Technology
Digital Calendars
Above: Michael Castle. Right: Molly O’Neill.
Lisa S. Pilvelis
As the calendar changed from one year to the next, I wanted a fresh idea to use with my digital photogra- Calendar Templates
Sizing
Once students had their calendar
Once students had their images and
images ready, they used Microsoft
calendars in place, it was time to go
Publisher to build the calendar tem-
big! The calendars were sized to 20 x
phy class. I decided students would
plates. Students chose the layout of
24", keeping in mind either a horizon-
each create a large calendar with all
the calendar that
tal or vertical for-
the months and days visible at the
best suited their
The final image for the
mat. In Photoshop,
same time. I thought 20 x 24" ( 51 x 61 they chose “view- artwork. Students calendar had to stand on its
cm) would be the perfect size to both
adjusted the
rulers” to set up a
show off the artwork and be practical direction of the
own as an artistic piece.
guide to start crop-
as a calendar.
calendar, along
ping the image. I
with the color and the text, before
had students crop 4 x 4" ( 10 x 10 cm)
Photography
sections of their work that would they saved their work and opened it in
To start, students photographed what Adobe Photoshop.
they wanted to use as their main
later be printed and put together like
a puzzle.
images for the calendar. Since this was Integration
an advanced digital photography class, Students chose how they wanted to
Final Steps
students were expected to use Adobe
incorporate the calendar format in
After cropping and printing the
Photoshop to blend images and add
the finished piece. They could add it
images, students glued each individ-
text if desired. The final image for the ual section onto a large board. Once to the top or bottom of their artwork,
calendar had to be able to stand on its that was complete, students had to around the photograph, or right on top
own as an artistic piece.
of the image. They tried a variety of
choose between three and five sec-
tions of their original image to alter placements before deciding on a final
image.
