Making a magazine front cover 1

I chose this image due to the texture behind the wall and the composition of the photo. The model looks happy and contempt with herself which is what I wanted her to look like when taking the photo. I wanted the model to portray these traits as she represents how a model student is supposed to be which reflects the genre. This image will appeal to the target audience of 16-25 years old as she is an attractive young model who is a college student, which many people in the target audience will identify with. I chose a bold font style in 'Rockwell extra bold' as i thought it worked nicely against her bold look and the textured background. I used a mixture of reds, yellows and blacks to grab the audiences attention. The red was used to highlight the most important features of the magazine such as the plug and the exclusive interview. The yellow was used to highlight the interview points which the target audience may be interested in and the black highlights some of the models key points of the interview. I chose to include an interview as many students would like to know how to manage their time efficiently while also keeping their social life. The plug was used to further encourage the target audience to buy the magazine by offering them a free item they wouldn't obtain anywhere else.
The masthead would appeal to the target audience as it is not harsh in font and it is quite big. This would appeal to them as 'Lifestyle' is a topic the target audience would be interested in. I included a circle puff around the plug to highlight the importance of it. I used red to do this as it is a striking colour which catches the audiences attention. I think the size of the puff works well on the magazine as it doesn't cover the model and it is just big enough to grab attention.
I think i have created brand identity through synergy as the red and yellow work nicely together through contrast. If I was to only use red for the synergy it would of looked too violent so the yellow tones the colour down slightly which creates a good balance throughout the magazine. If I was to keep using the synergy it would definitely create a brand identity. The use of media language helps create representations. Buzz words such as 'free' and 'exclusive' further grab the attention of the target audience. This links into the representation of teenagers as they like to hear about gossip and they don't have much money so they would appreciate free add on's.
When I create products for my 03/04 production I would do everything I have already done as well as adding more pugs such as bar codes to create a more authentic magazine cover. I would also make sure the text is all level to make the cover look professional.

TA Research of my images

For this caption the student is telling me that they would like more light to be cast on the models face, while overall saying they like the picture. This helped me to realise that in the future, if we use a back lit background, we should bring a light reflector with us to balance out the image for future photos. The comment also helped me realise that I maybe should choose a different image for projects such as websites and magazine covers instead of this one due to the lighting.

For this photo the comments helped me realise that her pose looks slightly awkward and that if I was to take future photos like this I should make sure to pose her correctly during the shoot. The comments also helped me realise that I should possibly use this photo for projects such as websites as they say they like it.

For this image the comments are telling me that they like the composition however the rule of thirds is slightly off. If I was to crop it slightly so the eyes would rest 2/3 of the way into the photo then it would be a good photo. The comments have also made me realise that I should possibly use this photo for a magazine cover as students like the photo.

Selection & Rejection of Photographs 1

Selects

This is one of the best photos of the group we took as the lighting is well balanced and we had experimented with the use of depth of field. The photograph has a main focus point of the models face which doesn't change with the depth of field being in use. The fore ground starts with the leaves at the right hand side, then the mid ground is the models face and body and then the background is the bush behind the model. The colour palate is very neutral with greens, browns and blues complimenting each other. I like how the models pose looks relaxed yet mysterious and how the white balance is accurate. the rule of thirds is used nicely in this picture as well as the models eyes are in 2/3 of the photo and in the middle. The way the model is looking into the camera is also a convention which is used in magazines so this could be easily used for a front cover.

I liked this photo as the rule of thirds is used well and their is a depth of field in the picture. I placed the model behind the few branches so the photo wouldn't look as staged. The branches on the right are used as the fore ground which then make the audience look towards the mid ground (which is the main focus) and then the background of the bush. The bright blue works nicely to create contrast against the grey of the fence behind the model as well as to grab the audiences attention. The model is also again looking into the camera which creates a convention which is used for magazines and front covers. The rule of thirds also works nicely here as the models eyes are in 2/3 of the way into the photo which is where most of the audiences attention is focused on. When I was taking the photo I wanted the model to look innocent and beautiful like nature is and I think she did this quite well. However if I was to take the photo again I would position the models legs a little bit differently as it comes off as a bit awkward to the audience.

For my final select I chose this one which I really like due to the composition. The lighting is perfect and doesn't create any harsh shadows on the models face. The rule of thirds again is used as the eyes on the model are in 2/3 of the way into the photo. The way the blue jumper harmonises with the green grass and the fence creates a great colour palate which overall makes the photo look pleasing for the audience. There is also a subtle use of a lead in line with the fence which guides the audiences attention towards the main focus, the model. The model is looking away from the camera which would break conventions if it was to be used on a magazine cover. I like how the hand on her shoulder makes the model seem more closed off, as if the model is holding back information to the audience. Although if I was to publish this somewhere for a website or a magazine cover I would photoshop the tree behind her out of the photo as it does distract the audiences attention slightly from the main focus.

Rejects

I didn't like this photo as the lighting was very dark and didn't produce a clear image. Their is also a grey colour palate used for this which isn't pleasing towards the audiences eye. The main focus of the model is slightly lost as the model is too far away from the camera. The use of the lead in line is alright but it distracts the audiences focus of the model slightly. I don't like how the model is slightly out of focus too. The lamp to the right also distracts the audiences attention from the model too. The use of the rule of thirds is also lost as the model is off centre and the eyes aren't 2/3 of the way into the photo. Overall if I was to retake the photo I would use a complimentary colour palate and light boxes to bring more light into the picture.

I rejected this photo as it was a candid shot of the model and it didn't look serious and actually looked quite comical. The main focus of the models face is lost as her glasses are falling down her face which makes for a blurred photo. The rule of thirds is also lost as the eyes aren't in 2/3 of the picture. There is no use of a depth of field or a lead in line so the photograph looks quite boring. The convention of the model looking into camera is also lost as she is looking at her glasses falling down. If I was to take the photo again I would have took a candid photo of the model while she was walking or dancing. 

I rejected this photo as it doesn't look pleasing for the audience. I tried to add texture behind the model by using a brick wall however the white balance ruined the effect of this. The photo does follow the rule of thirds, with the models face being the prime focus, however the model looks slightly awkward in her pose which creates an awkward atmosphere for the audience viewing the photo. If it was to be used on the front cover of a magazine I don't think it would grab many peoples attention due to the composition of the photo. Overall the photo is not bad, however the white balance and the posing of the model ruined the photo for me and the audience.