Models picture before photoshop 

Models picture after photoshop

This picture may be used as my cover because i believe it suits the genre of the magazine well. this s due to 3 main things: 

1. Costume: Hip hop is a genre in which artist often use clothing to portray a certain image. Hip Hop is a very 'rough' and 'edgy' genre and that is exactly what the clothing is portraying. We often look at colours and think of connotations that could go with that colour. Most hip hop artist wear black and one could say the connotations for this are: dark, death, rough, edge, violence etc. so just by wearing black, the model is putting forward the one thing i want to bring out which is : The Dark Side of Hip Hop.  

2. Filter: Having the picture in black and white contributes to the message i'm trying to send out to the audience (the dark side of hip hop). This is because there is a repetition of darkness in the actual image (dark clothing, filter etc.) putting a real emphasis on the fact that hip hop is a 'rough' and 'edgy' genre. 

3. Pose: The way my model is posing is very edgy and rough and from my view that is what i believe hip hop is based on. Hip hop is a very patriarchal genre where nearly all of the men are seen a 'rough' and 'edgy' (this could be due to their physical appearance or it could be based on the lyrics their songs include) and by posing with his hands clenched into a fist, it brings out the 'rough', 'edgy' and 'dark' side of hip hop showing that he is willing to take on anything a person or society throws at him. 

studio pictures of model (1)

Studio Notes

Backdrop: 

- White back drop which can be made look darker or lighter 

- Never have the model stand right at the back of the drop as they will bleach in. Have your model 5-6 feet from the back drop (distance from the subject). 

Lighting: 

- Lights should be off while photographing as the room lights will effect the picture. 

- Flash Head- it is a flash unit giving elements of contrast. 

- 3 point lighting for portrait pictures 

- Model lights are used for portrait as it adds light to any area above the hip. 

- 3 types of lights: model, fill & hair light. 

- Doing a 3:1 lighting ratio helps add contrast and creates a better effect. 

Back of the light: 

You have a few buttons such as: 

- On & Off

- Test (everything works together) 

- Music note which beeps informing us that the light is ready to go again. 

- + and - for light setting (how bright you want the light to be. 1 is the lowest and 6 is the highest) 

- Godox which is a remote control and is the transmitter. 

Camera: 

- Camera  that are used normally are DSLR 

- DSLR's have a 2 card memory slot 

- To add an effect to the picture, e.g black and white you must go to menu then press ok and choose monochrome. 

- Always look at the play back to view any shots you've taken which can be done by pressing the play button. 

- Settings you should use: A&S (Aperture and Shutter) aperture is for focus of the camera and shutter is for movement. 

- Reflectors: used for a warm tone or cool tone. 

  

 

Distribution of magazines

For this task, I visited WHSmith to view the way they display music magazine. In the past, when displaying magazines they would use a ruler to evenly space out magazines (the space between was about 12cm). However when I asked the store manager if this method was still in use, he explained this method is no longer in use and new methods have been brought in. These methods are known as 'Merchandising best sellers" & 'Beacon Brand'. Merchandising bestsellers is a method in which WHSmith position bestsellers in the front teir of the category. Beacon brand is a method they use in which a particular magazine could contact them regarding where the magazine will be positioned at pay extra to have a box like holder which sticks out in which magazines are place. Both method work well in catching the audiences attention and promoting sales.

When I took a look at the magazines, I noticed two magazine stood out in particular (Mojo & Rock). I went ahead and asked the store manager how well it was doing in sales and he confirmed that Mojo & Rock were their best seller which is why they were positioned right at the front; He also mentioned that some magazines pay extra to ensure that they are the face of every teir. If you look, the way Mojo & Rock are positioned, no other magazine is in front of it. There is a clear space left between Mojo & Rock and the other magazines displayed on it's left and right. What is more to add is, we can see the whole cover page of the magazine and we can clearly see the free CD they are giving away (sale promotion). We can also see that both magazines are covering other magazines which are just about shown in the display. One thing both magazines have in common is their main cover picture. There has been a use of dark images with bold and bright complimentary colours. Another thing is both are giving away a free CD as stated before promoting sales. People would see this and be more attracted towards the magazine and will be more likely to buy the magazine. 

XXL Distribution methods: 

http://m.xxlmag.com

https://mobile.twitter.com/XXL

https://m.facebook.com/Xxl13?refsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2F&_rdr

http://m.ustream.tv/xxlmagazine

NME distribution: 

http://www.nme.com/magazine

https://mobile.twitter.com/NME

https://m.facebook.com/nmemagazine?refsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2F&_rdr

college magazine evaluation

What went well:

Peers who commented on my college magazine cover and contents have said that, my cover page was 'great'. I have used a 'consistent house style' which makes my cover very 'unique'. It was easy for them to identify the mast head and cover line. There wasn't a clutter of information on the cover which made it more 'interesting'. Also my choice of image was greatly preferred by them as the image wasn't plain and in fact was 'relevant to the genre'. 

What do I need to improve on: 

One thing I need to improve on is using the space more. I agree with this as the right side of my magazine was very heavily informative and the left side was a bit empty. 

Three key points: 

- Use space more

- Have a good selection of images

- Get more used to photoshop

college magazine contents page

college magazine cover