Unit 5- Digitally Altering and Creating Images

Collage created using Ribbet

This week I have had fun playing around with the different web tools that can be used to alter pictures and even create collages, cards, and posters.  I looked at quite a few, but here are the two that I liked the most.

Ribbet

I had a great time playing around with Ribbet (http://www.ribbet.com/photo-editor-like-picnik). Right away I was drawn to how easy it was to use this resource. There are many features to this site. One of the first things I noticed right away, is that there are four different things you can create via Ribbet: a grid collage, shape collage, blank canvas, and a fancy card.

Because I was curious, I tried all of them. The grid collage is great if you want to create a collection of photos to highlight an event or even a lesson or project. The free version allows you to choose from the basic selection of grid options for users to upload their photos or images. What is great is that once you select a grid, you can upload images from your computer, from Flickr, Facebook, Google Photos, and the web. As you upload photos to Ribbet, you can see the images at the bottom of the screen. To add a picture, all you do is click and drag the picture to the part of the grid you want. Once photos are where you want them, you can make the images smaller or larger, and even change the shape of the photos. When you are happy with your collage, click done and you can save the image to your computer, or save it to your Ribbet file, if you sign up.

The next tool I used was the shape collage. This is a cool feature. You upload the photos you want to use, drag a photo to the screen and then decide upon what shape you want to create with the photo or photos you select. For the heart image I created above, I initially used one photo and figured out by clicking on the different pictures I had saved, that they were automatically added to the shape created. You can decide how sharp the pictures are, what color the background is, and you can even add text and select the font to use. Of course there are are more options if you subscribe to the resource. 

Next I tried the blank canvas. Before starting, users can choose the background color of the canvas and decide upon the dimensions of the canvas. Once you have the size you want, you can add the images you want to the canvas. On the left hand side of the screen there is a toolbar where you can select the different effects to add to your project. The options include: text, stickers, options to retouch images, and etc.  I decided to create a flyer for library orientation:

Ribbet is a very user-friendly tool and there are so many options. I do feel that the premium features open up more possibilities, however, the free option gives users many options to create great images.

BeFunky

The other site I really liked is BeFunky (https://www.befunky.com/). Just like Ribbet, BeFunky is a great tool to use to create and enhance your digital images. And just like Ribbet, this site does have a free option along with a paid option. I do feel that BeFunky gives more free options to choose from than Ribbet, however, for both, upgrading do a subscription gives users more choices. With this web tool, BeFunky has three options for users to use to manipulate images: photo editor, collage maker, and design.

Just like Ribbet, I couldn't wait to try out the different options and created a few things. The first feature I tried was the photo editor. With BeFunky, I was able to use a few more photo editing options, so I experimented with a photo of myself. There are so many neat options. Here is a collage of the altered images:

Just like Ribbet, it is super easy to add photos,  and decide how to change or add effects to images. The designer option is like a blank canvas with lots of tools to use. Here is another collage I created with BeFunky and an image I created using the designer option:

Collage

Made with the Designer option

BeFunky makes it easy to save your creations to your computer, BeFunky, Google Drive, Facebook, Dropbox, Pinterest, and Twitter.  For all of the examples shared I was able to create and download to my computer without even setting up an account. After playing around with these resources I definitely want to explore the possibilities some more and share with students and teachers.