My Finished Pages...

Front Cover:

Contents Page:

Double Page Spread:

Evaluation

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Throughout my music magazine - front cover, contents and double page spread - I have used many conventions.
For my front cover image I decided to use a medium close-up of my model, looking directly into the camera, as this is a convention used by many music magazines. Having the model look directly into the camera when taking the photo, gives the illusion that the model is looking out of the magazine, at the audience, helping the magazine to connect on a more personal level with the target audience. For this reason, this type of cover image is often used by similar magazines. The title of my magazine is positioned at the very top of the page, as are most magazine titles. The front cover image overlaps with it slightly which is also a convention of magazines, as it makes the model stand out further to the reader and gives the page a sense of depth. Also, my magazine cover contains a pug, as well as a barcode, date, price and issue number. These are all features of a conventional magazine. Another conventional trait that my front cover has is that the left-hand third of the page contains the most information. The pug as well as the majority of the coverlines are listed down this third, the reason for this being that this is the section of the cover that will be visible from a shop shelf. If the audience is able to clearly see what the magazine has to offer when on a shop shelf, they are more likely to be drawn towards it. I have chosen to use conventions rather than challenge them, as it is clear that conventional magazines are very successful, and so I didn't think that challenging conventions would in any way benefit my magazine. The only thing that I would say is maybe not so conventional about my magazine is that there is not a strapline running across the top. I decided that there was not enough space at the top of the cover to fit a strapline without sacrificing the visibility of my masthead. Instead I decided to run a strapline across the bottom of the page. I think that in this case, challenging this convention has been successful, as I think the strapline running across the bottom of the page fits the page well.

My contents page also uses many conventions. To start with I have followed the same colour scheme that I had used for the front cover. This is often seen in magazines as it helps the magazine to flow from page to page. The title of the magazine, Quake, is also repeated on the contents, however on a much smaller scale. This is again a convention and helps the magazine to flow. As well as this the issue number is also shown as is commonly seen on a conventional magazine. The arrangement of my contents page has been mainly influenced by the KERRANG contents page that I had analysed previous to production. The pages are listed under 2 headings - 'REGULARS ' and 'FEATURES' - resembling a Q magazine contents page. Grouping the page listings under separate headings is conventional and makes the page clear and easy to use. Also, under each main heading there is a sub-heading in capital letters, positioned next to the relevant page number, followed by a brief summary for each page listed. I have also put page numbers on the images, so that it is clear what image is representing what story. These are conventional features that make the page easier for the reader to navigate from. I have also included a smaller image of the double page spread, along with a smaller image of the front cover, as I had seen this done on many magazine contents pages. Again I haven't really challenged any conventions however, I have used an image as my background. I haven't seen this done in any of the music magazines that I analysed. Most music magazines appear to use a plain, block colour, background.


My double page spread is also very conventional. I have again used the same colour scheme as the other pages so that the magazine flows throughout. There are also 2 small versions of the magazine title - the same as that on the contents page - positioned in vertically opposite corners of the double page. I have seen the magazine title repeated like this in many other music magazines. The pages are also numbered in the bottom corners which is nearly always the case in any magazine. There is one main, very large image on the page as well as 2 much smaller additional images. Having one very large image dominating the page is conventional for a magazine double page spread. It is also common for there to be several other images, breaking up the page and making it look more interesting. The text on the page is arranged in equal columns and there is a brief summary/caption above, spreading across the width of 2 columns. This arrangement is conventional and makes the page appear professional. I have also made sure that the arrangement prevents the fold down the centre of the double page from interrupting any text. This is definitely an important magazine convention. I have again chosen not to challenge any conventions as I think that following the conventions is likely to make my magazine more of a success with my target audience.

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The representation of different social groups, such as, age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality and social class, can be both negative and positive. I think that it is important that my media product is not in anyway biased towards particular social groups. My music magazine clearly represents the indie/rock genre of music and is in many ways similar to other music magazines that focus on this genre. The model on the front cover is wearing clothing that is often associated with indie/rock music. Her leather jacket in particular indicates just how the type of people that would be interested in the magazine may dress. The models are all of a young age (mostly late teens), as this represents my target audience that are aged, late teens - adults in their 20's. Also, models on other similar indie/rock magazines tend to be within this age range. My main model Em (who I have used on the front cover) is very pretty and so men are likely to be drawn in as they will find her physically attractive, whilst woman may be attracted as they aspire to be like her. Attractive people are often put on the covers of similar magazines for this reason. This can however make some people feel inferior in comparison, which is why using mainly attractive people can often cause controversy. I do not think that this will be such an issue with my magazine as it is aimed at a relatively young audience. I think that it may have been more of a problem if the magazine was aimed at an older audience, who would probably rather see ordinary looking people photographed. There appears to be more girls than boys photographed in my magazine, which was mainly due to the fact that the stories I was going to photograph in my magazine were about female artists. I did however consider using more girls/women so that the magazine was more likely to appeal to the male members of my audience. I would usually however want my magazine to have an even spread of both genders. All of the people photographed in my magazine are white, the only reason for this being that the indie/rock magazines I analysed previous to production seemed to predominantly contain white people. Like rap music is often associated with black people, indie/rock music is often associated with white people. I would happily feature people of other races in my magazine and am in no way biased towards white people.

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

I think that a media institution such as Bauer media group (http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/), that is responsible for publishing and distributing magazines such as Q and KERRANG, might distribute my music magazine. Bauer media group are hugely successful and have a portfolio of influential media brands that includes many of the best known magazines in the UK. The institution already publishes music magazines that contain similar content to my magazine (Quake). This could mean that they would be interested in publishing Quake, although they might see Quake as competition for the music magazines that they already publish. For this reason they may not want to publish my magazine in case it causes any conflict or issues to arise. I would hope that this would not be the case, as my target audience is very different from the mature men Q magazine is aimed at. Quake is also not really focused on the kind of 'hardcore' rock that KERRANG is, and so I would say that my magazine has its own place, fitting somewhere between the 2.

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience I am aiming my media product at is young people, aged late teens-adults in their 20's, who have a particular interest in indie/rock music. The 'Target Audience' post on my blog includes 2 target audience profiles, as well as a brief explanation as to who my music magazine would be aimed at and why it would be suitable for the 2 boys/young men I have written profiles for.

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

I have attempted to attract my target audience by producing a conventional magazine, that is similar to other existing magazines that my audience are likely to already be interested in. The images I have used in my magazine are all of young people (most in their late teens). This helps in attracting my young target audience as they will be able to relate more easily to the models photographed, as they are of a similar age to themselves. The clothing that the main cover model (Em) is dressed in - her leather jacket in particular, with its studded collar and edgy appearance - resembles clothing that the target audience are likely to wear. This again helps my target audience to relate to the model.
The main image on the contents page of the model (Michelle) wearing a fancy dress ladybird outfit is a bit 'wacky and out there'. Indie/rock music can often give a similar impression which is why this choice of clothing/costume should appeal to my young, fun loving, target audience. Also, the position of the model's body in this image portrays a laid back relaxed feel, whilst the angle of the image still gives it that quirky edge. The other fairly large image on the page shows the model (Em) striking a lively pose. She almost looks as though she is dancing, which would appeal perfectly to the young audience I am targetting, as they are at the age when they enjoy going out to clubs and bars, where dancing is a main focus.
Indie/rock music often involves instruments such as guitars and drums, which is why I decided to photograph my main model holding an electric guitar. This electric guitar is featured on all 3 of the pages. This not only helps to continue the musical theme of the magazine as you go from page to page, but also engages the audience, showing them that the people featured in the magazine have similar musical interests to themselves.
Also featured in my magazine is a red classic MG BGT car. I have used an image of the main model (Em) sitting in the driver's seat of the car on my double page spread. I have chosen to use this car as not only does it fit well with my colour scheme, but it is also a very classy car, the type of car that anyone would be proud to drive. As young people tend to care a lot about their image, this choice of car should appeal to my target audience. Em's facial expression in the image is inviting and could even be seen as seductive. This will appeal to the male members of my target audience, who will not only be attracted to the car - boys being stereotypically interested in cars - but also the girl within the car. This image should also appeal to the female members of my target audience as they are likely to envy the model's good looks, as well as her sexy sports car.
All 3 of the pages portray a sense of darkness that I think will appeal to my target audience, as rock music in particular is often associated with darkness. For certain text on the pages I have used bold, capital font to grab the attention of the audience, as well as to give a loud impression, much like the music itself. The language I have used is also very dramatic, for example, I have described May'em's time in rehab as her 'battle with addiction'. Using dramatic language and emphasing points in a loud way will appeal to my young target audience. This style of language would not be as well recieved with a much older audience, who would probably rather just have the facts than a dramatised version of the truth.

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Throughout this coursework unit I have used a variety of different technologies. I have adapted to using the Mac computers, which before this project I had never used. At first it was strange as the set-up was very unfamiliar to me. All computers that I had used in the past used microsoft windows software, where as this was obviously not the case with the Mac computers. All of the icons and programmes were arranged differently, so it took a bit of time for me to get used to it. I liked some features of the Mac computers however, I think that I would have preferred to use a computer with software that I was more familiar with.
Another new concept for me was blogging. I had never had my own blog before, so setting up one to document my coursework was completely new to me. I wasn't too keen on the idea of posting all my coursework on a blog at first and I was sure that I would have preferred presenting the work in a folder. However, once I got used to Blogger and had spent time playing around with all the different page settings, I found that it was a much easier, more efficient way to complete my coursework. Posting on my blog was so quick and simple, and any mistakes could be easily adjusted.
The main technology that has been vital during the whole production process is the Photoshop software. I first used this software when completing my preliminary task. To begin with I found it extremely difficult to use. There were so many different settings and tools that made the software just bewildering for someone like me who had never used it before. One tool that I found particularly hard to use was the magnetic lasso tool. I remember using this in both my preliminary task and my main coursework production. I used the tool to cut out people from images and it was a very frustrating process. You needed a very steady hand and lots of patience to be able to cut out the images neatly. I didn't seem to really have a problem with any of the other tools once I had familiarised myself with their functions. One thing that was an issue though, was that Photoshop tended to crash quite frequently when I was using it on the Mac computers. One time when working from my memory stick, on my preliminary task, Photoshop crashed and deleted the whole document off of my memory stick. This was unbelievably frustrating and meant that I had to produce the whole task from scratch, as I didn't have the work saved anywhere other than my memory stick. I learnt from this and made sure that from that moment on I saved work in several places, in case this was to happen again. I don't know why the software kept crashing but it never happened with the Photoshop that I used on my computer at home, which is why much of my production was completed at home in my own time. As I used photoshop more and more I found there were so many interesting effects I could add to my pages. I used the inner and outer shadows on much of my text as well as many of my images to give the page more depth. I also used the software to adjust the hue and brightness of images. I would spend ages exploring and experimenting using all of the different editing tools and features. My magazine title, QUAKE, in particular to me a long time to create. As the front cover was the first page I produced, much of Photoshop was still completely new to me and so it took me a while to find the desired effects I wanted to add to my title. I used the effects column that runs down the right-hand side, combining effects until I was happy with the overall look of my title. Another very useful tool was the scale option on the move tool. This allowed me to re-size any images without stretching or altering the proportion of the image. The eyedropper tool also came in handy, as it allowed me to take a colour from one section of the page and use it for another section or feature on the page. I frequently used it to select the shade of red used for the title, so that I could use it elsewhere on the page, helping to keep with the colour scheme of the page.
Before I could even begin to use Photoshop, I firstly need to take my images for my magazine. To do this I used my ordinary, 10.2 mega pixels camera. My main photo shoot was done in the woods, in the evening which meant that lighting was very poor. My camera managed pretty well in these conditions, I had to use the brightest flash available and luckily still managed to get a few amazing photos. I was extremely pleased with the pictures until I uploaded them onto the computer and found that unfortunately many of them looked grainy and not as sharp as I had hoped. Also, due to the bright flash the model's (Em) face looked fluorescent white, with little or no definition showing her features. Fortunately, I was able to use a fair few of the photos that came out well. I have learnt from this that it would have probably been better to have taken the photos in anything other than pitch black conditions! I should have been more prepared, by maybe using some form of artificial lighting or using a more professional, better equipped camera.

7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

I have learnt so much in the progression from my preliminary task to my full product. When completing my preliminary task I had carried out no real research into how a school magazine should look and what it should contain. Little planning went into producing both the front cover and contents page. The images that I used were taken quickly and with no real thought going into certain vital aspects such as costume and location. At the time I didn't realise just how important it was to have good, strong images for my magazine. To take many of the photos I had used my 5 mega pixels camera on my phone, which is why the images were so poor in comparison to the images I used for my full product. The main image on the front cover of my school magazine is especially poor, the image is blurry and the model looks distracted. I can see now that is not at all suitable as the main cover image. For my full product (music magazine) I put a huge amount of thought into how and where the photos should be taken. I had done my research and after analysing several other music magazines, I could make informed decisions on what sort of images would best appeal to my target audience. I also used a digital camera that was double the mega pixels of my phone camera, so that my images would come out much clearer and look more professional. I took a wide variety of images to make sure that I had lots to choose from when it came to picking the best ones to use for my magazine. I took very few for the preliminary task and so limited the amount of choice I had.
My Photoshop skills have also improved dramatically. My school magazine cover and contents (preliminary task) look very cheap and amateurish. I had used the magnetic lasso tool to cut out my main cover model, which I found extremely difficult. The edges around her head look rough and the image stands out like a sore thumb - not at all as it should. At the time my Photoshop skills were very basic and looking back now I should have atleast tried to soften the edges using the eraser tool. The cover's blue background looks very basic and the shade of blue I have used clashes badly with the bright red. The contents page looks slightly better in comparison to the cover, however it is still very basic. All in all I have learnt a great deal in the progression to my full product. During production my Photoshop skills improved very quickly, enabling me to produce a much more professional looking magzine, that would be better suited to the audience I was aiming it at.

Preliminary Task

Front Cover:


Contents Page:

For my preliminary coursework I had to design and produce a front cover and contents page for a school magazine.
To begin I had to decide what my magazine would be called. This was relatively easy as I knew I wanted to go for a simple heading and quickly settled for ‘Goffs Weekly’. After this I had to think up at least 8 story headings that I would list on the contents page; some of which would be included on my front page. After I had an idea of what my front page and contents page was going to include I had to draw up 2 designs for each page. This went well and I was pleased with my designs and just hoped that I would be able to create something similar when it came to producing the pages on the computer.
For my 2 pages I was going to need to take several photographs that related to the story headings, as well as a medium close-up of a student to be the main feature on my front page. I really enjoyed this part of the task and loved being imaginative and thinking of different ways to represent the story behind each heading. I did however have some issues with the quality of some of my photographs, particularly the medium close-up for the front page. For this photo I used my phone camera which resulted in the quality of the picture not being as clear as it probably should have been. I learnt from this and decided for the rest of the photo’s to use a digital camera. However, I did still use the medium close-up that was taken with my phone camera as this was my favourite and definitely the most suitable, but in future tasks I will know to use a higher quality camera for all photographs.
Following this it was time to start producing the finished pages. To do this I was going to use photoshop, a software that I had no experience using. Firstly I needed to cut out the medium close-up for my front page using the magnetic lasso tool. This was extremely difficult and really tested my patience. After several attempts I finally managed to cut around the picture successfully. I copied and pasted the picture on to my front page and began resizing the image until I was happy with its position. I then chose a font for the title and carried on resizing photos for the front page, trying to follow my design where possible. I chose to use bright colours for much of the font so that it would stand out against the blue background. My front page was nearly complete but before I was happy with it I experimented with the different tools on the software, hoping to improve it further.
Finally I made a start on my contents page, which was much simpler. I tried to use similar colours to the front page as I wanted both pages to have a similar theme. I used bold font for the title ‘contents’ as I wanted it to stand out clearly. I also included the school logo as I had on my front page to link the 2 pages. The pictures on this page related to the story headings listed and I tried to choose carefully so that I had a variety. One thing that I found difficult when doing this page was positioning the numbers over the black boxes. I think that this was mainly due to the fact that the software was completely new to me.
I was pleased with both of my pages, particularly the contents as it looks very similar to my original designs. It also looks slightly more professional than the front page. The front page to me looks quite amateur, probably because I’m not very advanced at using the software. Hopefully this will improve with practice and experience, and in the future tasks should be easier to complete and look more professional.

Double Page Spread Development

To begin with I re-sized my main image until I was happy with its size and position on the page. I then added 2 shapes, layered on top of one another, to create the strip running across the width of the page - this would mount the title. I added outer shadows to both the image and the shapes to give the page a kind of 3D appearance, adding depth. The title is again in red, like the title on the front cover and the contents, helping to link the pages together. I also used the same 'stencil' style of font as I had used on the cover.

When I was happy with my initial arrangement I added my first section of text. I wanted this caption of text to be blunt and dramatic, drawing the reader in, which is why I decided to use capital letters in a large, bold font. To make the caption stand out even further I added a line underneath to emphasise its importance and separate it from the text that would go below. I also wanted the artist's name 'May'em' to be clearly shown somewhere on the page and so decided to type her name down the left-hand side of the main image. I used the same colours - black and red - as i had used for the title. I wasn't sure if this was the best arrangement and so typed it across the bottom of the image as well, to compare. From doing this I came to the decision that using both actually looked more effective and kind of framed the image. Following this I added another, much smaller image in the bottom left-hand corner. I had seen this done in other music magazines and thought it helped to balance out the page.

Next it was time to add the main text. The content was going to be an interview between the magazine and a famous artist. There is a small paragraph to begin with that briefly summarises what will follow. This text is in a slightly larger, bolder font than the rest so that it stand out. For the actual interview the text alternates red to black, so that it fits nicely with the colour scheme of the page. The interview questions are in bold red font, followed by the artist's answers in regular black font. I often see this done for interviews in magazines and not only does it look effective but it also helps to make it clearer for the reader. There is another image that I added at the bottom of the page, so that the fold of the page would not run through the text. I then positioned the text around this image which was particularly difficult as the image is circular. It was also hard to measure out the columns to the right width, making sure they were all relatively equal to one another and that the gaps between columns were similar in size. When it came to doing this and deciding on font size I based my decisions on text of the music magazines that I had previously analysed.

Finally, I added the final touches to my double page spread. This included page numbers, spaced at equal distances from the edge of the page in both bottom corners. As well as this I added a small version of the magazine title - Quake - in the top left-hand and bottom right-hand corners. To create this small version of the title I simply selected, copied and pasted the title from the front cover and re-sized it. I think it finishes the page off well and helps the magazine to flow as this same title can be seen on both the front cover and contents. I also added some text in a white, italic font across the image. This is supposed to appear as though it has been quoted from the artist, and just helps to add a little something extra. The final feature added to my double page spread was the small CD cover, located in the bottom right-hand corner. I created this in a separate photoshop document before copying and pasting it on to the page. I think that it fits well and makes the whole page look a bit more like a real music magazine.

Contents Page Development

This is the first stage of production for my contents page. I based the initial design around the KERRANG contents page that I analysed previously. I liked the idea of having a rectangular strip of yellow and black behind the title, 'contents', as it resembles warning tape, giving the page a sense of danger. I didn't however want the yellow and black to be too bright, dominating the page and so adjusted the opacity of the shape. The title, 'contents' is in a simple, yet bold style of font and is in the colour red - as was the front cover title. I have altered the font slightly so that it appears as though it has been 'stamped' onto the page, causing it to stand out more and look more classy. Next, I divided the page in 2, horizontally using a black line. This line would separate the images from the text - images occupying the upper half, text occupying the lower half. I placed a small version of the magazine title, 'Quake', on top of a jagged shape and then positioned this on the line that separates the page. I then drew 2 black rectangles, either side of the lower half, using the rectangle shape tool. The text would be placed on top of these rectangles. I also gave the page a black border, to sort of act as a frame, helping to draw more attention to the content of the page.

Next I added the images. I wanted there to be one main image that was larger than all the others - for this I was going to use a photo of Michelle (lady red), as her outfit matched the black and red colour scheme of the page. I altered the image so that it was slightly slanted as I didn't want the page to look too neat. I then added the other images - 3 of which related to the main cover story, including a small, copied and pasted version of the double page spread. The other 2 images will represent other stories/pages of the magazine. I wanted all the images to be different shapes and sizes and have a kind of random arrangement to make the page look more interesting. I also added another rectangle - white this time - in between the 2 black rectangles. This would contain a competition or offer of some sort.

Next I added the text. I listed the 'features' pages on top of one of the black rectangles and then listed the 'regulars' pages on top of the other. I used a bold, white font, typing the heading of each story in larger, capital letters. The page number is given in red, to the left of each heading, so that it stands out clearly, making the page easy to use. Following each heading I typed a very brief summary just to let the reader know vaguely what each page has to offer. This will help to draw the reader in, particularly if the reader is just flicking through the magazine (for example in a doctors waiting room), as they will be able to find what they are looking for simply at a glance. Drawing in casual readers like this can create new customers as it is an effective way of promoting the magazine. The text on the central, white rectangle is about a subscription offer and, as alternating colours are used, it is clear to the reader that this is separate from the page listings.

Following this I added the final touches, including a dark coloured background, made up of 2 images. I didn't like the plain white background and found having a dark background fitted my magazine better. I also added a small version of the magazine front cover to the box containing the subscription offer. I had seen this done on other music magazine contents pages and think that it makes the page look more professional. I also added page numbers to the images to make it clear what images represented what stories/pages. I mounted the red page numbers onto black rectangles, so that they matched the listed page numbers.

Finally I made a few last minute alterations as I still was not completely happy with the overall look of my contents page. The background was too dark and too busy, taking the attention away from the text and images. To resolve this I deleted one of the background photo layers and reduced the opacity of the other. I think that this looks much better as the light grey colour doesn't clash with any of the features on the page. Also, the background photo is much clearer as it is no longer combined with another background image. You can faintly see the barbed wire in the upper left-hand corner, which helps to create the dangerous, edgy feel I am aiming for. I also deleted the black and yellow shape behind the title as it looked a bit out of place and didn't really follow the colour scheme of my magazine. I replaced it with a jagged shape which I think suits, not only the page, but also the overall look of the magazine a lot better. I also, changed the small version of the title and moved it up to the top left corner, as where it originally was made the page look too overcrowded. This allowed me to re-size the images and the white rectangle slightly improving the overall appearance of the magazine, making it look more 'clean cut'.

Front Cover Development

Firstly, I re-sized the cover image to fit the page. Following this I added my masthead, QUAKE, choosing a font I felt was appropriate. I added inner-shadows and an outer glow to the font, using the effects panel down the right-hand side.

I wanted the image of Em to overlap with the masthead slightly and so opened the same picture again in another document and cut around her head using the magnetic lasso tool. It was extremely difficult to distinguish between the background and the top of Em's head and so it took several attempts. I wasn't too worried about the rest of the image being cut out carefully as it was going to be placed on top of the other identical photo of Em. After cutting out the image, I used the eraser tool on a thick, blurred brush to soften the edges around her head.

I then copied and pasted the cut out image on to my cover, adding it as the top layer so that Em's head overlapped with the masthead. This is a convention of many popular, well-known music magazines.

Next, I began to add text. Firstly, I added the main coverline as it related to the image and so needed to stand out in comparison to other text. I added a rectangular shape and used the eyedropper tool to make it the same colour as a section on Em's top. I then covered the shape with the heading of my coverline, MAY'EM, using the same style of font as the masthead (stencil). Following this I added the words: 'ROCK'S BIGGEST REBEL IS BACK... EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW!', to briefly summarise the main story in a dramatic way. I added effects to the text to make it look more interesting, helping the magazine to grab the attention of my target audience. The blurred, glow effect I have added to the words, 'EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW!' almost make it look graffiti like, which suits the type of audience I am trying to attract perfectly.

Next I added the other coverlines, using 3 main colours - red, white and blue. I used similar style fonts and capital letters throughout to continue the loud, yet classy theme. I tried to distribute the text evenly across the page, careful not to draw attention away from the cover image and main coverline.

Finally, I added the final features to my cover, including; a pug, barcode, date, price, strapline and additional images. The pug was created by adding text to a cirle I had produced using the shape tool. I then added a blurred, glowing effect to meke it look more classy and interesting. I didn't want the pug to look to cheap and tacky like pugs often can. I merged the barcode, date and price on top of a white rectangle as I had seen this done on several other magazines. I decided to use my strapline to simply 'name drop' a few bands that would feature in my magazine. The additional images I added fit discretely in the bottom corner so that attention isn't taken away from the main cover image.

Photo analysis

I like this one but unfortunately I think her face looks too washed out by the bright light streaming in from behind the trees. Her pose is strong and powerful, helping her to stand out, and the headphones around her neck, together with the speaker she is resting her foot on, reinforce the musical theme.

This image is similar to the one below, however I believe that it is definitely not as strong. The angle at which it was taken appears to have made the image look kind of 'unbalanced'. I again like the position of her body and her expression, however I definitely prefer the image below.

This is my all time favourite photo! I love the position of her body - the way her legs stretch forward - as well as the distracted expression on her face. The background made up of shingle and greenery suits her ladybird themed outfit well, whilst the speaker next to her helps to relate the image back to music. I have altered the colour on this particular version of the image so that the red of her costume appears stronger.

I love Michelle's pose and the cheeky expression she has on her face in this photo! The speaker on the step in the background will remind the audience of the musical focus of the magazine. I also like the white door in the background as it contrasts effectively with the costume, particularly the antenna on Michelle's head.

For my main contents image I wanted Michelle to play a quirky artist who goes by the name 'Lady Red'. I decided to dress her in a red and black ladybird outfit to not only fit the colour scheme of my magazine, but to also tie in with the artist's name. I also dressed her in a leather jacket to make the whole outfit appear more edgy and therefore more suitable for the style of my magazine. Additional props were a speaker, old record player and chunky headphones. I like the way she appears to be looking up at the camera and the angle at which her legs are positioned.

I'm not so keen on this photo. I wanted the boys to try and look natural, as though they don't realise they are having their picture taking, and instead of looking natural I think they just look slightly awkward.

This is a photo of 3 boys (Omar, Hayden and Charlie) posing as a band. I like the plain, yet classy colours they are wearing and the fact that they are looking away from the camera. This makes the boys look more natural and as though taking the photo has caught them off-guard. This image will be used either on the contents page or as a small cover image.

I love Em's pose in this photo, however she doesn't appear to stand out a great deal, and the photo looks as though it is more about the car than to her. For this reason I will not be using it.

This photo reminds me of something out of an edgy fashion magazine. I like her powerful pose and think that it makes her look as though she is coming out of the image. Her hair frames her face well, contrasting harshly against her white skin. The chains on her dress reinforce the idea of her being controlled by her addiction in the past.

I like the position of Em's body in this photo, particularly her legs. Her expression is serious and the image overall has a kind of sinister feel. I do like the photo however I doubt I will use it, as I just think that as a whole it looks a bit messy - the car door hinges are exposed and the murky blue garage floor is covered in leaves.

This photo was taken in my dad's classic car. I love her over the shoulder pose and the almost flirtatious looking expression. There are small areas of red in this photo (on the centre of the steering wheel, the side of the car door, the dial on the dashboard...) which help to reinforce the colour scheme of the magazine - red, blue, black. I have also considered using this one as my main cover image, however I think that it may look more effective either on the contents, or double page spread.

This is one of my favourite photos and will probably be used as my main cover image. The quality of the photo is better than many of the other images that were taken in the woods and as it is a mid-shot I believe it is more suitable for use as the main image. Em's expression is very powerful - her eyes looking out, allowing her to connect with the target audience, drawing them in. Also, her white face stands out in contrast with the rest of the image, which makes her appear more prominent. The guitar is again visible to remind the reader of the musical focus of the magazine. I decided to wrap the 'police don't cross' tape around Em's wrists to resemble hand cuffs, signifying how her addiction was trapping her. Another good thing about this image is that there is space at the top and on either side of Em where, if used as a cover image, text can be placed.

The idea behind this photo is that Em's character, May'em, is now free from her addiction after her time in rehab, and is now throwing her drugs off of the bridge. The dark meaning behind this image makes it well suited to the style of magazine I am aiming to create. I decided to include the guitar in this image to make sure that the musical focus of the magazine is continuous throughout the images.

The character that Em is playing, May'em, is considered to be a bit of a 'rebel' who has recently been released from rehab. The idea behind this photo is for Em's character, May'em, to appear as though she is breaking free from her alcohol/drug addiction, and fighting her way back into the music industry. I chose to use the 'police don't cross' tape to signify this and give the photo a dangerous, edgy feel. Unfortunately the poor quality of this image means that it would not be suitable for use as the main cover image.

I very much like the way Em's body is positioned in this photo - leaning backwards whilst holding the guitar upright. The serious expression on her face is also quite effective. The only real problem is that the quality of the photo isn't great and so it would have to be used as a small image only.

This is one of my favourite images. I have adjusted the brightness as in the original image Em wasn't as prominent looking as I had hoped. By increasing the brightness, I managed to make her face lighter and highlight certain areas improving the overall effect of the image. I like that the bridge fading into the background looks quite spooky and adds a sense of depth.

I really love Em's aggressive expression in this photo, it is just the kind of thing I was looking for and is well suited to the artist she is modelling as. Her face looks bright white and contrasts against the dark background, helping her to stand out further. The guitar also looks amazing, and as though it is coming out of the photo! Unfortunately part of it is cut off, which happened due to the fact that I was unable to clearly see what was in the frame when taking the photo, as it was so dark.

This was one of the first photo's I took. I was originally aiming to take the photos at dusk as I didn't want the images to come out grainy due to poor lighting. Unfortunately, it got dark a lot earlier than we expected and so I had to take my photos in the pitch black! Luckily my camera was good enough for me to still get some amazing pictures. I really like this one, the wire mesh fence and barbed wire in the background help to create the edgy, dangerous look I was hoping for. I wanted to use black and yellow warning tape but was unable to get hold of any and so decided to use the red, blue and white crime seen tape that was available to me. This actually worked out perfectly as, blue and red were 2 of the colours in my overall colour scheme for the magazine. The guitar and amp in the foreground reinforce the whole musical theme and also fit well with the dark setting. As this is a full length body shot I decided it would not really be suitable for the front cover, however it could be used on the contents or double page spread.