Since the Learning Studio opened in 2011, we’ve enjoyed giving students opportunities to work with professional photographers and equipment. This fall we added Canon 6D full-frame DSLR cameras to our checkout pool, so trained students now have access to pro-level gear with their library card.

This November we also hosted a photography workshop where 14 students had a chance to work with alum Asia Eidson on image making for social media. She introduced students to techniques for capturing striking images and then refining them with Adobe Creative Cloud.  

*To hear about future student workshops and 6D training, send us an email at learningstudio@acu.edu to get on the mailing list.

If you’ve got some time over the Christmas break, download Photoshop or Lightroom to add some sparkle to your holiday images.

Need some inspiration to #MakeMerry? Here are a few ways Adobe CC let’s you add impact to your photography.

Quick look at Photoshop CC

Quick look at Lightroom CC

Download Adobe CC software

Adobe CC Inspiration

Alexposure Photography, Alex Gabriele (senior, Information Systems)

Alex has been a regular user of our checkout cameras, and last spring he joined us for the first portrait photography workshop. His personality makes him great at working with his subjects, but Asia’s workshops have also improved the level of finish and confidence in his pictures. “If it was not for the Learning Studio access to top-quality equipment, I would not have realized my talent and passion as a photographer.” This summer he took the next step and opened a photography business at AlexposurePhotography.com. 

Low-Light Photography, Forrest Lorenzen (junior, Multimedia)

Since coming to ACU, Forrest has produced several short films for classes and FilmFest, ACU’s student film competition. He primarily uses Canon DSLRs for video and Adobe Premiere in his film work, but he experimented this fall with long-exposure photography, shooting with a Canon 6D and bringing photos into Photoshop for RAW processing before creating a short time-lapse clip in Premiere. “Having access to the Learning Studio’s new Canon 6Ds and Adobe software motivates me to create in ways I wouldn’t be able to otherwise. These tools encourage me to experiment and grow as a visual artist and storyteller.”

Planning on catching up on some Netflix over the break? In 2015, streaming video and audio accounted for 70% of all internet usage in North America (Sandvine). But ACU students aren’t just binging on video; they’re also producing their own films and stories.

This holiday season, take some time to #MakeMerry. Grab your phone or a GoPro, and capture some clips of time with family, or the sights and sounds of home. Then cut them together using Adobe Creative Cloud.

Before you leave, make sure you download Adobe Premiere Pro and get comfortable with basic editing.

Quick look at Premiere Pro

Download Adobe CC software

Need some inspiration? Here are a few ways ACU students and faculty have been tapping into Adobe CC this semester.

Adobe CC Inspiration

Dear Steve short film, Alyssa Saenz (senior, Theatre)

Alyssa has written and shot, and is now editing, her first short film using Premiere Pro. “Editing is really the most important thing,” Alyssa said. This week she’s using the Macs and Adobe software available in the Learning Studio to turn her individual shots into a finished film.

Rockonomix projects, Dr. Katie Wick (faculty, Management Science)

In her first year at ACU, Dr. Wick asked students in her Macro and Micro Economics classes to introduce core concepts through parody music videos. “These classes have a reputation of being dry and difficult, so this project attempts to change that perception by helping students see that economics is everywhere.” Individual groups might combine business and computer science majors with others from English and Ad PR to produce shorts like this remix of “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

This week we’re partnering with the Maker Lab on #MakeMerry. Many of the projects wrapping up the semester in the library start with tools like Adobe Illustrator CC.

Whether you’re designing a logo or poster in the Learning Studio or cutting the outline for a piece of furniture on a laser cutter or CNC router in the Maker Lab, Illustrator is a great place to start.

Never used Illustrator? You can download it to your computer and check it out over Christmas break.

Need some inspiration? Here are just a few of the things new users can do with it.

Quick look at Illustrator CC

Download Adobe CC software

Adobe CC Inspiration

Steampunk Lamp prototype, Korbin Ancell (junior, Computer Science)

Korbin works in the Maker Lab and decided to start a project inspired by an article he read in Make Magazine. “The idea for this lamp is that when you flip on the switch, it will stand up and the light will flicker on.” Korbin designed the 2-D outline in Illustrator and then cut his prototype on the laser cutter to test the fit. He plans to build the finished version with nicer wood after seeing how the pieces work together.

Stephen Curry Infographic, Immanuel Lundy (senior, Graphic Design)

“I try to make the information visually appealing and compelling enough for people to stop and read it and be interested in it.” Immanuel explains. He used the Adobe software to create an infographic for a design class detailing basketball player Stephen Curry’s back-to-back MVP seasons. His goal was to make information visually appealing for people that might not otherwise take a look, and Illustrator lets him blend careful control over type with his original illustrations to make an impact.