Contents Page Contact Sheets and Evaluations

Image One:

For this image, I wanted to create a natural shot, of my model perhaps song writing or singing. I tried this, however I also experimented with some other poses.

 

Location/Lighting: Due to the weather this day, I had to be quick with this shoot. The day we arranged it predicted rain, and it did start raining after a few shots. So, I was only able to use my back garden as the location, as we would have needed to escape the rain quickly. Yet, this was still an ideal location for the shoot, as it was outdoors and my garden had enough foliage to come across as somewhere like a forest etc. The only problem I faced with this photo, is that in a lot of the images you can see my garden furniture, which isn't what I want to put on my contents page. However, I will be careful to choose an image that doesn't include this. As for lighting, I chose to photograph on this particular morning as it appeared (before the rain) bright, and this meant my image would be clear. I was limited with the days I could use to photograph outdoors, due to the darker lighting on most days and the rain. 

Clothing: I decided to get my model to go for more casual clothing, so this story would be more relatable. I went for a red theme, as I thought this was effective in standing out on the greener, outdoor backgrounds. 

Props: I was very simple with the props, and simply got my model to hold an acoustic guitar. This particular acoustic guitar has a small braid attached to the neck, which I thought made the instrument look more personal to the model, and therefore made this story more real. 

Model/Pose: In all the hast of having to be quick due to the rain, my model did find it hard to get into character, as my instructions did come across as vague. However, he soon got the idea, as I told him where to look in some images, to smile directly in some images, and to just look natural and play in some others (it helped that he can play the guitar a little bit!) As for the resulting poses, I am happy with how they turned out, as in all of them a positive tone is conveyed.









Image Two:
For this image, I slightly changed my original motif. Instead of my model being on the set of a music video, I tried to recreate the idea of a recording. This partly came down to the props I had available at the time of the shoot. 

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Location/Lighting: I experimented at first with a brighter light, focused on my artist, to capture the idea of this story being behind the scenes, as I mentioned in my original plan. However, as you can see from some of my images, this didn't work, as it meant the images came across too bright and sometimes slightly orange. So instead, I used more natural lighting. This helps to make it look more realistic and genuine, so I thought this would be more appealing to the reader. I did use the studio environment, however I used the green background, at first to resemble the idea of a a green screen and linking with my music video idea. When I changed my plan, I thought the green screen could still work, as it meant my model stood out well, with the contrasting colours in her clothing. 

Clothing/Hair and Make-up: I got my model to wear the brighter clothing still, as this resembled a costume kind of idea. However, when I changed my idea from a music video to a recording, I decided this clothing would work just as well, as she looks like a celebrity. This is a contrast from the models I am using and getting to wear more casual clothing. I also got my model to keep her hair looking more professional, however I dismissed the idea of dark make-up, as she is no longer being used on a set. This also makes the image more genuine, as she isn't looking at her absolute best for a recording. 

Props: I originally planned to use a handheld mic in this image, however the person I asked to borrow this prop from happened to forget to bring it in on the day of the shoot, as I asked them a bit too far in advanced and it slipped their mind. However, when I got into the studio, I came across this mic on a stand. This looked like it would be used during a recording session more than a music video, so this is when I decided to change my plan. I think this was successful though, as it was much easier for my model to get into character once we got some music playing and she could sing along! The music video did originally prove hard to set up. 

Model/Pose: My model struggled to get into character, as it was hard to pretend she was singing. However, once I started playing music is was much easier for her and she got straight into the character I wanted her too. As for poses, I first got my model to just move around and get into the music she was listening too. I thought this would make the image look really spontaneous and as though it was taken on set backstage. However, I realised this made a lot of my images very blurry. So, towards the end of my shoot, I told my model to hold certain positions, such as having one arm up in the air whilst holding a note. I think this was successful in still looking spontaneous. I also took the shot from above (using a step ladder) and then told my model not to look at the camera. I think this furthered this idea of this image looking spontaneous. The fact it looks so real will be more appealing to readers, as they will see the story as more real. 

Image Three

STILL TO COME! 

Front Cover Progress - Final Touches!

piece about new cover lines added and the banner at the bottom is going here! 

Final touches and the final image to be added here! 

THE FRONT COVER IS PRETTY MUCH FINISIHED! 

Peer Reviews Please!

This is my contents page so far. The black boxes are where my images will be. What are your thoughts so far? What can I improve? 

Front Cover Progress

Front Cover So Far! 

This is how far I have got with my front cover, after a full day of editing, inserting text and images and blogging. I am SO happy that I changed my image, as I really feel that the text and image come together a lot better with this photo. The natural pose and direct gaze and exactly how I wanted them, and this image looks much more suited to a music magazine than the last one. 
I still need to consider perhaps another 1 or 2 cover lines for my front cover, as it is all too focused towards the top at the moment. I am also considering including a small slogan underneath the masthead, to sum up the aims of my magazine. I also realise I need to consider other things, such as a barcode, a price, a date, an issue number, perhaps change the name of my artist and a background. These are all smaller thing which I can come back to though. I am just happy that changing my image was successful and I am now on a roll with this cover! 

New Front Cover Image - Photoshop Editing Process

Progress - New Edit

I decided on a new image for my front cover straight away this morning, and spent two hours editing and making it look as though it belonged on a magazine front cover. I decided to go for the particular image I have chosen as I felt there was more to this image. My previous image looked too 'preppy' and as though it was taken for a college magazine, and I realised (finally) that that was the problem with it. The pose in my new image fits well with the genre of the magazine.

However, my changed image also lead to me changing my masthead font. I have maintained the same colour scheme and cover line font though. It has all come together so much better today, and there are only a few more little details I need to attend too before being finished!

So Indecisive!

I finally found a font I am happy with using on my cover, and I've even now got one for my cover lines - result! However, I am now starting to think that my image is the problem with my cover. It doesn't conform to the kind of shot I wanted to go for on my cover, and I think that is the problem. 

SO (I may regret this) but I am going to spend all day tomorrow editing another image, which I feel will suit the tone of my magazine better, and this should make the process of finishing my magazine much quicker. 

I will be posting blogs on the progress of my new idea soon. I just really hope it works! 

Final Font Choice!

I looked through several fonts with Pete today, and decided to go for something more modern. I looked at choosing one that had something slightly different about it, whether it was one specific letter being more abstract, or just generally the wording was more rounded etc, yet it was still formal. I found this was more effective for my magazine, as it conformed to my original demographic, as well as upholding a simple tone. 
I didn't need to experiment with any fonts other than the one I finally selected, as it immediately worked well with my image. So, here it is! 

Final Editing!

I was really struggling last week to achieve a front cover with a font I really liked, so today I asked Pete for some help on how to achieve a cover that suited my original demographic. He first advised me on some other things I could do which concerned editing my image further. These things included enhancing the colours, such as the white background and jean colour, to make my image look more defined and less young... and it seemed to work! Yay for Pete! 

First Attempt at Fonts!

These are my blogs explaining the processes of my first attempt of choosing a font for my front cover. And I think it's fair to say I got more that just a little bit frustrated! It wasn't the fact I didn't like them as fonts, they suited my idea of resembling handwriting perfectly - I just didn't see it as suiting the idea of a magazine heading, and they went against all my aims from my original introduction and aims (such as age gap, not being gender specific etc.) 

Slight Problem...

So, I got my model to wear the casual styled clothing, thinking the bright colours would look more 'fun' and relate to the idea of Pop. But, when constructing my front cover with the heading, it has some how started to look more girly, which goes against my demographic of my magazine being non gender specific. My image has also been said to look as though it would appeal more to a younger audience - this isn't good! 

However, I spent my lesson today trying to tackle these problems, and I finally came up with how to do so with some help earlier! My heading is going to incorporate a more serious font for the word 'Be,' as I was told by peers this looked more formal and grown up. As for colour schemes, I am going to use a darker colour or white with a dark outline. This looks much older than a lighter colour, which aids my problem of my magazine looking too young. The darker colouring also helps to make the magazine looks less gender specific. I am hoping I can solve this problem further through the sorts of information I put on the cover. 

It WILL be okay. Blogs with screen grabs to follow to show my progress with these ideas! 

Typography - Ideas For My Heading!

I acquired these fonts from a website called 'Da-font,' which allows you to type in a word and then choose a type of font you want to use. I used 'Standard' fonts and 'Handwriting' fonts when choosing which ones I wanted to experiment with. I like this website due to the fact you can be specific with the sort of typography you are looking for. This helped me greatly. 

These are just some ideas - nothing is set in stone! I just wanted to get used to using the website, and start to experiment for my magazine. At least I will have somewhere to start when choosing fonts for my cover! 

After experimenting my first idea, I also decided to experiment with fonts for the entire heading of my magazine. I narrowed it down to six different ideas, which all appeal to me. I particularly like font number 3, as it matches the idea I attempted to portray in my initial drafts. However, my concern with this font is that it is too thin and would not be bold/visible enough for a front cover. Font 5 solves this problem, as it is very bold and certainly wouldn't go a miss. However, I feel maybe the joint up handwriting might be harder to interpret. However, a joint up font could be easier for my to incorporate a treble clef image into, as it will look like it blends better. I find fonts 1 and 4 to be not too bold, but still bold enough for a front cover. Font 1 is the one which most resembles handwriting, which relates to my original ideas for my cover, and this can also be said for font 2. These two, I would also consider to come across as the most 'unisex.' Font 6 is my least favourite, due to looking too feminine. This would go against my idea of my magazine not being gender specific. I want it to appeal to both sexes. 

Overall, I think my favourite font is font 1, as it suits my demographic well, as well as being clear to interpret, and not too bold or thin. It is just right to stand out on a page. However, I am going to test a few of these fonts on my cover with my image, before deciding which one I want to use. 

Peer Responses!

The first comment talks about how they like the 'casual' clothing. This is immediately good to hear, as this is the look I wanted to go for with my front cover model, as I thought it would be more appealing. It's good to hear my idea was right! 

The majority of comments have also talked about the direct gaze and how well her eyes stand out, which suggested I didn't need to go back and edit her eyes some more. I was considering doing this before I got responses from this peer review. 

It's also good to hear that my peers think this is a good image for a music magazine! 

HAPPY KATIE! 

Photoshop Editing

Eye Colour

This is how I went about editing the eyes of my model. It was the first thing I did when it came to editing my image, as I recognised eye contact is key to the front cover. I found this quite easy to do once I was able to pin point the iris and circle it using the magic lasso tool. I am happy with how my eye colour came out, as my models are much brighter and work well contrasting the rest of her features, meaning they stand out more. Peers of mine also said how well my models eyes now stand out. 

Skin - Blemishes and Shadowing

I next moved on to removing dark areas and spots, in order to make my models face clearer and brighter. I have left some of the natural shadowing, in order to still make the image look slightly natural. I found this method easy, however you had to be mindful when clicking on areas to edit. I experienced some occasions where I over edited, and her skin began to look too plastic and over done. I went back and un-did this however, and I am now happy with how her skin looks. 

Teeth

I next moved on to creating brighter teeth, so they stood out and promoted a positive tone more effectively. Once I had recognised the idea of lowering the exposure for this feature, I found this quite quick and easy to do. 

Skin Colour

I next tackled the problem of my initial image having a slight orange tinge to it, which didn't look natural and meant my models face wasn't very bright. By combining these two techniques, I was able to remove this and brighten my models face. I played with these two ideas a lot until it was to my liking, as I didn't want to go too bright. The colour enhancing tool was particularly helpful, as it helped to make the image slightly brighter to how the curve tool had made it. 

Finishing Touch! 

By this point of my editing, I was happy with my models skin and general appearance, as everything was much brighter and visible. However, I found that after brightening the image as a whole, it made my models eyes look too bright compared to how they had looked initially. I played with the colour enhancing tool again, to darken them slightly, however they still didn't look right to me. After speaking to peers, I realised it was due to the fact my models pupil wasn't as visible anymore. 

I found adjusting the brush size and shades frustrating, as I needed to find the correct ones to recreate a realistic pupil. However, I am happy with how my eyes turned out, as they still look realistic. To me, I still think it looks unnatural, due to how well I know my model. However, my peers have commented on how the image still looks natural and realistic. This is how my readers will see this image, so I am happy with the responses I have received. 

FINAL EDIT! 

This is how my final edit looks - and I am extremely happy with it! Now on to choosing fonts and creating my cover! 

Peer Review - My Edited Image

What are your opinions on my edited image so far? Is there anything I can improve on? 

Final Images - Front Cover

Whilst narrowing down my final images, I considered the idea of angles and eye contact, as I feel these are most important when choosing an image which will appeal to readers. 

I have narrowed my front cover image down to four images: 

This image looks natural, which is the idea I have wanted to create right from the beginning of my research and planning. I also prefer the pink shirt in these images, as it has a better connotation of the idea of fun and Pop. My models hair is well out of her face in this image too, meaning her features are more visible. My only problem with this image is the fact her eyes are more closed compared to some others, meaning it isn't as direct. 
Another problem with this image is that my models left hand is slightly blurry. If I choose to use this image, I will have to edit this. 






This image also involves the clothes I prefer to link with my magazine genre. It looks more posed than some other images, however my models eyes are more visible in this image, apart from the fact her hair slightly cover her right eye. 

This image also involves my preferred shirt, however I do no like the shorts as much as I like the skinny jeans. This image looks more natural, and my model looks like she is laughing more than she is just posing for the camera. This looks more natural, which links with my original ideas. However, the eye contact and hair style could be a problem in this image for my front cover. 







This image involves a different coloured shirt, which looks more neutral. I like the pose used in this image, and the fact my models hair is well out of her face. However the eye contact isn't direct as such, as my model isn't looking straight towards the camera. I need to consider this, as it could mean my cover isn't as appealing. 

When I edit these images, I am going to look at brightening my models eyes, to emphasise this key idea of eye contact. I also want to experiment with using black and white like I stated in my plan, however I don't think I will use this idea for my cover, as I want the bright coloured clothing to be visible. Other tools I will use I will blog about to show my progress with my image. I want to spend a lot of time of my image as it is the key to my front cover being a success. 

Front Cover Contact Sheet and Evaluation

Contact Sheet One

Contact Sheets:

Contact Sheet Two

Contact Sheet Three

Evaluation:

These are the photo's I have taken for my first photo shoot. I feel this photo shoot went quite well, as I was able to use the majority of ideas I had thought of in my written plan. 

Location/Lighting:
My location went according to plan, as I was able to use the studio within college with no problems at all. My intention was to experiment with some more bold lighting, however I felt this gave a more mysterious connotation to my image, as it created shadowing. The natural lighting was simple and made my image clear and precise. 

Clothing:
The clothing I opted to go for conveys an idea of fun, through the use of bright colours and cartoon images on the top underneath. This links well to my chosen genre of Pop. It was also casual, through the use of denim jeans and shorts, which created the impression my artist was down to earth. I thought this idea could be more appealing to my target age group and social age group, as they don't want to be intimidated by someone of a similar age wearing expensive looking clothing, especially if they can't afford these sorts of clothes. My model did show me her more dressy clothing though, so I did take it into consideration before I changed the demographic of my photo shoot. I felt the items she owned would come across as intimidating to some readers. As for jewellery, my artist is wearing some silver pieces, which gives a more subtle connotation of fame. 


Props:
I did have the idea of using a guitar in this image, for my model to hold at her side. I wanted to follow through with this idea, however it wasn't practical for my to bring a guitar in for the time I had this photo shoot planned. Although it isn't a massive deal this idea wasn't followed through, as I feel it may have made my cover look too busy. I am planning on incorporating a treble clef into my heading on the cover, and this idea along with a guitar could have been too in the readers face about the fact my magazine is based around music. The treble clef will be more subtle and therefore more effective. 

Model/Pose:
I experimented with poses which I stated I would do in my plan during this shoot. The images of my artist looking downwards are nice, but they lack the idea of eye contact, which is essential to a front cover. This is so the image is more direct to its audience, and therefore more appealing. The images of my model looking down are going to have to be discarded for the front cover, but perhaps incorporated as an extra image on my contents page. The images of my model looking directly at the camera and facing at a slight angle are my favourite, as they look more natural. A problem I have with some of these images however, is that my models eyes are not always fully opened, meaning it is harder to see them. This is important, again due to the importance of eye contact. I am going to go through all my images and find one where her eyes are more visible. Another essential thing I remembered for this shoot was to take the photo's in portrait - I learnt my lesson from my Prelim task! 
As for my model, she was perfect to work with, as she followed all the instruction I gave her for her costume and angles. She was understanding of the idea I was trying to go for through my image and so followed adequately. 

Written Consent

As my male model is under the age of 16, I realised I needed to get written consent from a parent in order to be able to use his image. So, here it is! 

Photo Shoot Progress!

Originally I had thought of using a similar image on all three pages of my task, using the same model, location, props etc etc. However, I've decided this is too simple and all too much like the same thing. Instead, I am now going to adapt my original ideas. For my front cover, I am going to use my original model in a studio environment. However, I am going to have her dressed and presented quite casual, to capture two sides to her; a Popstar side through the type of shot, and a singer-song writer making it alone through the image presented. For my contents page, I was going to use an image of the same popstar as the background. Now, I want to use a natural environment as a background, but maybe just a small aspect, such as tree bark or grass etc. I still need to think this idea through. I am not going to incorporate an artist. For my double page spread, I am still going to use the same idea for my interview, however rather than using my female model, I am going to use a male model, posing in the same way. This overcomes my problem of perhaps seeming too gender specific with my magazine too, as well as using a variety of images. 

Now, hopefully these ideas won't change much more! 

Photo Shoot Plan

Location:

Front Cover: I am going to use a studio environment, with a white background. This will look simple, as well as linking to the idea of a Popstar lifestyle. It will also mean my front cover stories will be easier to read. 

Contents Page: 
Image One - This will be a more natural shot, so it looks as though my model is going about their normal musical business. Therefore the location will be outside, as oppose to in a studio environment.
Image Two - I am hoping to use the studio here, or just a white background, to try and recreate the scene of a music video. This might just be my artist singing into a camera or microphone etc. 
Image Three - For this image I am hoping to use a natural, outdoors environment, as it will simply just be a model smiling into the camera. The story will be a 'shock' story referring to how music change this persons life, so the image needs to be real.  

Double Page Spread: For my double page spread, I want to use the natural location of a field/woodland area as a background.

Props:

Front Cover: For my cover, I want my artist to be reflected in a 'Popstar' way, therefore I am  going to use accessories such as rings, earrings etc.  This is aimed at being a connotation of the idea of fame, however I don't want this to be too overpowering, as I also want the image to reflect the beginning of her career, away from pop stardom. I will also have my model perhaps holding an acoustic guitar by her side, to reflect the idea of her roots and how she made it into the industry. 

Contents Page: 
Image One - I am hoping to use a guitar or microphone, so the artist is united with their relationship to music through this image.
Image Two - For this I am hoping to use a microphone and perhaps some headphones. 
Image Three - This shot will be natural, and so not include many props. 

Double Page Spread: I am going to use the idea of song writing here, so I will have my model holding a pen and paper, and perhaps with their guitar near by. This again is too sum up their life before the fame. 

Lighting:

Front Cover: In the studio I want to the lighting to be bright, so that the image I take it clear and detailed. I also want it to be obvious that this photo is more staged, to sum up the idea of a Popstar lifestyle. 

Contents Page: 
Image One - For this I want to use natural lighting, to capture the idea of this being a normal person doing their normal hobby.
Image Two - For this image, the lighting will be bright and focussed on the performer. However, I may incorporate an idea of the bright lighting fading into darker lighting, to capture the idea of this story being based on behind the scenes. 
Image Three - For this image I am going to use natural lighting, as it will be taken outside, and to capture the idea of this story being real. 

Double Page Spread: I am also going to use natural lighting for the images used on this page as I want this shot taken outside. 

Clothing/Make Up & Hair:

Front Cover: For this shot, I am going to experiment with my model wearing both more formal clothing and casual clothing. The formal clothing will consist of a dress, which I think sums up the idea of a Pop star well. However, I have also asked her to bring along a checkered shirt and some jeans or leggings, as a more casual side could be more appealing to all readers. With the casual dress, I may have my model wearing some jewellery, to subtly express the idea of fame. 
As for make up and hair, I want my model to have straight hair and a fairly natural complexion. However, lipstick may be used to seem bold under the bright lighting. 

This is an image I found of Rihanna, a Popstar. The clothing she is modelling here is more casual and does make her appear more down to earth and perhaps more approachable. This is a similar idea to what I want to achieve with my choice of clothing, as this sort of dress is more appealing to all readers, not just a niche. 





Contents Page: 
Image One -  I will ask them to wear a casual t-shirt/polo shirt and jeans/chinos. This is so to come across as though this image has been taken randomly, and so the story is more genuine and believable.
Image Two - For this image, I would like my artist to be wearing bright clothing, in order to look more like a costume. Floral patterns and bright vest tops would be most preferred, as the story will be promoting an up tempo video, and bright colours would associate with this well. I will give my model a lot of stage make up - bright lipstick and bold eyes, as she will be on a set. I also want her hair to be down and curled and too look professional - the person I have in mind for this shot will be more that capable of this sort of thing herself! 
Image Three - I want the person in this image to be wearing casual clothing. A polo shirt or t shirt will be best however. The make up and hair will be minimal, as this is a 'real' story. 

Double Page Spread: For this shot I am also going to have my model styling casual clothing, such as a hoodie and jeans. This is because this story is talking about the very beginning of their career, before fame, so I want them to look like a 'normal' character as oppose to one dressed up for a shoot. Hair and make up will be minimal for this image as it is trying to capture the idea of this artist being stripped down and away from the spotlight. 

Model:
THESE ARE JUST EXAMPLES - MY SHOTS WILL BE TAKEN IN PORTRAIT FOR THE COVER! 

This is one of my main models who will be featured on my front cover. I decided to use her simply because of her pretty, natural complexion, as this suits the tone of my magazine. She has a versatile style, therefore I know she will wear the outfits I decide to experiment with for the cover. 

This is my other main model; he will be featured on my double page spread. I decided to use him as he looks young, which could be inspiring to young music artists. This is the sort of thing I want to achieve with the interview. I also decided to use him through ease, as I will be able to do a photo shoot with him easily, as he is my little brother. I know he can wear the outfit I have planned and we live near by the location where I want to take the shots of him. 


(As he is under 16, I will get written consent to enable me to use his image for my project.)

As for my contents page models, I have got a rough idea of who I am going to ask. They also bare natural complexions and fit the stories I want them to feature in with their style and looks. They are also easy for me to access, with them all being close friends. 

Shot/Pose:

Front Cover: For this shot I want my artist to be laughing, or look as though they are, so this shot looks more natural. However, I am going to experiment with different angles, and have my artist both looking at the camera and perhaps downwards, to the side etc. I am also going to try editing the photo's, so that they are in colour and black and white. This is just to experiment with what looks better and fits the tone of my magazine more. I want this shot to be close up, capturing her top half only. 

Contents Page:
Image One - This shot will be up close, in order to be able to capture the facial expression of the model. I want the singer to look positive, so perhaps a direct gaze and a smile, or a smile looking away to look more natural. 
Image Two - For this image, I want my model to be looking away from the camera. It will be a longer shot, to enable me to give the impression this image is being taken from backstage. I want my model to either be looking down and singing, or looking as thought she is talking to a director to a video. I want her facial expression to express an idea of passion through singing, and an idea of concentration if talking. I want this image to look spontaneous too. 
Image Three - This image will be easy to capture, as I want it to be a headshot. I want the model to simply just being looking into the camera and smiling, as a more direct approach. With this being a serious story, I want the image to be be emotive and create an idea of sympathy. Eye contact could achieve this. 

Double Page Spread: I want to use a long shot here, with the artist not looking at the camera. I want him to look as though he is concentrating on his music, so the readers can capture a more realistic side to this shot. I want him to look happy however, so the page has a positive tone, which will make the readers more likely to want to read it.