Northern Embers

My Photoshop Journey

June 9, 2026 · Jessica Leeson

Before starting this project, I had never really used Photoshop before. My experience with photo editing was pretty limited and mostly involved putting a filter on a picture for Instagram. Because of that, learning Photoshop felt a little intimidating at first.

To help myself get started, I completed some of the tutorials and mini-courses that Adobe provides for beginners. These tutorials were helpful because they introduced me to the basic tools and features while allowing me to practice in a guided way.

One thing I found surprisingly easy was using some of Photoshop’s AI-powered features. Tools that automatically remove backgrounds or transform photos into cartoon-style images were simple to use and produced impressive results with very little effort. These features made it easier to create professional-looking edits, even as a beginner.

However, once I started experimenting with more advanced editing techniques, things became a bit trickier. Tasks like removing only one specific object from a background, combining multiple images together, or incorporating text into a design required more patience and practice. I quickly realized that Photoshop has many powerful tools, but learning how and when to use them effectively takes time.

Even though some parts were challenging, I enjoyed exploring the program and experimenting with different features. Every time I tried something new, I learned a little more about what Photoshop can do. This process gave me valuable insight into design techniques and helped me develop ideas for my Graphic Design project.

Overall, my Photoshop journey has been both challenging and rewarding. While I still have a lot to learn, I feel much more comfortable using the software than when I first started. Most importantly, the experience has inspired me and given me a better understanding of the creative possibilities available in graphic design.

Adobe Audition Tutorials

July 2, 2026 · Jessica Leeson

This assignment was my first time using Adobe Audition, so everything about the software was completely new to me. At first, the editing tools and layout seemed a little overwhelming, but after working through the tutorials I started to understand how everything fit together. Learning how to cut audio, rearrange clips, add music, create fade-ins and fade-outs, and adjust volume levels gave me a much better appreciation for the amount of work that goes into producing quality audio.

The first tutorial focused on recording and editing a simple counting exercise. While it seemed straightforward, it was a great introduction to using the Razor Tool, moving clips, and adding a music bed underneath the audio. It really helped me become more comfortable navigating the program.

For the second tutorial, I interviewed my dad about one of his favourite memories from my firefighting seasons. Even though the interview was short, it was a fun experience. I quickly realized that interviewing a family member is harder than it sounds because it’s easy to slip into casual conversation or start laughing. If you listen to the raw interview, you’ll definitely hear how informal we were at times! Editing the interview into a smooth, concise clip also showed me how much of a difference good audio editing can make.

Overall, Adobe Audition was definitely outside of my comfort zone, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to learn it. Although there was a learning curve, the tutorials helped me build confidence with the software, and I can see how these skills will be useful when creating future audio stories and multimedia projects.

Below are my completed audio files, including the original and edited versions from both tutorials.

Tutorial 1 – Original Recording

Direct Link:
https://on.soundcloud.com/KysNAzwsqsCgibV4pm

Tutorial 1 – Edited Recording

Direct Link:
https://on.soundcloud.com/OM4f1Xh6kp8NNOSZ7g

Tutorial 2 – Original Interview

Direct Link:
https://on.soundcloud.com/B9ptvB4fcIfFrlWZfv

Tutorial 2 – Edited Interview

Direct Link:
https://on.soundcloud.com/kwnG7bFAqaY7ICqxo1

Final Audio Story – When the Fire Came to Us

July 10, 2026 · Jessica Leeson

I wanted my audio story to be authentic, engaging, and deeply personal. Rather than simply explaining what happened, I wanted listeners to feel like they were experiencing the day alongside me. Although this audio story only captures a small part of what happened on June 2, 2025, I felt it was an important story to share because it was one of the most impactful experiences of my wildfire career. It changed the way I viewed my role in wildfire and reminded me how quickly an ordinary day can become one you’ll never forget.

Direct link to the final audio story:
Listen to the final version on SoundCloud

On June 2, 2025, a local wildfire was burning near the community where I was working. Throughout the morning, forecasts predicted the fire would continue moving away from both the airport and our fire base. It was already a busy day, but it was expected to be a routine operational day. We were coordinating aircraft, monitoring fire activity, answering phones, and supporting the response just as we had done countless times before. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the fire changed direction. The head of the fire turned and began moving directly toward the airport where I was working. Only a short time before, I had accepted a new position as a Flight Watch Coordinator. My role involved coordinating aviation resources, tracking aircraft, monitoring wildfire activity, communicating with pilots and field personnel, and supporting wildfire operations across the province. It was a significant change from my previous position as a wildfire Crew Leader, where my office had been the fireline itself. Although I loved working on the line, moving into Flight Watch gave me the opportunity to build a long-term career while finally being closer to my family. Ironically, when the fire first started moving toward the airport, part of me was excited. After leaving the fireline, I thought there might be an opportunity to put my firefighting experience back to use. Instead, the day unfolded in a way I never could have imagined. I had spent my career responding to wildfires. That day, I became someone running from one. What started as an ordinary shift quickly became one of the most significant and unforgettable days of my career. The events of June 2 changed not only the course of that day but also the perspective of everyone working alongside me. Although my audio story captures the atmosphere and emotions of that experience, it only tells part of what happened. There were moments that day far more serious than the story shares. Out of respect for the firefighters, personnel, and families affected by the recent wildfire tragedy in Colorado, I chose not to include every detail. I felt that the story could be told honestly without revisiting the darkest moments. Instead, I wanted the focus to remain on the experience of watching the place where we worked and the place we believed was safe suddenly become part of the emergency itself.

One of the aspects of this project that I am most proud of is the authenticity of the audio. Nearly every sound heard throughout the story is original. Rather than relying on downloaded sound effects, I used recordings I captured during the incident itself. These include actual recordings from radio transmissions that day, which I was authorized to use for this project, an authentic phone call I answered regarding another wildfire during the incident, the sound of the wind as we stepped outside while conditions rapidly changed, and the sound of the fire after we had escaped the most dangerous part of the situation. Looking back, I still don’t know why I recorded so much that day, but those recordings became invaluable. They allowed me to recreate the atmosphere exactly as I experienced it and gave listeners the opportunity to hear the day rather than simply imagine it. One of my biggest goals was to make the listener feel like they were sitting beside me in the Flight Watch office as the day unfolded. I intentionally opened the story with the sounds of keyboard typing, helicopters, and radio traffic before I even began speaking. Those sounds immediately place the listener in the environment and establish that this is an ordinary day in wildfire operations. As the story progresses, the sounds gradually change along with the mood. The busy office atmosphere slowly gives way to wind, quieter moments, and finally silence. I wanted the audio to help tell the story just as much as my narration.

Adobe Audition allowed me to transform those recordings into a cohesive narrative. I imported every recording onto its own track so I could independently adjust the volume and timing of each sound throughout the project. Keeping each recording separate gave me much more control over the final mix and allowed me to carefully balance my narration with the ambient audio. Throughout the editing process, I trimmed unnecessary pauses, adjusted clip timing, balanced audio levels, and used fade-ins and fade-outs to create smooth transitions between scenes. I also lowered the background sounds whenever I was speaking so that the narration remained clear while still allowing the helicopters, keyboards, wind, and radio traffic to create the atmosphere. Once I was satisfied with the final mix, I exported the project as an MP3 and uploaded it to SoundCloud for embedding into this blog.

Throughout the editing process, I found myself rewriting the narration several times. My earliest version focused almost entirely on explaining the sequence of events. As I continued working on the project, I realized the story became much stronger when I focused less on operational details and more on how the experience changed my perspective. I wanted listeners to connect with the emotions of the day rather than simply hear a timeline of what happened. I also changed the structure of the story so the audience would discover the outcome gradually instead of knowing it immediately. Rather than beginning with the fire base burning down, I wanted listeners to experience the uncertainty alongside me as the fire slowly moved closer. I slowed the pacing of my narration, removed sections that distracted from the main message, and allowed moments of silence and ambient sound to become part of the storytelling. Those revisions helped transform the project from a simple recount of events into a more reflective documentary-style narrative. One of the biggest things I learned from this assignment was how powerful audio storytelling can be. In a written story, readers create the sounds in their imagination. Through audio, those sounds become part of the experience. The helicopters, radio transmissions, keyboard typing, wind, and even the silence all contribute to how the listener understands the story and the emotions behind it.

Revisions Based on Peer Feedback

After receiving feedback on my draft, I returned to Adobe Audition and made several changes to strengthen the final version of the story. My classmates responded positively to the authenticity of the original recordings, the suspense created through the changing soundscape, and the emotional impact of the ending. Their suggestions encouraged me to slow down certain moments and give the environmental sounds more space instead of relying only on narration to carry the story. One of the most significant revisions was adding music. I included The Weight of My Tears by Cobby Costa as a subtle background track during selected sections of the story. I kept the music low beneath the narration so it would support the emotional tone without overpowering my voice or the original recordings. The music helped create a stronger sense of reflection and made the transitions between the operational scenes and the more personal moments feel smoother. I also extended and added more ambient sound throughout the final edit. The keyboard typing, radio traffic, helicopters, office noise, wind, and other recordings are allowed to continue for longer periods so listeners have more time to feel present within each scene. In particular, I gave the opening sounds more space before beginning the narration and allowed the wind and final moments of silence to remain longer at the end. This change made the pacing feel less rushed and gave the conclusion more emotional weight. In addition to the audio changes, I revised parts of the script and rerecorded sections of the narration. I corrected wording that felt repetitive or unclear, improved several transitions, and adjusted the pacing of certain sentences. I also removed some operational details that distracted from the central message and focused more directly on the emotions and perspective behind the experience. These changes helped make the final story clearer, more polished, and more personal while preserving the authenticity that listeners appreciated in the draft.

Ultimately, this project reflects exactly what I hoped it would become: an honest look at the people behind wildfire response. Every aircraft launch, every dispatch, every radio call, and every decision represents people working together under extraordinary circumstances. June 2, 2025, reminded me that wildfire does not only affect the communities we protect. It can also change the lives of the people responding to it. That is the story I wanted to tell. I hope that after listening, people come away with a greater appreciation for the men and women working behind the scenes every wildfire season. More importantly, I hope they understand that behind every dispatch, every aircraft, and every wildfire are people whose lives can change in an instant. Thank you for listening.