an image. 

Subject highlighted successfully. Now, I can make alteration to only this part of my image without affecting everything else. 

The first thing I do is to lighten up my selected area. 

In order to generate a more visible contrast between the selected object and the background, I create a new mask and choose Select Background from the menu.

My background is highlighted in red. Now it is time to darken the background a little bit.

I decreased my background light exposure so I can be more visible. 

Erasing Unwanted Objects with AI

Let us look at the image again. As you might have noticed, there are two dark, blurry objects on both sides (anti-bacterial tissue paper box on the left and training chair on the right). How can they be removed?

In the Remove section, I tick the box Use generative AI and then paint the area I want to erase. I can change the size of my brush as well.

Blurring

Lastly, I want to blur the area around the image so there will be even more focus on the centre. I create a Radial Gradient new mask. 

Once selected, I scroll down until I reach the Bokeh section. Bokeh is a photography term that refers to the quality of the out-of-focus areas in an image, especially how the lens renders points of light in the background or foreground when they are blurred. I try to experiment with all of the tools available in this part. 

Synchronising the Images 

The changes I make are applied to only one image. If I have a series of images (like in this project), I need to synchronise them. To do this, I selected all of the images in the filmstrip below by holding Shift and clicking. 

The images can simply be synchronised by clicking on the button Sync on the right corner side. Note that you can turn on the Auto-Sync option (shown as a toggle button next to Sync. Personally, I tend to do this action manually so there will be more free space on my memory RAM. 

Exporting the Images 

Remember the Import button? The Export button is right next to it. 

In the export settings, here are some steps to follow. First, next to the Export To option, there is a bar. By clicking on it, I can tell Lightroom that I want to save it on my personal computer. Then, the Choose... button is activated. I have chosen a specific folder in my external hard drive (inside the Lightroom folder). 

Here are my recommended settings. 

The files are exported as PSD format in the defined path. 

Importing the Images

Okay, this stage is about making GIFs in Adobe Photoshop 2025. 

Once opened, I navigate to File in the top menu bar, choose Scripts, and then select Load Files Into Stack... 

I click on OK in the window called Load Layers.

Here is the sequence of my photographs arranged neatly in the Layers panel. 

Editing the Images

There is an unlimited number of effects that can be applied to this image sequence. I try to fast-forward some parts for it might be prolonged. 

The first effect I apply is Brightness/Contrast. I do it by changing the brightness to the lowest degree possible and then select Hard Mix as my combination type. 

The first effect I apply is Brightness/Contrast. I do it by changing the brightness to the lowest degree possible and then select Hard Mix as my combination type. 

I would like to mimic basic distortion effect in this stage. For doing so, I create a mask layer, draw a box with Lasso tool, and then drag it sideways to render the effect. I do this for multiple parts of the image so the effect will look more natural. 

To make sure to have experimented with graphical elements, I add a white a red box with a text inside it reading "El Póster" (Spanish word for The Poster). 

Now it is time to add a bit of animation to the process. I click on Window and then choose Timeline from the menu.

When the timeline is created, it is empty. I add images to it by selecting layers on the right-hand side and then adding them manually. 

I do not need to utilise all of my captured photographs in my GIF. I have selected 20 images, for instance. I add other effects for enriching the GIF as well. 

Again, some graphical elements. 

Exporting the images as a GIF

One important thing that one might miss in this step before going for the export button is not selecting all of the photographs in the timeline. Note that only the selected images are included in the GIF. I select all of them by pressing Shift + Left Click. 

When exporting, there are different options. Since this is going to be an internet GIF, I choose the option Save for Web (Legacy) here. 

Here are some settings related to the quality, resolution, color table, etc. 

Aim for a GIF with a file size of around 5 MB or less, as larger GIFs can cause problems.

Experiment One

Experiment Two

Importing the Images

The best format for Adobe After Effects will be TIFF. In order to export images as this format, I opened Adobe Lightroom Classic and exported the photographs as small-size TIFF images. Managing file size is indeed important. 

Once After Effects is opened, I do NOT rush for the New Project button. 

Instead, I click on File on the menu bar, select Import, and then select Multiple Files... (there is more than one file to import).

I select the desired images and then click on Import.  

My images appear on the panel on the left-hand side. 

In order to animate the images, I select all of them and drag them to Toggle Switches/Modes.

A new window pops up asking me about duration of each image. Based on trail and error, I have found that 7 milliseconds works the best for this project (it is the closest speed to the real video). 

Enabling the Overlap option is optional. It depends on the type of project you are doing. I did one experiment with it (presented in the result section). 

The animation timeline at the bottom of my screen indicates that the images are animated. I can simply play it by hitting the Space key on my keyboard. 

Applying Effects

It is time to have some fun with different effects. Like always, I go for a glitching effect (VR Digital Glitch). 

I want to add a coloured slice in the beginning of my video as an intro. This can be achieved by clicking on Layer on the menu bar, New. and then Solid...

I can use the Editor Graph for animating shapes. For example, I can make a shape bigger or smaller in the duration of 3 seconds. 

By bending the green and red lines, I can alter the speed which the shape changes. It can be sudden or gradual. 

I have applied other effects to this video. The Effects menu on the left-hand side includes general effects such as changing the colour, hue. saturation, noise, distortion, etc. while the right-hand side panel offers more specific and professional effects. 

Exporting the Video

The image series can be exported by going to File, Export, and then Add to Adobe Media Encoder Queue. 

I set the resolution of my videos to YouTube 1080p Full HD and choose the file destination on my external hard drive. 

Ultimately, I click on the green Play button the right-hand side and wait for the video to be saved to my external hard drive.