Photoshoot 1 Evaluation

These photos were JUST to see what Alice could do. Meaning they did not relate that much to my 'further photo research'.

Looking into my first set of photos, I am not entirely happy with the outcome. I think Alice was rather nervous to be photographed at first, never having worked with me before. In this first photo shoot, I decided to try and take simple photographs with a variety of clothing so that I could see what type of clothes worked best on my model. By the end of the photo shoot, I believe she looked a lot more comfortable in what she was wearing as she grew more confident in front of the camera. I noticed that the photos that she looked best in were the photos similar to the photo below. 

I believe this photograph is effective as her facial expression reveals attitude and cheekiness. I think this is an effective look for Alice and I will try hard to create more photographs like this. I also want to try and show a more sensual, mysterious feel in my next photos. I think it will be extremely affective as this is the ‘Indie-rock’ style I want to display. Looking at these photos allow me to see that Alice will be able to pull off the look I am searching for. 

What will i do to improve?

This photo to the right I think displays one of my very weak photographs of Alice. It was one of the first photographs taken and therefore, you can see that she feels rather uncomfortable. Her hair is also rather flat and lifeless which reflects the opposite view to what i want. I see this photo as quite boring and dull compared to what I would like. I want my next lot of photographs to be full of life and be able to capture an exciting image.

 To improve my next photographs there is a range of things i need to do:

•   For my second photo shoot, I would like to backcomb Alice’s hair in order to reveal a wilder, more exciting side. My first photo shoot was not very effective as not a lot of attitude came through Alice’s photos and I believe that not being in character is a major reason for this. 
• In the first photo shoot, I did not put make up on Alice as I wanted to try out the more natural look. However now that I see the photographs, I want to put make up on Alice as the ‘Indie’ look is not usually natural and so applying make up should affect my photographs. I will put lipstick on Alice in order to emphasize her lips in order to create the sensual, exciting look that I now know she is capable of.
• I think props should be used in order to create more interesting photographs. Like my further photo research, I will use the idea of bubble gum and geek glasses. If these do not look good for my front cover, they may be very beneficial for my double page spread. 
• Clothes - As well as using the most successful clothing in the past photographs, I will use new ideas and outfits. I want to create a more rocky and indie look and to gain this, I will think carefully about the clothes I want Alice to wear. They need to stand out and be exciting and by selecting and trying out new clothes I believe I will be successful in this. 

Photoshoot 1

Shown here is my first selection of photographs which have been taken to see what Alice is like in front of the camera, not necessarily relating to my research:

Further Photo Research

Looking at my beginning research and thinking very carefully about my model, i have decided to photograph my friend Alice, who I know is very photogenic and is exactly what I am looking for.

Most of these photos will come across in my second photo shoot after I am able to see what Alice is capable of. 

 I would like to take two different types of photographs. One set will be close ups of the model from the waist up. These photographs will be reliant on the eyes of the model and the facial expression. 

The other set of photographs will be full body photographs which will allow me to capture the models complete fashion. The first set of photographs i will do my research on is the close ups. Within this, i will also reveal what props etc i want my model to have.

The photo on the left, displays the type of hair i would like Alice to have. Backcombing will enable me to get Alice's hair quite big and bold. However, I need to ensure that this type of hair suits Alice. I believe having hair like this gives the model a certain attitude and this is the attitude I would like my model to adopt. In my photos I will try out different styles and images on Alice to see which works best in order to discover a look that will capture the 'Indie' style as well as connecting with my research.

Here, is a famous music artist Robyn. I choose this photo because although I do not like the fashion style here, I like the idea of using bubble gum in some of my photographs. This is one idea that i would like to try out during the whole process but I think I will do it in my second set of photographs as I want to start by taking basic photographs and then go into specific ones. My first selection of photo graphs will let me discover what Alice is capable of as a model and allow me to see how comfortable she is in front of the camera. Due to her past experience, I hope to find her confident and comfortable. 

The next photo, again is not exactly the style or look I am wanting to adopt. However, it is similar and from this photo, I want to see how my model looks wearing geek glasses as I see them as alternative look. Like the previous photo, I will try this idea out on my second photo shoot when I start my more specific collection of photographs which will hopefully develop to look rather like the one below.

Looking into geek glasses and facial expressions further, i believe this is a very effective photograph that can relate more to Alice, my model. The facial expression is very intriguing and sensual. I want to promote this look on the front of my music magazine as to me, it comes across as quite an 'indie-rock' attitude. In hope that Alice is able to pull off this look, I will work towards ensuring I can capture her inner rock attitude. 

This final photo, I believe, sums up everything that I am looking for. Through this model, I believe promoted is an sensual yet mysterious feel which from my front cover research, I have discovered is very effective for a cover shot. The hair is very similar to Alice's and therefore, I will try and base my close up photos like this. Although this photograph has no props in it, I believe this is the type of photograph I will settle for as I think it would be an extremely catching and effective front cover image. 

I believe the further photo research on close ups is very beneficial to my magazine cover. However, I would also like to research more into the body of a model as I believe clothing helps to promote certain styles. This type of photo may be more effective for my cover then the close up. If not, then i could use them on my double page spread.

The photo here, promotes the type of fashion i want. I think the shirt and high skirt would suit Alice a lot and therefore, I will definitely try to recreate this image. However, I would like to make my photograph more wintery by putting high socks or tights on my model. As well as this, I realise that Alice has a different skin and hair colour to this model so therefore, I will try and relate it to her by finding colours that will suit her. Also, getting Alice to try out different body poses and clothing will enable me to capture the best possible photo.

Magazine Names

One main feature of my magazine that I wanted to get out of the way as soon as I could was the name of my magazine. Shown below is a mind map of some ideas, my evaluation of them and which idea I chose as my final decision:

My Decision: SIDETRACK

My final decision on my magazine title is Sidetrack. I chose this because i think it is the strongest idea out of them all. Sidetrack is a road coming off of a main road. It came to my mind when thinking about Indie music coming off of the path of mainstream. I believe this is an affective title as it addresses the fact that the music is separated from the main road or main ‘tracks’ in this case and related directly to my topic. In my opinion, it is a catchy title and i cannot wait to discover what font makes it stand out best.

Beginning research

Beginning of the research consisted of finding examples of magazine covers and analyzing them: 


The first set of magazine front covers I found were a collection from the magazine ‘INDIE.’ From my research, I found that it is an independent magazine which combines Music and Fashion. This style of magazine has really captured my interest and I would like to develop some of my ideas from these magazines. I believe a reason why these covers are so effective is because most of the models are shot from the shoulders up which makes their face and eyes the main image. I believe through eyes, a photo can capture feelings and passion. Part of a models job is to sell a photograph using their eyes and therefore,  it is important in a lot of cases to have the model looking at the camera. 

Something i noticed about these magazines is that there is not a lot on the front cover in terms of text and other images. I think this is quite affective as it makes the reader want to look inside to see what can be found. The title is extremely capturing as it illustrates what is in the magazine and addresses the target audience directly.

I know that one of the most important things that I need to work on is coming up with my own, catchy title. As my research develops, I hope that I will come up with an idea for my magazine. I want to make it catchy and relate to my own style. 
Looking at all the covers shown in the INDIE collection, I have decided that I would like a female for my front cover as I believe I can relate to them more and use my own fashion styles to dress them. For one of my ideas, I will photograph my model from the shoulders up like those magazines so to try and capture a story through the models eyes.

For my research, I wanted to look at something different from the INDIE selection of magazines. This is what I found. I believe this photo of John Mayer is very affective as the reader is able to see a typical rock star through this photo. Instead of having photos of the face and top half of the body like the previous research, this photo displays the models whole body and an instrument. I think this is affective as the reader is able to see his body language and he can tell a story through this. I see this model as quite sensual as well as moody and mysterious which I think creates a certain appeal to the audience.

The text on this magazine is quite plain yet clear. There is not a lot on but some of the main words are put in bold so they stand out to the reader. Rolling stones use the technique of having famous models which allows public interest for the magazine. The colour scheme on the page is black and white. Although this an be effective I find it quite dull as there is a lot of writing and therefore I want my cover to display a little more colour.

Looking at the rolling stones cover, I decided on a photograph idea that I am going to try. I am going to try and express a sensual, mysterious feel through my model like shown here. I would like a white background to ensure that the model is clearly the main focus of the cover and it will make my text on the magazine clearer and easier to read. In contrast to this magazine, my model will be female. I will also be promoting a different type of music. Instead of Rock, i will be advertising Indie music and therefore, my model needs to portray the correct image.

The next magazine cover i found is shown here on the left. The thing that drew my attention towards this was the model on the front and her style. To me, she is promoting indie styled clothing which i think is important for the indie magazine. I want to make sure I try out lots of different styles of clothes in order to eventually capture a perfect image of what I want. The colours on the magazine are quite girly and bold. This makes the magazine one that would stand out on the shelf to its readers. Unlike the previous magazine, this conveys rather happy, lively image of a new coming artist. Instead of promoting moody and rather dramatic music it comes across as a feel good magazine that young teenage girls  would likely be the target audience. 
BLURT magazine caught my attention quite a lot as i felt i would personally read it. I love the image that the model is projecting and hope to reveal a similar image within my magazine. The colour scheme for this magazine is different to my other research as it focuses on girly and unique colours like pink and blue. Although i would like to experiment with these colours, i need to ensure my magazine maintains a look of professionalism. I will experiment with these ideas in hope to create a professional yet capturing magazine cover.

NME is a well known magazine that revolves around whats new in the music world and what is up and coming. This magazine I picked from their selection is shown on the right. Like the previous magazine, this cover looks into an upcoming album or artist. The colour scheme on this page is red and white writing with a background photo. I believe this album looks quite busy which is like a lot of music magazines. The boldness of the writing hints to us that it is a music magazine. The colours are harsh and stand out to the reader to draw attention. This is effective for any magazine as it is important that the writing stands out to the reader and interests them. I do not like the yellow and brown colours on this magazine as I think they are rather dull and repulsive colours. I do not think they would successfully draw in readers and did not find the magazine in general as capturing as the previous. 
As I found the imaging and colour of the actual photograph used rather dull and unappealing, I want to ensure I use nice colours in my magazine in order to make readers attracted to it just by first look. However, from this magazine I may take the idea of a lot of writing depending on my photograph. Although I do not want too much writing, I want to be able to display what is inside my magazine so that it will appeal to the reader.

The last magazine of my beginning research is shown here. This is the magazine cover that most stood out to me as I believe it promotes the 'Indie' image exactly. The model on the front Florence is a singer I directly relate to Indie music and her style of music and fashion is something that I am extremely interested in. Although the colour scheme is not particularly interesting, I think the model is what stands out most from this cover proving that it is essential that I find the right model for my look. The hair of the model I believe is very effective as it makes her facial features stand out. Again, I notice the bold yet clear writing. This gives me the idea that I need to ensure my title is bold and clear in order to adopt the style of a music magazine in general.
This magazine, selected as my favorite, displays the exact image I want to capture. 


In my 'extra photo research', i need to do the following: 

• Ensure each photo displays a female model.
• Find photos that use props in the photo 
• Find photos with the models hair emphasized like the photo above
• Find different styles of photos such as from the shoulders up and long shots
• Find photos that illustrate the 'Indie' style 

Introduction to the music magazine

This is the introduction to my music magazine! After completing the preliminary task of the school magazine, I am excited and eager to start the main task! I found the preliminary rather demanding and did not enjoy it as much as I hoped. However, for my music magazine I am more intrigued and believe it will be a lot enjoyable for me as it is something I am extremely interested in. I have always had a love and an interest for music so I believe this task will give me a chance to explore what I know and apply it to my media studies.

Especially in the recent years, indie styled music has been my favourite and I have always enjoyed listening to it. This is why I decided to hopefully develop and create an indie styled magazine. In the next post, you will see my beginning research on the project. I want to explore the magazine market and gain ideas that I can use. From the beginning of this project, I want to decide on my main model. I am hoping that my research into music magazines will give me an insight into what I want my photographs to look like and what kind of model I need to choose. This will allow me to choose my model and begin photographing

The next stage

Now i have finished my preliminary task its time to start the main one!

Evaluation - School Magazine

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge the forms and conventions of real media?
At the beginning of the project, we did research on various school magazine covers and contents pages. This research meant that i was able to use real media in my work as i got ideas and developed them from it. I found many different ideas and examples on the Internet which in turn, helped me to finalise my decision of basing my magazine around art.
The front cover of my magazine includes a large, bold heading and subtitles written in red font. Here, i use conventions and forms of real media as i got all my ideas from real life magazines. Red is known as a bold colour and is regularly used in magazines to make story lines stand out. Although some parts of my colour scheme go well, i think i could next time improve and need to think carefully about which colours go well together.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?
From looking into my research, i decided that i wanted to base my magazine around art and different artists. Having this idea in mind meant that i could base my photographs and contents page around art. My main aim was to attract art students to the school i am representing. I believe i successfully did this as my title and photograph were based around art.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
The kind of media institution that i would distribute my media product would be in a school and independent institution. I want to attract my target audience which is students and to do this, my media needs to be distributed and placed in relevant, specific areas. As well as in the school, the magazine could be distributed to local companies and other local schools. This would promote the school and also promote artistic values.

Who are the audience of your media product?
The audience of my media product is students or young people who are interested in art. I could also address my magazine to parents or the local community as it would promote the school. The more interest the magazine brings to the school the better.

How did it attract/address your audience?
The first thing i tried to do to address my audience was think about my models very carefully. Every model i used was under the age of 18. This was because i wanted to promote the fact that my magazine was a school magazine. Young students in the photographs will ensure that readers know this.
Next thing i thought about was colours and titles. I wanted to use friendly, warm colours so that the school would come off as more appealing. The title also promotes the fact that i am addressing artists. The subtitles attract the audience as i used them to show what is inside the magazine. This, i would hope, would fascinate more readers and make them want to know more.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Throughout the process of making the school magazine, i was able to learn and develop skills in using different technologies. One thing i learnt was how to successfully use a camera in order to take appealing and relevant photographs. I learnt that within my next project it may be best to shoot my models outside so that i could use more natural light. When i got my photographs, i was taught how to use photo shop and indesign. Both of these programs allowed me to develop my photographs and add text to my magazine. Without the two programs i would not have been able to finish my product.

Contents page

My last task on this project is to create my contents page. I did this using InDesign and it is shown above. Instead of using the same models that were on the front cover, I decided to use two more models in order to make my contents page more interesting. I tried to relate all the pages to art as the magazine is called 'artist magazine'. I believe i did this sucessfully however, I am happy with my presentation. I feel like this piece of work is not good enough and i am rather disapointed with how it turned out. For my next project, I want to be able to create a better piece of work that will look better and more professional.

Front Cover

As you can see, I decided to use the photo of the two models. The photo shown as the background below is the one I thought would go best with my fonts and theme in the magazine. I designed the magzine cover in 'indesign' and was able to use it to add what will be on the magazine. The task after my front cover will be to complete my contents page. I have decided that I will photograph a footballer and a local artist for this.

The Second Photos

Now that my font development is finished, its time to finalize the background photo. Looking at the photographs of Jessica and thinking carefully about what i wanted from my front cover, i decided to photograph two models instead of one to make it look more like a school environment and add a friendly feel to the magazine. The new photos i took are shown here. 

These photos i thought were the best out of my collection. The next stage of development will be to see if they correspond well with the magazine title. I will look at this development using photo shop. 

Font Development

Whilst in the process of taking new photos, i decided to get on with my font development for the front cover. This would mean for me, deciding what the title looks like:

Shown to the left here is my first collection of fonts. The first thing i needed to do was create loads of different fonts in order to decide which ones i would develop further.I uses a range of fonts and colours in order to decide. As you can see, i used a range of plain to complicated fonts in order to get a great variety of titles i could choose from. The fonts that are in red and pink are the fonts that stood out for me which is why i decided to develop most of them further.  

Shown to the right, is my next stage in the development of my title. I choose 3 or 4 different fonts that stood out to me and tried to develop them using stroke and colour features. Although i needed to think about the colour... here, i tried to concentrate more on the font style as i believe that is more important for a title. In the end, i choose the font 'Annie BTN'. I choose this font as i thought it looked rather artist and it was the font that stood out for me throughtout the process.

To finalise my decision on the font, i just needed to choose the font and stroke size. Shown here is my research of this. I looked at the colours i thought would look best as a title. The stroke size was the main focus of my titles as i wanted to affectivly use two colours and make the title bold and demanding. Looking through the colours, i decided i definatly wanted to use black as i knew it would stand out against any other colour. However, i needed to decide whether the black would be the main colour of the writing, or the outlining colour. Eventually, i came to the decision that i wanted it as my main colour and that i wanted a light purple as the outline. Shown below is my final design enlarged.

Contents research

The next stage of my researching is to find out what i want in my contents page. To do this, i searched for examples. These are shown below.

This contents page is not overflowing with words which is what makes it so effective. Instead of being full to the brim of things you find inside the magazine, it shows the most important pages which is exactly what the reader wants to read. It does not tell you what is on every page but tells us the most interesting features you can find inside.

A very effective technique that this contents page has is its simple colour scheme. The only two colours used are red and white with black writing.  This makes the text and images very clear and so the reader can easily read them.

The disadvantages of this contents page are that there are no photos or images to show what is inside. By looking at the contents page layout and photos, I cannot see what magazine it comes from. For my magazine, I want to imbed photos within the contents page so that the reader can clearly see what is to be found inside without reading the writing. I also want to make it clear what type of magazine it is.

This contents page is quite different from the previous one. Instead of being quite plain and quite simple, it is quite an interesting and lively contents page. Similar to the previous contents page I researched, the colours mainly used are black, red and white. I believe these colours are used so that the red stands out as being the most important information and therefore, it stands out to the reader.

One thing I like about this contents page is the photos that are used. We can clearly see from the photos used that the magazine revolves around music. I think using photos is a very successful technique used on a magazine as it conveys to the reader what is inside. It means that the reader is more intrigued to read inside the magazine.

I like the layout to this magazine; the main feature of the magazine is the big photo which makes it stand out to the reader. This is a technique I would like to use in my magazine