Photo Editing

These images are from the photoshoot for my double page spread. My main story of my magazine is on the band Obscura that I created. I asked my three friends to model for me, and picked out clothes for them that were fashionable and slightly rock and roll. I chose these three models because they have natural flawless skin, that is quite pale, and each of them has a different hair colour and style. These are the kind of traits that I see when I think of rock band artists.

 Here are a selection of the original photos that I took. I took them by brick wall, with a little ledge. I asked one model to lean against the pole with her back to it, one of the models to sit on the ledge, and the other to crouch against it slightly. This means there are levels in the photo, which make it more interesting giving it more attitude - the photo is not structured and the models are posed.

Here I have a selection of images from my photoshoot that I have manipulated using adobe photoshop elements. I have increased the contrast in all of them, to add intensity to the photos.

Photo manipulation:

Black and White  -   Although in general most photos are taken in colour now, there is an option of black and white. In some photos colour can distract from the composition and effects of lighting and positioning. Black and white photos add mystery and timelessness.                                         

                                                                                      Dark strokes effect -  This adds more darkness to the photo, but only in the places that were dark originally. I creates more contrast between the colours and highlights the pale faces and skin of my models.

Lighting effects - here I have used a flashlight effect. This higlights the faces of the models, and leaves the surroundings darker. It makes the models the subject of the photo, focusing on their faces instead of their surroundings. I have only made the flashlight effect small, but you can make it bigger, covering a wider area, leaving the other areas darker.

Poster Edges - this defines the edges of each colour. This can relate to rock, as each sound is defined. The poster edges leaves shadows on the face, which adds an air of mystery and hidden focus. It also gives a feeling of a sound echoing, like the shadows are lingering on the photo. I like this technique as it shows different tone and shading which makes the photo more interesting.

Spotlight - this effect makse me think of a band or act on stage. A spotlight focuses a specific object or person by shining a light on them. The area around the spotlight is in darkness and the main subject of the photo (the models)  are 'lit up' highlighting their importance.

On photoshop you can manipulate the lighting to create different effects. Lighting can change the focus of an image and the general feel of an image. For example, for a rock magazine you wouldn't dress your models in pink flowery clothing, you would place them in a darker composition with black, red and purple style clothing.  In this photo the lighting shines on the models faces, paticularly the model in front. It gives her a pale flawless face and makes it look pure.

Here I have worked into the front models appearance. Where as in the first photo the composition is quite dull and she looks very innocent, in the second photo I have recoloured her lips to be darker (typical rock look),  I have used a spot healing brush on her face - to add clarity to the image, I have added definition to her eyes by using a paint brush to make them darker,  and have added a red tint to the hair, adding attitude.

Here I have used the first image as a base - in this image only the front model has been changed. In the second image I have manipulated the style of the other too models. For the model on the left, I have darkened her hair, to bring a deeper colour to it, which relates to some rock music being considered deep. Her darker hair also contrasts effectively against her light blue denim jacket. I have also changed her lip colour slightly to define the edging of the lips.
For the model on the right, I have brightened up her red hair, to make it more striking and give more attitude to the composition. I have also edited all the faces to cover up any blemishes to add a sense of purity to the image.
I feel that these qualities represent a rock band as they have attitude, and show intensity.

In the second and third photos I have edited out the piping on the left side. I used a spot healing tool on photoshop, to edit out the pipe, and cover up over the space with more of the background. I then had to use a healing brush to make sure that the bricks now lay even and looked like a brick wall.  I then also used a recolouring brush to dull the colour of the pole behind the models,  

  in the middle photo I dulled the colour of the pole to a lighter fader green, and in the photo on the right, I changed the colour to a light grey.

Here I have edited the pole from behind the models. I did this using the spot healing brush and blended the brick background into the space.
I think I will use this one as my double page photo, as I think I have successfully edited the photo, by manipulating the models, changing the lighting and removing unnecessary objects from the composition.

Masthead Ideas

After the research I've done on the fonts, I decided to start designing the title of my magazine.

Here is the first masthead.  I have used one of the favourite fonts from my research  - Eras Bold ITC.  I like the combination of pink and black, as It is rock themed however I have gone for a more feminine style using pink instead of red. I have decided not to use this as my masthead as I feel it looks too comical and aimed at a more younger age group.

The second masthead is my least favourite. In the font showcard gothic, I think it is even more comic styled than the first. I originally liked the style of this font however when I played around with it and added a background, I decided it didnt fit the purpose. It does not make me think of a rock magazine so I then started looking into more fonts.

After going through the fonts on publisher and testing them out, I realised that I had a very paticular idea and style of what I wanted for my magazine. Also I realised that there is a fine line between looking bold and striking and looking  like bubble writing and too childish.

After looking through lots of fonts, I have decided on the font Elephant. I like that its bold and looks quite formal but in a different way, slightly rock themed.

I feel that the writing is mature and aimed at an older audience. The edging of the letters is striking and quite sharp, which relates to the rock genre. I like that the tops and bottoms of the letters all reach one level, and the writing is structured and plain.  Originally I looked at mastheads such as Kerrang which has the cracked/broken lettering that makes you think of something being smashed, which relates to the impact of rock. However, as I decided early on that I didnt want my masthead to be too complicated, I think that this font suits the purpose and links with the style of my magazine.

Survey on font types

Here I reviewed my font research, by getting the opinions of my target audience (16-25). I asked a group of my friends what they thought about the fonts I'd chosen and to pick out their favourites.

This font did not prove to be popular amongst the group that I surveyed, they mirrored my own views, in that the font does remind you of a broadway show and a musical.

Although I like this font, and think it relates to music as the ends of the letters make me think of music notes and trebal clef's, I do not think it is bold enough for a rock magazine. The group that I asked also said the same, that it did not jump out at you, like a rock magazine title should.

This font, was picked by a few of the people I surveyed. They liked the boldness and simplicity of it,  however after asking others, they contradicted these views and said that the edges were too rounded and didnt strike out.

These two fonts were the most popular.  They are both bold and make a statement. They have sharp edges which I think relates to the style of rock music. I definately want to use on of these two fonts for my cover title.

Decisions for magazine

Since I have started to create my cover and contents page,  I have decided to change from my earlier ideas of making my magazine a monthly edition.
After looking at the more successful music magazines - NME and Kerrang!,  (they are both weekly magazines) I have thought that it might be best to make my magazine weekly. I think that weekly magazines are very successful and because they are more regular, the cost of them can be lower.  Originally I had planned to have a monthly magazine but still keep the price around the same as a weekly, however I have decided that this would be unrealistic for the magazine to make a decent profit. So, as I want my magazine to be around £2.50 in price, because the 16-25 age range will not be able to spend £3.50-£4 in one go, I have decided to change my magazine to weekly.

Target Audience Research

Here I have decided to research into my target audience (16-25), and expand ideas for my magazine. CLICK HERE for a slideshare presentation of  my research.

Because the presentation is on the slideshare websit, here I have put proofs of the slides.  

Font Types

Here I have a range of different fonts, as I am still unsure as to what font I want for my front cover heading.

I have picked these fonts out of all the fonts on publisher, I chose my favourite and the ones most suited to the task. The criteria for this was font that had a rock edge, so the lettering had to be bold and defined.

   
Doing this has helped me with my ideas for my front cover fonts, I want something quite simple but want it to stand out so it is recognisable with this magazine.

Mood Board

Here I have put together a mood board of photos that I have taken, to show the style of photos that I am going to include in my magazine.

Third photoshoot images

The images from my third photoshoot.

5x3 contact sheet of my third photoshoot photos.

Here I have a collection of the photos I have taken for a contents page image. I want my photos to be in a rock style, and I think I have done this successfully. I asked my model to leave her curly hair down, as it adds volume to the photo and wear dark clothing. The model is my sister and I did her makeup, making her eyes dark, which contrasts against her skin which is pale and flawless. In this photo I have used an electric guitar as a prop, as electric guitars are very rock themed and got the model to pose with it. I have got the model to pose with her head slanted to the side, this gives the photo attitude, which represents the music genre of rock. Her hair falls elegantly down her sides and over the top of the guitar, - this adds intensity and passion to the photo.

Here are some of the images photoshopped. I have added contrast to the photos and enhanced the background colour so that it is white. This means the focus of the photo becomes even more the model, as she stands out against the bright background. By increasing the contrast of the photo,  it has made the hair darker and the black parts on the guitar stand out more against the background.

One of these images I will choose for my contents page main image.

Media Magazine Plan

Here I have planned the front cover, contents page and double page spread of my music magazine.

Here is the plan for my front cover. A fairly simple layout, I have generally stuck to the same idea that I have had from the start of this project. A fairly basic and simple style, I have chosen to have a full page photo with a close up of the cover model. This design is a little like my school magazine front cover, with a full page photo and a little text.  I want my title to be in the top left corner. My colour scheme is going to be black white and berry pink.  I want the text to be in the left third, so it is eye catching and persuasive to the reader,  also I will include the phrase 'world exclusive', as another persuasive technique. I am going to place my tagline under the title, and keep it simple and in a simple font, but recogniseable and memorable.

Here I have the plan for my contents page. It has varied a bit from my inital thoughts and has changed significantly from my school magazine contents page. I want my contents page to be full of photos and text, and also include a flash box.  I want five photos covering my main stories. For my photos - as you can see I have started my photoshoots - I want posed photos, looking glamorous and intense. My photos will range from male and female models, and for one of the photos to add a variety of style and composition, I am going to use a photo that I will take at a concert I am attending soon. Each of the five photos will correspond with the page numbers,  and I will include the page number in the corner of the photo.

The one text box will have 'this weeks features' and the second text box will have the regular section - for example: horoscopes, this months top hits, and stars of the week.  The flash box will include reference to recent or upcoming festivals, as I want my music magazine to be in touch with the latest events and music.

The background of my contents page will be fairly plain, I think a light peach colour, to fit with the colour scheme of the rest of my magazine.

Here is the plan of my double page spread. For the first page I want a photo at the top, with a caption linking to the article (which I have decided to do as an interview).  For the headline I want to choose a quote and make sure it stands out. I want the background of the page to be in a dark peach colour I think, however this may change when I have done the photoshoots and chosen which photo to put use.  For the second page I want a full page photo, with a small caption on the bottom. I want the style of the photo and background of the photo to show relevance and show how much thought and planning has gone into it. I want the clothing to represent the genre of music that my main article artist(s) compose. I also want the setting, and positioning of the models to represent the genre of music of themselves and the magazine.

Further Music Magazine Research

Research into music magazine double page spreads -

This is an example of an NME double page spread. I love the layout on this magazine, and the quote/title is very effective. I like the fact that the photo is a full page image, which I want to do with my double page spread. This is because I think it draws you into the page and makes the story more interesting and seem more important because the photo is taking up a page. I like that the title spreads partially across the double page, I feel that it shows more ability and thought.

For the background of the full page photo they have kept plain and put the same background colour for both pages. I like this idea, and may look into it for my photos on my contents page - having the photo blend in with the page background. But for my full page photo I want the setting to be important to the theme and composition of the photo. I want it to give the readers an idea of the style of music and theme that the artist or group is.

Lily Allen who is the model posed in this photo, has her hands on her hips which I think potrays the attitude of her music and the genre of the magazine. Her red and black clothing also does this, which I want my full page photo to do. I want everything to have been placed and done for a reason, to represent the artists music.

This is an example of a Q magazine double page spread. Like the NME double page spread I like the use of a full page photo, and this photo has a background, which is what I want. I think the background of this main image shows a warm welcoming feeling, which could refer to her music. I want the background of my double page spread image to give the reader an inkling into the style of music that my main music artist(s) compose.

However I do not like the first page of the double page spread, I think it is to textual and lacks the use of images, a big headline and separate quotes. I think that by using these it makes an article more interesting. I definately want photos on my page, and also want the background of my first page to have a little colour - a colour that sticks to the theme of the other page and the whole magazine.

Here is an example of a Kerrang! double page spread. This layout is alot like the NME double page spread I looked at in this post. The background of both pages is the same, and the model slightly overlapping part of the second page. The model in this photo - Taylor Momsen, has a wild messy style, shown through her hair, dark clothing and makeup.  She is on a black background which, along with her style, portrays a punk/rock theme.

I like the use of colour on the interview,  red and white - which with black makes a rock theme, but also seperating the text up from questions and answers clearly.  I also like that at the top where it has the page headline, 'Wild' is written slightly over lapping in a different style and colour of writing - this gives the idea that it is disrupting the structure of the page, which links with the idea that rock is loud and disrupting.

For my magazine I want to use some of the ideas that I have looked at in this analysis. I want my double page spread photo to by styled and relate to the music of the group and the genre of the magazine. Also using the ideas from these examples, I want my headline to stand out and in the writing underneath the heading - before the article, I want to key and important words to be in bold or a different colour.

This analysis has helped me expand my ideas, and give me a clear picture of where I want to go next with my magazine.

Music magazine research

Music magazine research on contents pages -

This contents page is taken from NME music magazine. This is an example of what I do not want my contents page to look like. I feel as if this contents page is too text based and do not want that for my own. I want to include lots of photos and little writing. I don't think that the contents page needs to have lots of writing and makes it more complex and difficult to understand if there is lots of text everywhere.

                   This is an example of the type of contents page I want. Although I will probably use even less text than this, this 'NME special' contents page, is a  good example of how I want the layout of my magazine and the photos. I also want a flash box which the contents pages that I have looked have don't tend to have. However I have found that finding this contents page has helped me expand my ideas for my own contents page.                                     

This contents page is from Q magazine. Although it is a fairly simple layout, it is not what I would chose for my own contents page. This contents page makes me think more of a formal magazine, because it is so structured, text on one side, photo on another. It also has a lot of text which does not appeal to me. However I like the idea of a monthly section, which is what I was planning to have for my magazine for the regular readers to recognise. I also like the idea of a big photo, I want a bigger photo for my contents page in the middle, but only slightly as I want about 4 or 5 smaller photos.

This contents page is also from Q magazine. I like this better than the first one, as I like all the photos and links to the contents page numbers. I think the background is a little to plain, but as it is a summer special, the Q magazine producers probably wanted the layout to look different.

Like the first contents page from Q magazine, I do not like the split between text and photos. However I do like that on the text section, they have the heading of the pages in bold lettering, and then a little description of it in a smaller font. I think I will look into this more for my contents page.

I also like that at the bottom they have a 'Q review' section, I think this splits up the pages and stories, and also brings something interesting and a little different to the magazine.

I think that researching into contents pages and looking at lots of different styles, has given me a clearer image of what I want for my own music magazine.

Second Photoshoot Images

Contents Page Images

Here I have contact images from my second photoshoot.

I have chosen the background to be a plain white wall, and have got the model to stand just infront of it. In this photo I have chosen to use an acoustic guitar, as guitars are very rock themed. The model is looking down at his guitar in the majority of the photos,  looking intense and passionate about his music.  

I have photoshopped these images, changing the hues to make them a warmer tone, and increasing the contrast and brightness.

By changing the hues, because the background is white, it means the the background colour has changed slightly in places, giving the effect that a light is being cast upon the model as he plays.

All my photos are very posed shots, which is how I want them because they give off the certain attitude that you are trying to achieve, which you can manipulate through facial expressions and posture.

One of these photos I will choose for one of my contents page images.

Images from my first photoshoot

Cover Shoot

Here I have picked my favourites from the photos that I have taken in my first photoshoot. I have photoshopped them and altered the brightness, contrast and hue's of the images. By placing them all together to view, it means that I can pick out which one I think gives the best effect and which one I will prefer for a front cover.

I took the photos against a white background,  and placed the model fairly close to the back wall. I took inspiration from some other music magazine photos such as NME Florence and the Machine, and NME Adele, which are very posed and intense close up shots. I gave my model some preferences of clothing and style, so that she could wear the right clothes and style herself in a way that would fit with the idea I had for my magazine. My plan was to have the photo in a 'rock chick' theme, which I think I have accomplished successfully, with the black clothing, curly glossy hair, rock style jewellery and an intense expression.

Sketches

I have quite vivid ideas for my main photos.

For my front cover, I want a close up posed shot. I don't want my model to frown nor smile,  but a sort of intense look. The model I want to use is my best friend Katie as her hair is red-ginger with blonde highlights. I think this suggests attitude which is a trait I link to rock magazine. I want her to wear black clothing, however I won't get much of the clothing in the photo, as the majority will be her face.

For one of my contents page images, I want to have my model holding an electric guitar.  I want her to look at the guitar and play it, this makes the photo more real and less awkward and still. I want the model to be my sister Jenny, as she has long dark brown curly hair, and that gives the effect of a 'rock chick',  also as she is my sister it will be easier to style her myself and pick out her clothing.

For my double page spread main photo, I want a girl band to pose.  I want the photo to be full length,  to represent the style and genre of the group through they're clothing. I'm not sure how I want the girls too pose, but I want them to be at different levels in height and one to be slightly infront of the other, this adds more mystery and variety to the photo, instead of them all standing in a line.

Initial Music magazine ideas

                                                 Mindmap Plan

Music Magazine Task Schedule

Here I have planned out a schedule of the next few weeks, including the dates and details, of what I plan to do and when. This is to help me organise myself and make sure everything gets done in time.

Music Magazine Research

For our main media task, we have been asked to produce the front cover, contents page and double page spread of a music magazine. Before I start planning my magazine and think about how I want it to look, I have decided to research into other music magazines and what makes them most appealing.


                                            Q Magazine covers.

Q magazine is a top hits, latests music magazine. On both of these front covers, the photos prove this as they are both very famous and have been No.1 in the charts, on more than one occasion. These photos are very posed shots, which is what I want my magazine cover photo to be like. They are both close ups, with minimal expression on the faces. The models make up and hair has been styled to fit the style of the magazine theme. For my cover photo, I also want my models to be styled in the theme of rock, looking glamourous and intense, with big hair, dark eye makeup and black clothing.

The title of Q magazine is very recognisable, and simple. This is effective because regular readers will be able to pick it out straight away. The models are not covering the masthead, which I think is easier to spot on a magazine rack. Although you want your magaine to be recognisable, and by partially covering the masthead the magazine is showing no fear of people not being able to identify it, I think that covering the name of the magazine is not easy for the reader to identify and grab off a magazine stand when in a rush.

The writing on the magazine is bold and stands out,  generally in white, black and red. I think because I want my magazine to be in a 'rock style' I will have black and red writing, however this depends on the photo that I choose for my cover and which colours go well and stand out on it. The writing is a basic font, with the main words in block capitals. I think this gives a good effect as it draws you into the big stories and key points. For example, having the words 'world exclusive' in block capitals will draw attention from people, which the magazine wants as its a use of a persuasion technique. By using the term 'exclusive' it is already showing off its content to the audience, so by making this stand out on the magazine, it makes sure the reader doesn't miss that key fact.

For my magazine I want a close up, posed photo, practically covering the front page, except leaving a gap on the left hand side - which will be for the cover text. I want the background of the photo to be white, so then the text can be in black. I intend for the title of my magazine to be 'In Tune!' which will feature in the top left hand corner of the front page. I want the font to be simple but bold, so probably will choose the colour black, and I may perhaps have the title in capitals for more emphasis.

For my main article I am choosing to have a new and upcoming artist, with an exclusive interview and photoshoot. This also feature on my double page spread as the main article.

Billboard Magazine

Billboard magazine is also a chart magazine. Although I think the front cover of this is effective I do not want my front cover to be like this. I prefer the second magazine cover to the first, as in the second magazine the model stands out more on the background. However, in the first cover photo the model blends in with the background slightly and the writing is a little unclear. I do not like the dark backgrounds on both of them and I do not like that the models are covering most of the masthead as it means it is difficult for first time buyers to pickout.

Some of the colour choices on the magazine cover are also hard to see and overall I don't think that the cover gives a clear idea of the style and genre of the magazine.