Photography issues

Today I had arranged to go into the studio to take some images for my product. Unfortunately, I had unforeseen issues with my camera which have stopped me from doing this. I have rearranged with my model to take the images after half term when more studio space is available and once I have sorted my camera, I will take images of clothing items at home for my double page spread.

lighting

For my product I am going to be using high key lighting as it is the standard for fashion photography and will make my images look more professional. Here is a diagram I found on google which explains the set up of high key lighting. The main focus of high key lighting is to eliminate shadow. I will do this by lighting the background as well as the model.

blog marking

This is the mark scheme for our blogs. After comparing this to my work, I think my blog is currently on a level 2. This is because my research and planning is currently incomplete and many of my posts lack the depth that I want them to have. I also need to organise my blog more efficiently.

Poses

For my product I am going to use a direct mode of address which is when the model stares directly at the camera as shown in the image of Miley Cyrus on the left. I am using this because it engages with the reader and helps build a relationship with the reader.









When looking at examples of well known fashion magazines, I have noticed that the main images are never full body, they usually use mid shots. I will take this into consideration when taking my own images. Here are some poses I will get my model to try.

I like the composition of this image as it draws focus directly to the model. The pose looks quite relaxed and I think it could fit well with my magazine. It is also a direct mode of address which I want to use in my image.

I like this pose as it is in between high fashion and standard fashion which will give help make my magazine look more professional.



















I like this pose as it is not the typical pose you see in magazines. I also like how you can see the outfit as that is a big focus for my magazine. The problem I see with this is that this image uses a different background to the plain studio background I will be using. I will still try this pose and see if the different background has any influence.

Recce

1.    Are there any potential hazards that could pose a health and safety risk where your photo shoot will take place (trailing cables/traffic/other objects)?

In the photography studio, there are light cables and such, which could present a safety risk.

2.    What will you do to ensure these risks are minimised?

I will make sure everyone in the room is aware of the cables and I will move them so they are still functional but pose as little risk as possible.

3.    Will the time of day/weather affect the outcome of the photos? Have you allowed for this?

As the studio is indoors, I will control the lighting and therefore the images will not be affected by weather or time of day.

4.    Have you considered the background to your photos, particularly if taken outside? How will you ensure you will get the background you want?

I am going to have a plain background in the studio as I want to take them with high key lighting, however, I may try different background colours in Photoshop once the images are taken.

5.    Have you considered lighting? What about the ‘problems’ of natural lighting, either outside, or streaming through a window? Will you need to use a flash? Have you considered reflective objects that might spoil the effect?

I am going to use high key lighting for my images. The studio I am going to use has all forms of natural lighting blocked out so the only light that will be photographed is what I put on. I will be using flash to fully optimise the high key lighting.

6.    Do you need permission to take photos in the place/venue you have in mind?

I have asked my photography teachers about the availability of the studio and I am allowed to use it during the holidays when teachers are in to provide equipment.

7.    Do you need to book time in a room (eg the photography studio at Shiney)?

I have asked my teacher about the availability of the studio and she is going to inform me of the days there is a teacher or technician in to help with equipment. I will then book some time on one of these days.

8.    Are other people/crowds likely to be an issue for you? What have you done to ensure that it will not spoil the effect?

Crowds are not an issue as the images are being taken in a controlled environment.

9.    Are you reliant on lifts/props/friends’ equipment/models? How have you planned that these things will come together at the appointed time? Plan B?

I have asked a friend who has agreed to be my model however if she cannot, my sister has agreed to do it. The camera I am going to use is  my own and the lighting is provided by the college.

10. Finally, have you thought of every eventuality…?

Yes I think so

audience research

To get an insight into my target audience I created a survey on surveymonkey.com in which I asked questions to the girls in my media class. This is helpful as there is a mix of styles but also of girls who do and don't read magazines which will give me a more unbiased result.

The people I asked were all within the age range of 16-19 which fits with my target audience and the majority of them said they read fashion magazines and they do this to keep up with the latest trends, which shows that their input will be very valuable.

When looking at the results, it showed that the things that attract people to buying a fashion magazine most are the model/outfit and the content and found the most important aspect of a front cover to them is the model/actress. The font and colour also seemed to be important.

In terms of price, most people said they would pay within the range of £2 and £2.99 which is around what I was going to charge due to my target audience being mainly students with part time jobs.

I asked what stores they mostly shop at. The top shops were:
Topshop
River Island
New Look and H&M
This is useful as it allows me to see the styles of the people that are going to be reading my magazine and if it will relate to the type of fashion I wanted to use in mine. Luckily, the clothes from most of these stores are similar to the style I was going for.

This video shows someone a few years older than in my survey but still within my target audience age range. I asked her the same questions that were on the survey and her answers were similar to those I had received before which strengthened my results.

Studio booking

For my product, I am planning to take my images in the studio at college. I went to see my photography lecturers to look at booking times however they were not in college. I am planning to see them next Tuesday when I have my next photography lesson.

UPDATE:

Over half term, the photography studio will be open on the Wednesday of half term so that will be when I take my images.

Double page spread flat plan

This is the flat plan I have created for my double page spread. I thought keeping the layout would help keep it structured and put together. The fonts and colours will all be a continuation of my front cover and contents page to keep everything tied in and together. 

I decided to put the title at the top of the page, this will help the reader easily find the article and it also keeps in with general convention. 

I then decided to keep the text predominant on both pages as it is the main feature and by filling the page with text it will allow me to put more information into the article. I considered incorporating different font sizes, styles and colours in the article to keep it from being plain and losing the reader's interest. 

I then placed the page numbers in the bottom outside corners of the page. I did this as it follows standard magazine convention and allows the reader to easily navigate around the magazine.

Flat plan for website

This is the flat plan for my website. I am going to put the masthead at the top of the page so it is very eye-catching and I am going to put links to social media next to it as it will be easier for the reader to see and with my target audience being more technology based, they are more likely to view the links. The fonts will not be exactly the same as what I am using in my magazine but I will pick the fonts that are most similar or that go well together. For colour, I am going to have the header as a block colour and keep the rest white as I think this will keep it quite simple which I prefer.

Contents Page flat plan

This is the flat plan I have created for my contents page. I am going to have the mast head present in the top left third of the page but it will be smaller then on the front cover as it is not the main focus. I will a main image on the left half of the page and place the articles on the right side opposite. I will also have the date located on the top right third and the page number on the bottom left third as I have seen these present on other magazines. The fonts used on this page will be a continuation of the fonts used on my front cover, this will tie the pages together and look professional, I will keep the colour scheme the same for these reasons also. The image will be taken in high key with direct mode of address at eye level. I think this is a good standard for taking my images as I think they all help engage the viewer.

Front cover flat plan

This is the flat plan I have created for the front cover of my magazine. I am keeping the masthead located across the top thirds of the page and placing the image in the centre. Some of the masthead will be covered by the image to give the impression that my magazine is established and well known. I will have sell lines on both sides of the image however they will not be too overpowering. I will place the essential information such as price, date and barcode in the bottom left third of the page so it does not distract from the rest of the magazine. With my model, I am going to use a direct mode of address as it engages the viewer and makes it more personal. I plan on keeping camera shots to medium close ups and close ups as I think it helps show the clothes but I like the overall look of these magazines more than ones where the full body of the model is showing. Font wise, I have found some fonts that I like that I am going to play about with and see what they look like. These include Grunge, Kenyan Coffee, Champagne & Limousine, Neou  and standard fonts such as Century Gothic. The lighting is going to be high key as this makes the image look more professional and fits with generic convention of magazines. My colour scheme is going to be quite pastel with black as a default colour.

For the main image, it is going to be of my friend Paige. It will have a direct mode of address with her looking directly into the camera. This is to make it more personal to each reader and make the front cover more engaging. It will be quite high key as this is a typical convention of fashion magazines and will make my work look more professional. She will be wearing grunge style clothing that fits with the theme of my magazine and demonstrates to the reader the type of clothes that will be featured in my work.

October Calendar

For October, my main goal was to take the images for my product while off for half term. This is because without my images I am unable to progress with my work as I plan to construct my front cover first and I think it is best to start with the image then add text to ensure that the composition works well and everything fits together to produce the style I want my product to be.