Photograph Development & Editing

These are a few of my photos that I took during my photo-shoot. They show development from before & after they were edited. I have edited them using a variety of photo-editing websites & also using Adobe Photoshop. I have removed blemishes/dark patches of skin which create an airbrushed effect to make my photographs look professional. I have experimented with brightness, contrast, saturation & hue using Fireworks. Also removing the plain background with a bright white one helps the image stand out on its on and makes it look more focused. 

Photo-shoot Results On Flickr

This is a link to my 'FLICKR' account which has all my photo-shoot results - none of them are edited or adjusted on here. These show how I have experimented with lighting, poses, costumes, make-up and camera positioning.

Evaluation of Photo-shoot

From carrying out a photo-shoot I learnt about the importance of lighting, costume and props. I used a plain background so there are no distractions from the model. I took mainly medium close-ups and close-ups of the model, I ensured he was making eye-contact with the camera as this is a key convention of a front cover image. I followed my photo-planning sheet which enabled me to produce well constructed images. 

I think the use of metallic paint worked well and created a futuristic effect, it also fits in with my potential colour scheme. I asked the model to do a variety of poses which all added effect to the photographs. I think the body language and facial expressions of the model is very important for photographs for a magazine as they can convey the emotions of the article about them. I made use of the models tattoos and included them in the photograph as the secondary focus, he also had a large flamboyant ring which I think has helped the images look fashionable and contemporary. I varied the angles I took the photographs at, most of them I took at a straight on angle but I also took some at high angle shots. I think these photographs make the model look small and vulnerable which could link in with a feature article. 

Next time I carry out a photo shoot I will consider other possibilities of lighting such a shining lamps away and using a reflector (umbrella) to shine the light onto the models face. I will also use different locations as I want a range of different types of images.

Results from my Photo-shoot

Things to Consider: (Photo-shoot)

• How the model/subject is portrayed
• Type of shot/angle
• Background 
• Lighting
• Hair/Make-up
• Costume
• Props
• Colour Scheme
• Body Language
• Facial Expressions
• Positioning of model/subject
• Representation of language 
• Denotation/Connotation 
• Editing effects (contrast/brightness)

I am going to ensure I take into account every bullet point when composing my photographs and organising my photo-shoot. These key conventions will make my photographs look well-planned and thought through which will make the end result look high quality. 

Photo-shoot Planning Table

This table shows the planning for my front cover images and potential contents page photographs too.

I have constructed a photo planning table so I can produce high quality professional photographs. This will enable me to follow the steps for the photo-shoot so nothing happens by chance or randomly.

Overall Plan for my Front Cover

Based on my results from my questionnaire and my own market research, my front cover will be image dominated will little text, only the main headline and a cover line will be mentioned. The colour scheme is going to be black and white with grey/silvers. I haven't yet decided on a name for my music magazine but I have narrowed it down to 2 which are Dimension and GListen. The background is going to be very plain (white if possible) and the image is going to be the main focal point on the page. I am going to have my masthead at the top of the page which is going to be centre aligned and masked onto the image. The text is going to be in sans-serif style font on the front cover and through out the magazine so it looks contemporary and appeals to my target audience.

The main image on the front cover is going to have a plain background, be a medium close-up/close up and be the focal point of the page. I am going to ensure my photograph looks professional and well composed.

Here is a selection of 'DAZED AND CONFUSED' magazine, my media product is going to look similar in presentation to how this magazine is laid out and how it has minimal text. Like DAZED, I am going to concentrate mainly on photography which will show in my overall product.

"FOR 20 YEARS, DAZED & CONFUSED MAGAZINE HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF YOUTH CULTURE. DEFINING THE TIMES, EACH ISSUE SHOWCASES AGENDA-SETTING EDITORIAL AND PIONEERING FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY. BASED IN LONDON BUT CREATED BY AN INTERNATIONAL COLLECTIVE OF WRITERS, IMAGE-MAKERS AND STYLISTS, DAZED AND ITS WEBSITE DAZEDDIGITAL.COM IS READ IN PRINT AND ON-LINE BY OVER 500,000 STYLE LEADERS. IT IS QUITE SIMPLY THE MOST INFLUENTIAL AND SUCCESSFUL INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE TITLE ON THE PLANET."

This paragraph comes from the 'DAZED Digital' website and expresses how the magazine originated and what its' brand stands for. My media product is going to be inspired by D&C and show similarities in layout/presentation but differences in contents/genres etc.

Rule of Thirds Research

The rule of thirds is a guideline which applies to the process of composing visual images such as designs, films, painting, and photographs. This rule is when you break down an image into 9 segments, so there are 3 thirds both horizontally and vertically. The theory is that if you place the points of interest where the lines intersect, your photo will become more balanced and will enable the viewer to interact with it more naturally.



The most important questions to ask yourself when taking a photograph and learning the rule of thirds are:

• What are the points of interest in this shot?

• Where am I intentionally placing them?

In this shot there are two focal points, the wasp is the primary focal point of interest as it is crossing 6 of the 9 segments. The flowers are the secondary point of interest as they are in the right 3 parts of the grid.

Mood Board

My mood board shows the type of content that my music magazine is going include. I have focused on things that my target audience likes or enjoys doing such as popular shops, food outlets and television programs. Music is the main focus though as I have include festivals I think they would like such as Global Gathering and Park-life, also I have included recent album covers of popular music artists and ones that fit the genre of R'n'B, Hip-Hop and Electronic. My music magazine will include most of these topics and also will mention the MOBO awards as these are most popular with the under 25's.

Photo Planning

I am going to take the photo at the same level as the subject or maybe more of a high angle shot.  The shot is going to be a medium close-up and the subject will be making eye-contact with the camera. They will be looking serious which will create a professional feel to the photo. The model for the photo-shoot is going to be male and below the age of 21. He will be presented as very into fashion and his image, I am going to use make-up/paint to make it look very extravagant. The shot will fit my brand values as I am going to make it look very futuristic and modern. It will be a very bold and bright photo, with the light being sourced from behind the camera so it doesn't create a shadow effect on the model. The background is going be very plain and completely white if possible as I don’t want any distractions away from the subject. I will take the photographs both indoors and outdoors for experimenting then see which one has worked best for what I am aiming for.  

These are some images I have collated to illustrate the type of poses and facial expressions I want my subject to have in the front cover photograph. I also want to use bold looking make up and make the model look extraordinary. 

Masthead Ideas

I have created these masthead ideas using Adobe Fireworks, I used fonts from a website so they are in the form of a Bitmap. This means I have had to edit them through using the bitmap tools on fireworks and I have learnt how to remove/reduce blurred pixels from them, how to cut them out using the magic wand and how to put an image cut-out inside the text.  

Layout Plans for Front Cover

These are ideas for the layout of my front cover for my music magazine. I have created these using PowerPoint and have used various styles of layouts. Some of the plans look busy and cluttered whilst I have made some of them look minimal and simplistic.I have made sure that I have included all the key conventions of a front cover e.g masthead, headline and cover-lines.  

Questionnaire Results Analysis 

I have collated my results from the questionnaire, firstly I tallied them and then added them up as a total. I converted the numbers of the answers of each question into pie charts and added the percentage labels to show the proportion of the answers and the names of them. I have also added an analysis to show my opinion of the results and how it is going to affect the decisions I make about my music magazine.

Overall, the questionnaire has helped me to develop my target audience, the price and how I layout my music magazine. I now have a much clearer image of how I want my media product to turn out. 

Prezi Research 

Final Questionnaire

I have decided to carry out a questionnaire to help me decide who my target audience are going to be and what type of genre of music my magazine is going to be focused on.

         1.       Are you: (Tick One)

 §  Male                     

 §  Female                   

2.       Which age group do you fit into? (Tick one)

§  12-15     

§  16-19     

§  20-24     

§  25-30     

§  30+       

3.       Which category do you (if above 21) or your parents (Below 21) fit into? (Tick one)

§  Group A (Professionals) e.g. Doctor, Barrister etc.                                 
§  Group B (Managerial) e.g. Bank Manager                                              

§  Group C1 (Non-Manual) e.g. White-collar                                              

§  Group C2 (Manual) e.g. Blue-collar                                                        

§  Group D (Partly Skilled) e.g Shop Worker                                              

§  Group E (Unskilled or Students) e.g. Casual Workers/State Benefits        

4.       How often do you read music magazines? (Tick one)

§  Daily                                            

§  Weekly                                          

§  Fortnightly                                     

§  Monthly                                        

§  Every couple of months                  

§  Less than 4 times a year               

§  Never                                          

5.       Have you ever read any of the following music magazines? (Can tick more than one)

§  NME                                            

§  Q                            

§  MOJO                    

§  VIBE                      

§  MIXMAG              

§  DJ                         

§  KERRANG!         

§  Billboard                

§  Other _________

6.       What is your favourite genre of music? (Tick one)

§  Hip-Hop                               

§  R’n’B                                    

§  Pop                                       

§  Rock/Alternative              

§  Dance                                   

§  Soul                                      

§  Electronic                            

§  Acoustic                               

§  Classical                                

§  Jazz                                        

7.       When reading a music magazine, what are you favourite type of articles/features that you like to read? (Tick two)

§  Reviews e.g. albums/songs                                         

§  News e.g.  past and future gigs/tours                     

§  Interviews with artists and bands                            

§  Competitions                                                                     

§  Celebrity gossip                                                                                

§  Rankings e.g. songs/albums                                        

§  Letters from readers asking questions                   

§  Quizzes about music etc.                                              

§  Other __________________

8.       What type of adverts would you like to see in a music magazine? (Tick one)

§  Music (Album releases/Tours)                   

§  Fashion/Beauty Products                            

§  Latest gadgets/technology                          

§  Sports Activities                                                                

§  Food/Restaurants                                          

§  Job Vacancies          
                                       

9.       What persuades you to buy a music magazine? (Tick one)

§  The price                                                                             

§  The headlines/cover-lines                                           

§  The main image on the front cover                          

§  The name of the magazine                                         

§  The articles on the contents page                             

§  The colour scheme/layout of the front cover     

§  The Freebies/Offers                                                       

10.   Would you prefer: (Tick one)

§  A minimalistic style front cover/contents page (Image dominated) [   ]

§  A busier style front cover/contents page (Text dominated) [   ]

11.   Which colour scheme do you prefer? (Tick one)

§  Black & White (Monochrome)                                                     

§  Black, White And a Primary Colour (Yellow, Red, Blue)      

§  Dark Colours: (Navy, Brown, Dark Greens)                           

§  Metallic Colours Such As (Bronze, Silver, Gold)                   

§  Pastel Colours Such As (Pinks, Greens, Oranges)                               

§  Florescent Colours (Pink, Yellow, Orange)                           

12.   Which name do you prefer for a music magazine? (Tick one)

§  Raw                       

§  Just Out               

§  Gleam                  

§  GListen                                 

§  Untouched         

§  Cutting-edge     

§  Tempo                 

§  Distinct                 

13.   How do you listen to music the most? (Tick one)

§  Buy CDs                                                                

§  Download Music Online                                                

§  Watch Music Videos on YouTube/TV    

§  Go to See Music Live (Gigs and Tours)   

14.   Where do you shop the most? (Tick one)

§  Primark etc.                                                                       

§  JD Sports, Other branded sportswear shops                                        

§  Low End High Street e.g New Look, H&M etc.                                     

§  Middle End High Street e.g Zara, Topshop/man etc.                         

§  High end High Street e.g. Reiss, All Saints etc.                                     

§  Designer Clothes from Boutiques e.g. Polo Ralph Lauren etc.     

§  Not on the High Street – Gothic Shops in Oasis Market etc.          

1  15.  How much would you be willing to pay for a music magazine? (Tick one)

§  Less than £1.00                 

§  £1.00-£1.99                         

§  £2.00-£2.99                        

§  £3.00-£4.00                        

§  More than £4