Just Photoshopping Away...

A few weeks ago we gave our yearbook students the assignment to create a 2 page yearbook layout showcasing photos from their summer.  This was to serve as a sort of "pre-test" for our new kids, and to test everyone to see exactly how good their Photoshop skills are before we select our final editors for the various yearbook sections.  Ever the procrastinator, I started my page this afternoon figuring it would take me about 3 hours or so to make my layout.  I followed the tutorial prepared by my colleague and co-yearbook conspirator,  Youngen, and successfully started the page.  I was feeling pretty good about myself until it all went downhill when I tried to crop a photo!  Essentially I managed to get rid of the unwanted photo background...AND THE REST OF MY PAGE!  Thankfully Youngen lives just upstairs and came down to survey the damage.  We both agreed after a lot of tinkering it was best to start over.  So, I did.  Now 5 hours later, I have a finished page!  I'm sure there is a lot that is esthetically wrong with the layout, my angled photos, the colors, and the background but I'm proud to have accomplished my very first yearbook layout and I'm feeling a little less confused about the very basic photoshop functions!  Now that I've started taking photography a little more seriously, I'm excited to learn what photoshop can do for my pictures!  Here's my accomplishment of the day...

P.S.  I took all of these pictures myself and I didn't Photoshop a single one!