kayla combs 2013 portfolio

Portfolio

2013

Kayla Combs

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K AY L A C OMBSApril 21, 2013

Mark CombsInsurance AgentLanier Upshaw Insurance & Risk Management1115 US Hwy 98 SouthLakeland, FL 33801

Dear Mr. Combs,

Lanier Upshaw has a new branch in Orlando and is looking to widen their clientele to further their business in Florida. I hope to help the company continue to grow and become more well-known, which is why I’m applying to be part of your marketing team. I believe teamwork is key in any company, and I have played on many team sports and led the Boone Legend yearbook for the past two years. I believe I have the skills to work with other designers and marketers. To be able to communicate and be open to other ideas also helps in building a superb company and as Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook, I feel as though I am constantly reminded that these characteristics are needed for the staff. If you have the same beliefs, please accept the resume attached and let’s work towards the common goal of growing your clientele and marketing your company to the masses.

As a staffer, Business Manager and EIC, I have learned to overcome bumps in the road in any circumstance. I think with my skill set, which ranges from working with all types of personalities to being certified in Adobe Photoshop CS5 and CS6, I am willing to apply them and grow as a professional. Having been an EIC, I believe my creative thinking and helpfulness was utilized and could be further put to use at Lanier Upshaw. As a valuable problem solver and ethical person, I can accommodate others to help fabricate the best marketing opportunities for a new clientele. As an avid artist, I enjoy creating new designs and molding them into something people will remember, whether it be a simple logo or an entire publication. As an able worker, I would be an excellent addition to your staff. As a new marketer, I would have a chance to expand practical skills to later be utilized in life.

Thank you for taking the time to look over the resume attached, but I also hope to have an interview with you to help show you the passion I have for this position. Hope to hear from you soon.

Earnestly yours,

Kayla Combs

Enclosed: resumé

twitter: @[email protected]

(407) 921-1701

K AY L A C OMBSO B J E C T I V E

To help Lanier Upshaw Insurance & Risk Management continue to grow and become more well-known

E D U C A T I O N

Completed four years at Boone High SchoolGraduation date: May 29, 2013GPA: 3.6170, unweighted; 4.4468, weighted

E X P E R I E N C E

Yearbook Editor-in-Chief, Boone High SchoolAugust 2011 - June 2013. Created theme and layouts, edited staffer’s pages and writing, handled parents and their opinions, over saw the production of the entire book, interviewed people, took pictures, wrote stories and helped distribute books.

Worked in Adobe Indesign CS6 to create the entire publicationCertified in Adobe Photoshop CS5.5Certified in Adobe Photoshop CS6

Yearbook Staff Member, Boone High SchoolAug 2010 - present. Wrote stories, took pictures and interviewed people.

Worked in Adobe Indesign CS4, 5 and 5.5 to create the entire publicationLegend Yearbook Business Manager, Boone High School

Aug 2010 - 2011. Wrote receipts, deposits, and helped in the distribution of the books.Mission Fuge

Summer of 2007 - present. Went into inner city of southern states to interact, minister and teach kids about the love of Jesus.

R E L E VA N T H I G H S C H O O L S T U D I E S

2009: English I Honors, Journalism I2010: English II Honors, Journalism II, Art 2-D2011: Advanced Placement Language and Composition, Journalism III Honors, Mass Media I 2012: Advanced Placement Literature and Composition, Journalism VIII Honors, Mass Media II Honors

H O N O R S , AWA R D S A N D M E M B E R S H I P S

National Honor Society Member (2012-present)Quill & Scroll Honor Society Member (2011-present)National Scholastic Press Association: Pacemaker Award (2011)Columbia Scholastic Press Association: Gold Crown Award (2011)Boone High School Varsity Soccer (2009-2013)Junior National Honor Society Member, at Howard Middle (2007-2008)

R E F E R E N C E S

Dave Madison: Church Youth Director - [email protected] - (321) 231-2369Gina Killgore: Medical File Auditor - [email protected] - (407) 625-7885

e s s ay s

twitter: @[email protected]

(407) 921-1701

Self-analyt ical evaluat ionNot to toot my own horn or anything, but

I believe this year I was pretty big deal for yearbook staff as I basically birthed a yearbook

that I will look back on with pride. I contributed to the theme and shaping it to relate directly to this year

as well as incorporating it throughout the book. I was also able to utilize my Photoshop skills and use a brush throughout

the book, in fact I’m pretty sure the majority of brushes done in the book were done by myself. I watched the book progress into the

final product as all the pages and layouts passed through my hands to be graded and proofed. Through the trials and tribulations of the book, I can

proudly say that I helped the staff learn and become better.

I think that by being hands on with the staff, I not only helped them with their pages, but was able to build relationships with them for years to come. From walking around and checking in with everyone, the staff and I grew together and became more cohesive. Without a great staff, we wouldn’t be able to produce a great book. And without great EICs, the staff wouldn’t be motivated!

Blake and I worked very well together this year in coming up with the theme and working on most deadlines together. We teamed up on deadlines and divided the work so that it was manageable for us both. Being able to rely on her took a huge weight off of me because I cannot imagine not having her there for input and ideas. Our theme pages reflect the look we were going for and how we wanted the entire book to look and I am so glad Blake was my partner in crime.

As for hilights.org I think I helped the website grow with my writing and publicity that Twitter offered. I was committed to getting my tweets correct, even if the names on the roster were incorrect, and posting the wrap ups when they were due. My wrap ups were short and simple, but also had great quality.

Reflect io

n one

My best piece and what I am most proud of is the endsheet of this book. At first, I struggled to grasp the type of design that I wanted to use to open the entire book, but with some guidance and creativity I found the end result.

This layout wasn’t that hard to complete as it mirrored the opening, but it also had other aspects on it that tied it to the book. We used pictures from within the section and then listed some pages from the pages too, pulling the readers further into the book.

Looking at the first draft of the endsheet and comparing it to the final is almost comical to me. I took the easy way out instead of challenging myself to be better and help the book become better. The endsheet is the second thing that the student body sees and it has to capture them the instant they see it. The first draft was the exact thing that would have been on the cover at that point, but the final draft catches the reader’s eyes (hopefully) and makes them really look at the endsheet and what information it contains.

I particularly like that the endsheet fits so well with all the graphic elements within the book, whether it is the arrows or the brush that appears on several pictures in all different sections. I also love that it pops and makes the reader look twice before turning the page. It isn’t anything like what the years in the past have done, and it really stands apart in it’s simplistic, yet dynamic way.

f irst draft f inal draft

reflect ion two

I personally feel as though the cover could use some work. The main issue that I have

with the cover is the dominant picture and the video that accompanies it.

I wish the picture was sharper and not as grainy. I know it is knit-picky, which is a good thing, but it’s the little details that

will always haunt me as I look back. I also wish that I had stayed for the entire game because I would have captured the student section

rushing the court, which was the huge controversial for the next week. It was a newbie move and I was super silly for my mistake.

From the first draft the design shifted and the dominant picture/video was updated to capture a moment in Boone’s history. The initial picture was just hands in the air, but the newer picture was the student section at the Boone v. Edgewater basketball game, that we won by the scraping of our teeth, 67-66. I think that had I waited for the last buzzer, I would have been able to capture more emotion in the picture. I could have also gotten better footage for the video instead of merging two clips together.

The final product is awesome and I am very proud of the way that the book starts off, but I wish I would have been thinking before leaving the game. In the end, I cannot believe how mind-blowing our book is and will look back on with so much pride.

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Reflect ion Three

On a covert theme mission to capture our student section for the video, I decided to snap a couple pictures of the memorable Boone v. Edgewater basketball game. I thought this picture captured how intense and physical the game was between the rival schools.

Junior Blake Sanderson is the CVI and hooks the reader into the photo with his facial expression and as the reader continues to look at the picture, they would see that despite the defense, Sanderson will still get the point as the ball is about to fall into the net.

The crowd in the background and some players are out of focus, which makes you focus more on Sanderson and the action taking place in the center of the photo. The frame is filled with the action and teammates willing the ball to fall into the net.

This p icture isn ’t on the server as it was part of my undercover mission for the cover.

Reflect ion Three

I enjoy watching the boys soccer team and I decided that at one of the games I would test the waters with the camera. I had some help from Dave Evertson, but I really like this picture because it depicts the concentration that goes into the sport and how one has to tune everything else out, including someone snapping pictures of you as you attempt to control a moving ball.

Senior Connor Wood is the CVI as he traps the ball. The picture has rule of thirds as Wood is more to the left than the center of the picture and is also in focus, while the player behind him isn’t in as much focus. The fence and the field lines lead the reader to Wood and the action taking place. While there is a good amount of dead space, I think it completes the picture and fills the frame.

This p icture is named soccer boys varsity 12 3_kayla0261 .jpg on a cd in the sports section in the CD binder.

Reflect ion Three

For the community divider, I wanted to get some action and not a mom/dad at a table selling some-thing. The band parents give so much time and I don’t think that many people realize it, through this picture I was able to represent the band parents and give them props at the same time.

Volunteer John Pickett is filling the frame as he flips the hamburger. The picture is applying the rule of thirds as Pickett is more to the left than the center of the picture. The depth of feild in the picture is strong and makes the viewers focus on Pickett and what he is doing.

This p icture isn ’t on the server as it was part of my covert mission for the community div ider for the theme pages and div ider.

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I believe this year I was pretty big deal for

yearbook staff as I basically birthed a yearbook that I will look back on with pride. I contirbuted to

the theme and shaping it to relate directly to this year as well as incorporating it throughout the book. I was also

able to utilize my Photoshop skills and use a brush throughout the book, in fact I’m pretty sure the majority of brushes done in the

book were done by myself, as the process to complete the picture is tricky and tedious. I watched the book progress into the final product as

all the pages and layouts passed through my hands to be graded and proofed. I think that if this is the only reflection that someone were to read they would think that I’m being cocky and selfish, but I think patting myself on the back after this year is well-deserved. Through the trials and tribulations of the book, I can say that I helped the staff.

I think that by being hands on with the staff, I not only helped them with their pages, but was able to build relationships with them for years to come. I have something special with them and I can say that I’ve bonded with many, whether it is how Courtney was making funny faces in her track pictures or watching Muhart quietly giggle as she listens to the crazy things our staff says. Without a great staff, we wouldn’t be able to produce a great book.

As for hilights.org I think I helped the website grow with my writing and publicity that I offered through the tweets and the coverage that is now available. To be honest, I thought as EIC I may be able to avoid doing any beats, but I am glad I did. The constant updates at the sporting events are enjoyed by the student body and our community. I was committed to getting my beats posted when they were due and covering the event effectively.

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This year I can proudly say that there were no huge hardships to overcome as a opposed to last year, in which I constantly battled with time commitments to soccer and yearbook. I think the biggest problem that I faced this year was nailing down a theme and getting the look to match the theme. As editors we came together and started to get an idea of what we wanted to do this year, but it wasn’t until Missy came and was honest with us that we finally knew what we wanted to do. I felt badly for the staffers as we were constantly changing things and mods, but I believe that we needed the rough patch to bond us as a staff and define our look.

I learned that the best thing to do for this situation was to be patience and listen to all the opinions. Having 13 editors was taxing and lengthened the procress, but this year it helped knowing we were creatign something that all of the student body would enjoy. Communication was key in these sitautions as well as in life outside of school and yearbook. Missy was blunt and told us that our original ideas were boring and now that I look back, I completely agree. As one of the best publications in Florida, we have a reputation to uphold and I sincerely think that our patience and hard-work have paid off.

I think that once we began to go in our new direction of design, things began to fall in place and the staff had it a little bit easier since we were not changing their pages a day before exporting them. I think that as a staff we rolled with the punches and adapted very well. As EIC, I tried to help the staffers in any way possible and being that soccer wasn’t as time consuming this year, I was able to give more time after school and to the staff.

reflect ion s ix

My goals for the second half of the school year in yearbook were to meet deadlines, set

aside more time for yearbook and help the staffers more on their deadlines.

I think though I only had two more official deadlines, I tried my best to meet them. I think that working with Blake hindered

me in meeting the deadline because she struggled to find a suitable picture. But by looking through countless photo folders and going

out to shoot the pictures ourselves, we got the winning picture and were able to PDF the page by the day we needed. Although we didn’t get the best

grades, I was focused more on the quality of the pages and what would be published. For my unofficial deadlines, like the cover/endsheet and the spring supplement cover, I think I worked effeciently and exceeded my expectations on the quality of work that was produced. I am extremely proud of all the work this year and only hope that the student body will love it half as much as I do.

The second goal was met and I can proudly say that my junior year as EIC was not repeated because soccer was not as time consuming as in the past. I think that I was able to balance the workload from yearbook, school and soccer very as well I completed my last year in high school. I gladly spend a lot time in Room 224 and actually get work done. Coming in second period and staying late helped the publication become a final product that we can all be proud of.

I also think that with all the time spent in Room 224 I was able to dedicate more time to the staff. I was able to walk around and help them with the little things that normally go unasked about. Through walking around, I began to form relationships with the newbies and continue the friendships that I already had developed. I can honestly say this staff rivals the staff from my first year on staff as a sophomore, which is pretty awesome and perfect in my eyes.

midterm exam

Reflect io

n seven

Y11 . Cover design This cover is my favorite thing this year. We were struggling with the cover and we may have delayed the process, but it was worth it because the end result is awesome and defines this year. We added the video to really drive home the technological aspect of this year and how almost everything is based in technology as well as it captured our student body in an inStant.

Y12 . End sheetI am completely in love with the way this turned out. I love how it transitions from the cover and has pictures from the actual sections. It is flawless if I may say so myself, but I am biased. I like that it has key elements that we pulled through the book, as well as theme design as well.

Y10 . Theme and concept I would like to submit the theme for this year because I believe the elements on the pages are interwoven throughout the book and that the actual theme itself relates to this year. Our generation is about the here and now, and in an inStant describes that perfectly. We need instantaneous gratification and our technological-knowledge allows us to achieve this.

reflect ion e ight

Although this portfolio is simple, I think it reflects my style. I am a clean-cut gal and I

think that the style of this year is also the clean lines and the opacities, as well as triangles. Burke has

a saying that is KISS, keep it short and sweet, and I think this portfolio in itself is simple yet shows me.

I think that my growth is shown in the work I produced this year, ranging from my writing and my photoshop skills. At the beginning

of the year, we were missing the impact aspect to our designs and after doing some research we found a brush that had been put on a picture that

gave the appearence of the photo bursting through. We called many graphic desginers to see if they could figure out how it was done, but what it came down to was me playing around in Photoshop and figuring it out myself, with some help from Burke of course.

After learning the tedious, but most effective way of applying the brush, we were able to use it throughout the book and to pull it onto theme pages, for further cohesion in the book. I think that I did almost all the brushes in the book, save maybe two or three. I also attempted to teach many staffers, but they would give up afterwhile because of how tedious it was. I can’t wait to further my knowledge in Photoshop as I prepare for my certification in Photoshop CS6.

I believe that as a writer I have also learned more about theme writing. I remember last year I got resubbed four times for my first deadline, whereas this year I was helping Blake learn the ropes in this style of writing. The second time around, I think I excelled in writing and relating the theme to this year and explaining to the readers how it applied to us and how they should make the most of the moments in their life.

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kayla combs 2013 portfolio

Documents

t i o ncompleted

new clientele

adobe photoshop cs5

boone high schoolaugust

c ombsapril

boone legend yearbook

adobe indesign cs6

adobe indesign cs4