The Photoshoot

I have conducted a photo shoot to get the images for my magazine. I took a range of different photos as I wanted to see what would work and what wouldn't. I took the photos both inside and outside however the images weren't very successful.

This was the first image that I took, I think that the location and the position and facial expression really works however the lighting is of really poor quality so the image had to be lightened in photo shop also you can't see the shoes which was a really important part of the clothing so this image doesn't really work. When I took out the background it made the image lighter, I then lightened the image using the brightness tool however even when I changed the image on photo shop the photo still didn't work

I also took an image of a lad who was doing break dancing. I took the image outside as I wanted it to be like they were dancing against a wall. However due to the fact that it was outside I had to much direct sunlight in the shot so the image was far too bright.

I tried to darken the image using photo shop and I cut out the background however the contrast was really bad so the image didn't work. 

I also took a picture of a lad stood against a wall as I wanted this picture for the front cover however I also took this picture outside as i wanted a brick wall and natural sunlight however there was too much sunlight on his face so again I had to try and darken the picture.

I darkened the image and tried to change the contrast however it didn't work.

Conclusion

These are only a few of the photos however only a few actually came out well so I'm going to re-do the photo shoot as I would like the best images for the magazine as I would like it to look as close to professional as possible.

Shot types

I want to conduct some research and analysis on the different shots I could use for the cover of my magazine, I decided to do this as I want to choose the best shot for my magazine.

1) Birds eye view -
This is where the shot is taken from overhead it gives the audience a sort of god-like feeling as they look down on the person. People can be made to look ant-like and insignificant, this is a useful shot when trying to create the idea of over powerment.

I do not feel as though this would be a good idea for the front cover as it is too impersonal and no information can be gathered about the artist. I feel as though this would be a good shot if trying to get a certain reaction from the reader on the double page spread however this just wouldn't work for the front cover.

2) High angle -
This is a step down from a birds eye view shot, the camera is lifted over the action, a high angle makes the artist seem less significant or overpowered,

I feel as though this would be a good shot for the double page spread as it is a interesting angle and shot to use however again I feel it wouldn't create the powerful image for the front cover.
3) Extreme close up- This generally magnifies what the human eye usually can't see, the shot shows extreme details of a character or object for example. no background detail is visible and for example if the close up is of the face the extreme close up would be of the eye or mouth, this shot is mainly used to go into the characters thoughts and feelings and emotions are generally shown.

I feel as though this could be an interesting angle to play with however I also feel as though this would work better mixed between a close-up shot, this is because I feel half the face could be shown, this would go against the typical conventions of music magazines however I feel it could be successful if executed properly.

2) Close up-  This type of shot is used in order to show the detail of an object or the particular emotion of the artist. This type of shot is a very intimate shot and will give the audience insight into the personality and emotion of the artist being shown

3) Mid shot - These are shots taken from the waist up, this shot gives details of the character however emotion and really clear details are harder to show using this shot.

I feel as though this would be the most appropriate shot for the front cover of the magazine as I feel it will give the reader enough detail about the artist through the body language and facial expression without giving away too much information for them to loose interest

4) Long Shot - a long shot is a shot that shows the full body of the artist. it is used in order to give the reader a basic idea about the artist but no detail is shown, this can be used in order to create the effect of mystery.

I feel as though this could be used well for the contents page or double page spread but it is too impersonal and not enough detail or emotion is shown for the front cover.



Font chosen for my magazine

I had several fonts in mind for the front cover of my magazine. I decided that I would conduct some research on the fonts of the magazine. I put all of the fonts on one page and asked my target audience which font they preferred.

After conducting this research I can see that the target audience prefer the graffiti font due to 7 votes compared to the other fonts only getting a maximum of 2 votes. so this is the font that I will use on my front cover.

I have also decided to use a sans serif font for the smaller text as I feel this is a lot easier to read and I also feel that the sans serif font written entirely in CAPS LOCK will create the harsh and solid effect needed to fit in with the genre of R&B.

I am also going to use some other different fonts that are available off of http://www.dafont.com/ for the contents page and the double page spread. I have decided not to copy the the same font from the front cover as I feel this will take away from the effect created on the front cover.

I have decided to use either 'urban slick' or 'vinyl stickons' for the contents page. I fell that either of these will create the desired effect when enlarged and a different colour is added. I feel that the arrows may be less successful however I would like to try them out as it may look better when the rest of the page is added to it. I think that the second font is a good font to use however a glow could be added to give the font it's colour.

Urban slick

Vinyl stickons

I feel as though the double page spread should have a graffiti font as I feel that this exemplifies the urban feel of this magazine. I would like it to be a graffiti but to have more of a handwritten feel to it as it will be like to artist has written it themselves.

I would need to fill in the gaps in the 's' and 'z' but this can be easily done in photoshop. I will also change the colour to make it fit in better with the rest of the page.

I am happy with the fonts that I have chosen as I feel they firstly fit in with the genre well as they link with the ideas of hip hop and the urban culture, but I also feel that they are all memorable so the magazine will stand out.

mock up

Introduction
I am now going to create a mock up of my magazine that I  have planned to create. I have created a publisher file of what it could look like and how I plan the layout. I will also discus what I have done and why I have done so. I will also plan the magazines contents page and double page spread, as by doing this I can plan what I want it to look like instead of making it up as I go along

front page

I drew the outline of the front cover that I want. I decided on the title of the Beat as this got joint first in the vote and I preferred this name over sound wave. I want the title to be colourful and eye catching. I also would like the style to be as graffiti. I also want the front cover image to be of a rap/hip hop artist as this is more urban. I have planned where the text is going to be however I haven't included what this will be ; I have decided that I will include articles about current artists, competitions and real life stories as this is what the Readers want (this is what I was told in my market research)

Contents page

I have decided that I will use the picture of someone hip hop dancing as this is a photo that i would like to try and take and also experiment with different poses in order to get the right one. I would like to have some smaller images on the front cover of what is going to some in the magazine and next to the photo I will have the page number that the picture corresponds to.

double page spread

I have decided that I will run an article about a current artists. I would like to have a large picture and the title on one of the two pages and the article / interview to be on the other side. I would like the font to be very eye catching as this will catch the readers eye along with the image which also needs to be successful. On the article page I would like to have several smaller image of the artist in Polaroid photo. I will then have the main article. underneath this article I will have an offer for the tickets to see the artist related as offers is something that the readers wanted (as discovered through my market research

 Polaroid photo

planning my magazine

Introduction
After looking at all of the ideas I will now decide the exact location, clothing, posing that I am going to use. This planning is crucial as by doing this I will have a clear idea of the major components for the magazine and this way I will have a clear idea of what needs to be done and how I am going to do it.

location
I have decided that I will use 3 of the locations that I listed

• Stood against a brick wall
• Dance studio
• On a set of stairs

I decided to use the mixture of these locations as I couldn't decide between them. I thought that I would use all 3 location and find out which is the best location for the front page. I will then use the photos from the other 2 locations for the contents page and the double page spread.

Costume
I also plan to use a mixture of costumes as well. I will use the 1st outfit from the previous post when I take the photos on the stairs and against the wall as I would like these photos to be more R&B. I will then use the 2nd outfit whilst taking the photos in the dance studio. as in this circumstance I would like the photo to be more pop / hip hop dance then R&B.

facial expression / body language
I have decided that I will use a mixture of the body languages that I discussed on the last post. as by doing this I will have a range of pictures and i can choose the best poses to use for the magazine when everything else has been assembled by taking a range of different photos I will have a back up if my first choice of picture doesn't turn out very well.

I have decided that I will use the posing of the hip hop dancers as I would like to give this type of shot a go. If I get this right I think that it will create a successful front cover or even a picture for the double page spread. I also would like to try the pose that the girl is doing on the stairs as I think this is very eye catching and your eyes are drawn into hers. It is also a very urban way to go and this is more of the route I would like to go in compared to the pop dance route. I would also just like to try having a male model in the middle of the picture with a very confident stance and a glare look on his face this will seem very forceful but very R&B.

ideas for the magazine

Introduction

I now plan to plan and to create the music magazine as I believe I have done enough research and now I can start to plan for the magazine. I am going to plan the location of the photo shoot, the clothing the models will wear, the body language and facial expression, the font of the text and the colour scheme.

location

I have a few ideas for the location for the photo shoot they are...

• The basket ball courts
• sat on top of a wall
• stood against a wall
• the skate park
• down a set of  stairs
• dance studio

I will now explain the reasons for choosing each of the locations

I was thinking about the basket ball courts as I could take an action shot of someone 'shooting some hoops' also around the basket ball courts is a wire fence so having that as the background or even the foreground of the image could be quite affective. I also think that this fits in well with the genre of music magazine.

I also think that having the models on a wall looking down on the camera could be a very effective shot. it will be very daunting on the reader as they will feel overpowered. this will also fit in with the idea of R&B and a gang sat on a wall. Another idea would be to have the models posing against a wall as this will give the idea of a gang and with the right clothes the gang can look very R&B / Hip Hop.

 

The third idea would be to have the photo shoot at the skate park, as something I associate with hip hop is skates and skateboarding.I would probably take a picture underneath some of the ramps as you can fit a lot of people under there, I would also take a photo from the bottom of the half pipe looking up at the models at the top, this would give the same effect as the wall. I would hopefully be able to find someone who is skilled on the ramps and take some action shots of them on the half pipe and grinding for example. I have watched a lot of hip hop/ R&B music videos and most of these video I have watched all included skating or BMXing of some sort.

 I also thought of having a group of people sat on a set of stairs. This will create depth in the photo but also a relaxing yet hip hop related picture. This idea is more R&B and 'in your face'. I would choose this idea is I choose to go down the route of urban and forceful in the sense that their facial expression and body language make the photo what it is.



I also thought of having it in the dance studio as I could get an effective photo of a 'dance crew'. I could have a still picture on the crew or I could choose to have an action shot of them actually dancing which could make an effective photo if I got it right. I would go for a photo like this if I decided to go down the route of commercial and 'pop' even though these images are portraying hip hop dancing they have a sense of 'pop' about them rather than urban.

Clothing
I am now going to plan the outfits that I plan to models to wear. I have a few ideas of possible outfits and the decision will depend on the location I choose to shoot in.

1) Hip Hop baggy jeans, t-shirt and  and a pair of high tops.
This first look is more R&B than hip hop dance. But if I used it in the right location I could make it look more Hip Hop.

2) baggy short joggers, high tops, over sized dance top,

i would choose this outfit for the models if I choose to go with the dance studio as these clothes are more dance clothes than R&B / Urban clothes. These are still hip hop but are more dance and pop than Urban.

 

3) crop dance top, unbuttoned shirt, joggers, high tops (as before)
This outfit is again more for the dance studio location, However compared to the last outfit it can be made into an outfit that can be used in other locations due to the checkered shirt as it that was buttoned up instead it could be used in the skate park, on the stairs, on the wall etc. As by buttoning up the shirt it makes the outfit look more urban.

 I had the idea for this look after watching the pussycat doll's video 'Beep'

Body language and Facial expression

I am now going to plan some of the possible poses and facial expressions that I will have the models in. I am planning this as by planning i can think up different ideas and linking with the other planning i can see which poses will be best to use in each location and wearing what costume

1)

I would use this pose for the dance studio location as it is as if she is actually dancing rather than posing. I like this type of pose however if I choose to go with the location of the stairs or the location of the wall this type of pose won't work well. I could have this shot as either a Long shot in order to fit in her full body but I could also cut it down to a mid shot as you can still tell their dancing and also it will give the reader a better look at the models facial expression.

2)

This type of pose would work well in the location of the wall or the basket ball court as it is more urban and R&B. This type of pose will work better with a male however with the correct sort of clothing I could incorporate a female into this pose which could essentially make a very successful urban photo. This shot works best as a mid shot as if I enlarged it to a long shot you wouldn't focus on his facial expression which I think is really important for a shot like this.

3)

I would really like to take a photo like this as it is very fun and eye catching. I would take a photo like this in the location of the dance studio or even in front of a wall as it is very 'street' rather than 'pop' and 'dancey'. This kind of shot works best as a two-shot or a low angle shot, this is because as a low angle shot it would give a different perspective that the audience wouldn't expect. also I think this shot works best with two or more people so this is why a two-shot would be appropriate.

4)

I would take a photo like this is I was to choose the location of the stairs as it goes better than the dance studio for example. I really like the girl staring at you as it draws in your attention and her eyes really stand out. her pose is also laid back which is something that I link with the urban genre. This works well as a close up as you can see her facial expression but you can still tell her location. If this type of shot was changed to a mid shot for example it would take focus away from her eyes which isn't effective.

Remaking an existing magazine

I have decided that I will try and re-create an existing music magazine. I am firstly doing this as I think it will help me get used to the software i am using and some of the tools, this way when I create the final piece it will hopefully look a lot more professional. Secondly I can find out how music magazines are put together and what needs to be included on the front cover of a magazine.  Finally I am planning on re-creating 'Vibe' which is an R&B / Hip Hop magazine. by doing this I can see the front cover of an existing hip hop magazine and by re-creating it i may get inspiration for the sort of colours, clothing and body language that should be used.

I am going to recreate this front cover, as it is not too complicated and also it is very R&B related. I plan on taking my own images for this front cover and adding my own text this way I will be able to see what sort of front cover is possible to make with the resources and software that I have.

However I am going to use a male model for the front cover but they will be fully clothed as this will vary the front cover instead of copying it perfectly. It will slightly differ from this front cover however I think that having a hoodie will make it more Hip Hop related and less R&B. I plan to keep the text the same however I will create it from scratch as by simply copying and pasting it won't develop my skills, so would be pointless.

This is the re-creation of the front cover 'VIBE' that I have created created from scratch. I am very pleased with the outcome even though it is not perfect. I think that I have been able to develop my skills and produce a relatively professional looking front cover.

good points

• I am happy with the image that I took as the models clothes and facial expression all link in with R&B / Hip hop.
• I really like the masthead of the magazine as I believe that it has come out almost identical to the original
• The text in the bottom right hand corner has come out very well, the colour and font are almost identical.

bad points
There are a few things that didn't go as well as I thought they would

• I am not happy with the yellow colour as is hasn't come out as golden as it should have
• the edges of the model as jagged and could have been finished slightly better
• I left the background which was a bad idea it needs to be a darker tone of white

Mood board

I have created a mood board in order to get some ideas of what sorts of things my magazine should have, pictures, clothing, colours and associated objects. I have decided to make an R&B/ Hip Hop magazine so the mood board reflects this.

I have decided to base my music magazine on the genre of R&B / Hip Hop . I have created this mood board in order to show a range of ideas and themes that could be used to create the best most relevant Hip Hop magazine. I also decided to include some different fonts so that I could possibly find a good font that could be included in the final magazine.

The mood board I think is very effective, I decided to use a lot of colours on the page as this is something I link with Hip Hop as they like to stand out and are usually wearing bright clothes and shoes when dancing. I also used a lot of graffiti based ideas as this is something else that I link with hip hop and R&B.