Photographic Techniques

Photographic Techniques

      When taking my photos for my magazine, I have to consider these techniques in order for my images to come out the best way possible.

These are a list of ideas and techniques that are essential when taking a good photograph:

·      Shot distance

·      Use of tilt

·      Shot composition

·      Eye Line

·      Tone

·      Line

·      Colour including vivid, primary and monochromatic colour

·      Texture, and hints on creating texture

·      Patterns and hints on capturing patterns

Shot distance Types:

                                                                                                                  (example of an ELS)

Extreme long shot/long shot- Good for showing the insignificance of a character or for showing characters as powerless within an overpowering environment. Also good for establishing location.

Medium long shot/Medium shot- Good for showing movement or for a balanced tracking of characters and their environment.

Medium close up/close up- Good for portraiture or for moving image interviews.

Big close up/Extreme close up- Good for showing the significance of character or for showing the characters as powerful. Also highly useful drawing attention to character emotions.

 <---(example of an BCU/ECU) 

Tilt Shots:

Tilt up shot (low angle)- Used to convey power of dominance.

Tilt down shot (high angle)- Used to show vulnerability or weakness of person in shot and to demonstrate dominance of point of view.

Tone:

Control of tones, including variations of light and dark, emphasizing important parts of the image, and colour, generally set the mood of your photograph.

Tone Control can be used to emphasise the shapes of the most important elements in your image.

Composition:

Many photographers place their subject in the middle of the photograph, which can often result in a dull image. I am going to take this on board when taking my photos so I can come out with the best images to use in my magazine. Use of off centre composition can create a focal point so this is something to consider for my photos.

Foreground/Background:

When designing a shot it is key to remember to keep in mind both the action in the foreground and the background. I would like my background to be white with the foreground focusing on my model.

   Framing:

When I am designing my shot, it is important to keep the rule of thirds in mind so that the viewers eye is drawn to the cross sections of a frame. 

Lines:

Lines are useful for emphasizing and leading the viewer towards a main area or subject.

They may also divide up the picture space into segments, which vary in size and shape. The shape of lines and their general pattern can strongly influence the mood of the photograph.

The appearance of lines can be controlled in your pictures by camera viewpoint.

Using colour:

Taking control of the way in which colour is used in your photos is a key was of improving your images. Colour sells so I plan on using a lot of bright and bold shades on my magazine cover to help catch the audiences attention. I will also use colours with muted tones so that the magazine doesn't look over the top and will prevent people from buying it.

Textures:

Most of the time when we are talking photographs we think about the subject, but there is another way of approaching picture-taking, which involves thinking beyond the subject and looking at it in terms of textures and patterns.

Textures

The Recce

Even though the photo shoot is being taken at my house which is a safe environment, there may be a few hazards that will have to be taken into consideration when moving around. It is important that myself and the model look out for wires and plugs from objects such as straighteners/curlers so that we don't stand on them or trip up. Nevertheless, I will make sure that these hazards will be reduced by keeping all the wires together or taking the plug out and putting them on a table where they wont be stood on. A safety risk that needs to be considered is making sure that the straighteners or curlers are turned off after using them to prevent people from burning themselves.

Plain Wall

It is key that the area where myself and the model are working has to be kept safe and tidy so we don't come into contact with any hazards. The time of day/weather wont affect the outcome of the photos as the images are being taken inside. If I was taking my pictures outside then I would have to take the weather into consideration. I have gone against taking my pictures outdoors as the weather can quickly change and the difference in lighting would affect my images which is something I don't want to happen.  I have chosen to use a plain white background to my model to lean against as this will make her stand out more and will to help focus and concentrate on only her.

Depending on the lighting in the room, I am undecided on wether to use a flash when taking my photos. I will more than likely go with using the flash from my camera as it will help to improve the quality of images and bring out the colour in my model.

The photo shoot is being taken at my own house which is good for the background of my images as there is a lot of white walls to use and also walls with pale colours if I didn't only want white. With the photo shoot being taken at my house, it is easier for me to set up my camera and sort out the styling equipment. It is an easy location for my model to get to and we don't have a certain time limit of how long we can spend on taking the photographs. By staying in contact with my model has helped me make sure that everything will come together at the appointed time for the shoot. We have organised when we are both free and when is the best possible time to do the shoot. I have given a list to my model to ensure that she knows what equipment and clothing she needs to bring, this is so that nothing is forgot and the photographs come out as planned.

Photo Shoot Planning

With my magazine being aimed at young girls, I want my photographs to look fun and quirky so that it appeals to my target audience. After looking at various music magazines that are the same genre as mine, I found that most of the models on the front covers are presented in a fun and appealing way. I would like the readers to feel like they can relate to the model and will come across in a sort of inspiring way so that they can look up to them and be like how the model is.

I have concentrated on looking at specific makeup looks, hairstyles and clothing to help attract my target audience, it is important that the model looks appealing to them. I am going to be using my friend Ellie on the front cover and plan on dressing her in high end clothes from shops such as Topshop and H&M etc. This will also appeal to my target audience as these are places where you can get relatively cheap and nice clothes from and helps to represent the genre of my magazine. I have briefed my model so that she is aware of what sort of clothes she will be styled in and so that she can make the date of the photo shoot. Nonetheless, she will be wearing her own clothes so that she feels comfortable but still confident. 

On the front cover of my magazine, I don't intend on using any props as I would prefer the models face to be the main focus. Having said that, I do plan on using props for my double page spread but I am undecided on what I want to use. With my target audience being aimed at young girls, I will more than likely go with using props that are makeup, hair or clothes related.

I am going to emphasise colour through the clothes the model is going to be wearing, I would like the clothing to be quite plain with subtle colouring but have accessories with bright colours to represent the feminine and girly side of the magazine. 

I am going to need quite high key lighting with the model standing against a plain white wall in the background. This will be achieved as my house (where the photo shoot is being taken) has plain white walls, which will help to contrast with the models clothing and will make her stand out more.

Posing Ideas

Institutional Research

As part of my design research for my magazine, I was asked to look for information about different institutions. I was given a list of six different institutions and then had to talk about the details of them and what type of publications that they produced. By looking at the different institutions that there is for magazines, it helped me gain some knowledge on what sort of institution I think would want to produce my magazine.

EMAP:

Emap International Limited is a British media company, specialising in the production of business-to-business magazines, and the organisation of business events and conferences. Some brands that Emaps are involved with are; Retail week, Retail Jeweller and Drapers. It has 20 magazines in its business-to-business portfolio including: 

• Architects Journal
• Architectural Review
• Broadcast
• Construction News
• Drapers
• Health Service Journal
• Local Government Chronicle
• Materials Recycling Week
• Nursing Times
• Retail Week
• Recycling & Waster Management
• Screen International

                                       CONDÉ NAST:

Condé Nast is largely considered to be the originator of the “lifestyle magazines” a type of magazines focused on a particular class or interest instead of targeting the largest possible readership. The company itself is based in the US and produces 18 consumer magazines. More recently, Condé nast has expanded its offerings to include marketing services and consumer-focused products such as apps and licensed merchandise. 

Fashion and lifestyle

• Vogue 
• W
• Glamour
• Allure
• Self
• Teen Vogue
• GQ
• Details
• Lucky
• Style.com/Print
•  Vanity Fair
• The New Yorker

                                              NATMAGS:

Natmags (short of National Magazine Company) was a British magazine publisher based in London. It was established in 1910 by William Randolph Hearst and was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation.  Nat Mags merged with Hachette Filipacchi Médias UK in 2011 to form Hearst Magazines UK.

• Best
• Coast
• Company
• Cosmopolitan
• Cosmopolitan Bride
• Country Living
• Esquire
• Good Housekeeping
• Harper's Bazaar
• House Beautiful
• Men’s Health (UK only)
• Prima
• Prima Baby
• Real People
• Reveal
• Runner's World (UK only)
• She
• You & Your Wedding
• Zest magazine

                                           IPC MEDIA:

IPC Media LTD (formerly International Publish Corporation), a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc, is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year. 

In April 2012 IPC Media scooped an award for Best Production Team of the Year at the Professional Publishers Association Production and Environment Awards 2012. IPC Media groups its current titles under three magazine divisions each focusing on a core audience.

It is essential that I take this institution into consideration when choosing which one I would like to produce my magazine as "Teen Now" is one of their current publishing divisions. 

FUTURE PUBLISHING:

Future plc is a media company; in 2006 it was the sixth-largest in the United Kingdom. It publishes more than 150 magazines in fields such as video games, technology, automotive, cycling, films and photography. Future is the official magazine company of all three major games console manufacturers. It is a constituent of the FTSE Fledgling Index. The company also owns the US company, Future US. The company was founded as Future Publishing in Somerton, Somerset in 1985 by Chris Anderson with the sole magazine Amstrad Action.

                                               BAUER MEDIA:

Bauer Media Group is a multinational media company headquartered in Hamburg, Germany which operates in 16 countries worldwide. Since the company was founded in 1875, it has been privately owned and under management by the Bauer family. 

Bauer brands include women's weekly and TV listings magazines; namely Bella, Take a Break, that's life! TVChoice and Total TVGuide as well as a number of puzzle magazines. Bauer Media is a division of the Bauer Media Group, Europe’s largest privately owned publishing Group. The Group is a worldwide media empire offering over 300 magazines in 15 countries, as well as online, TV and radio stations. Bauer Media is a multi-platform UK-based media Group consisting of many companies collected around two main divisions – Magazines and Radio - widely recognised and rewarded as being industry innovators. 

When I finished researching the institutions, I felt like BAUER media publishing would suit more with my magazine as when looking at their brands, I found out that they are involved with companies like 4MUSIC and Smashhits. These companies mainly focus on Pop music and stuff that is in the charts which appeals to my magazine as this is the type of genre I am going for.

Make Up & Hair Ideas

As part of my research and planning, I have been looking at models makeup o help me get an idea of what sort of look I want to use on the model of my front cover. Choosing the right makeup look for the front cover of my magazine is very important as I want it to fit in with the theme of my magazine and will help to draw the readers in. I have researched a range of different makeup looks and I have decided that I would like the model to wear: 

• A foundation with light/medium coverage in order to give the skin a "natural look". Something that doesnt come across as too cakey and will look dewy on the face.
• A hint of bronzer on the cheekbones to give a contoured look.
• Either a bold or nude lip.
• False eyelashes to make the eyes stand out.
•  Eyeliner with a small flick.

Although this might seem a lot of makeup for the model to wear considering my magazine is aimed at young girls, it is key that the makeup helps to make the front cover stand out. 

Make Up Ideas

I have also decided that I would like the model to have her hair down with a slight beach wave effect. I also plan on having the hair slightly backcombed so it doesn't look to flat and to also help give more volume.

Hair Ideas

Flat Plan| Double Page Spread

Double Page Spread

Colour Usage: As the interview is about the model on my front cover, I am going to again stick with the girly colours as my model is a female artist. However, I am only going to the colours that will contrast well with the outfit my model, this will help to bring the whole article together and will make it more appealing. I am  also planning on separating the questions from the answers in the interview so it makes it easier for the reader to understand and read. I am going to use the colour black for the answers of the interview but then use pink/purple colours for the questions. I will keep the background of the spread white so it compliments the main image and text.

Image Usage: I am only going to use one image on this page as I plan on making it take up the page without the text/interview. I am undecided on wether I want the image to be a mid shot or a long shot, depending on how the model is going to pose. If the main image is going to be a mid shot, then it will be because the makeup look is quite heavy and full coverage rather than quite natural. However, if I decide on making the main image a long shot, I want it to focus on the models outfit so that the audience can see the full look rather than just some items of clothing.

Text Usage: Just like my Front Cover and Contents Page, the narrative voice will continue to be informal. As my double page spread is going to be a interview, I want the conversation to flow naturally and not come across as actually being set up in the style of a typical interview.

Layout and Font: The layout will proceed to be well presented and organised so it looks more appealing to the reader. As my audience is aimed at young teens, I want to keep the magazine fun and not full of text to keep them interested. The layout of the interview will be written in columns just like how any other interview would be written in a magazine. I want to keep the fonts very simple for the text in the interview but plan on using a bold font for the title of the magazine. I am uncertain on wether I want to put the caption of the article on a slant to make it look more witty and enjoyable.

Flat Plan| Contents Page

Contents Page

Colour Usage: I have decided that I want to carry on my colour scheme that I am using on my front cover to my contents page as it will make the magazine look more organised and thought out. However, I might use white and black colours for some parts of the text that isn't that important on the page. I still want my contents page to have the same feeling of 'girlieness' as my front cover does as it will help to tie the magazine together as a whole. The colours of the text on the contents page will contrast well with the images and wont look like too much is going on.

Image Usage: I am going to be using a variety of different images on my contents page so that the readers get a insight of what sort of features are included in the magazine. I am going to include the page number on top of the image as I think this is a good technique use in order to give the reader a better understanding of the articles.

Text Usage: I would still like the narrative voice to continue being informal like how it is on the front cover. The best way to grab the readers attention, particularly in my genre of magazine, is to talk to them in a friendly and personal tone so it makes them feel apart of what they are reading. It is important that subheadings are used to split up the articles into different sections so it makes it easier for the reader to find certain features. When I was doing my research, I learnt that Top of the Pops also use this technique and split the magazine into different sections. For example; "Celebs & Gossip" "Wins & Offers."

Layout and Font: When splitting up my articles, I am going to place them into boxes and border them so they look more organised and well presented. It is also important that the layout of the images are precisely placed and don't look messy or all over the place. Even though my target audience is aimed at young teens, I still think it is key that the magazine looks understandable and clear. Again, the font is going to be the same as the font on the front cover, this helps to make to make it come across more neat and tidy. The subheadings are going to be written in bold, with a deeper and stronger shade of my chosen colour to make them stand out and look imposing.

Flat Plan| Front Cover

Front Cover:

Colour Usage: The colours that I have decided to use on the front cover of my magazine are bright and vibrant colours. As my magazine is aimed at girls of a younger age, I want to use a range of colours from pink to red tones and purples. These colours are very feminine and will attract the target audience. Although looking at the results from my questionnaire and seeing that the main colours people chose were ones like red and blue etc, I have decided to go against this as I don't think these would appeal to my target audience. I also plan on using colours like white and black for things like the price of the magazine and the issue date. The colours I have gone for are still very bright and will be eye-catching for the reader, I plan on using different shades of pink and purple rather than focusing on one solid shade of each colour.

Image Usage: After thinking about what my main image wanted to be like for my front cover, I decided that I would go with having a female artist as the main model. With my target audience being aimed at young teens, I have decided that I would dress the model in clothes from the high street, more than likely clothes from Topshop. This will help to bring in the audience as young girls will want to look like their favourite artists and will want to achieve the celebrity look. I am undecided on wether I want to include some free magazines on the footer of the magazines as a kind of prop. The hair of my model will be down either curled or straightened and the makeup will be quite girly. I want quite a natural base with either a nude or bold lip. It is also important to me that the main image is of a good quality and doesn't come across as being pixelated or blurry.

Text Usage: The narrative of the text will come across as informal to the reader, but will still be very friendly so it appeals to the target audience. As my magazine is aimed at young teens, the best thing to use is informal language as they wont be interested in big chunks of writing with words they may not understand. I am planning on putting small quotes from the cover model onto the front cover which again will be informal so it appeals more to the reader.

Layout and Font: I have decided that I want my masthead to be in a basic font but written bold as this will help to grab the readers attention. By having the masthead at the top of the front cover, it will help the reader to see the name of the magazine. I want the sell lines to be at either side of the image of my model as it makes it more clear and easier to read. The main image itself will be a mid shot so it isn't too close to the model and will allow you to focus more on the cover.

My Magazine| Artists & Bands

The genre I have decided to use for my magazine is Pop. I have chosen to do Pop because I like some of the artists/band who would be labelled under this genre. Although I was planning on doing a magazine focusing on the R&B genre, I have gone with using Pop as it I know quite a bit of knowledge on it and have attended some concerts that have been artists/bands in the pop genre.

Rihanna

The Wanted

Little Mix

Front Cover, Contents Page & Double Page Spread Practice

Front Cover 

This task was to help me during the process of my research and planning for the practice designs of a front cover, contents page and double page spread. The images used on my front cover are taken from the internet, which I know for my real work, this isn't allowed and all images used have to be your own. I created this on Microsoft word, changing sizes of images to fit the page and look like it was an actual front cover of a magazine. I based my front cover around Top of the Pops and followed the same sort of layout that they use for their magazine. The masthead of the magazine is "Teen Today" which suits with the genre of my magazine as the audience of it is aimed at young teens. My main image is a long-shot, which isn't the sort of shot that is usually used for the main image of a front cover. I now know for my actual coursework to use a mid-shot for my main image so it allows the audience to connect with the model in some way. There is also a lot of white space left around the main image which makes the cover look unprofessional and quite careless. I used the strapline "We're not your average girl band" which will help to grab the readers attention and will want them to learn more about the band and why they are so different to other girl bands.  I also used 6 other straplines to show that there was a range of things happening in the magazine to help draw the audience in. This practice has helped to consider the different aspects of designing a front cover and what sort of affects I can use to make it look more professional and appealing.  If I had to create this again, I would add the date and the price to the magazine as I left them out and these are necessary things that are needed on a front cover.  

Contents Page

Again, just like my contents page I got the ideas of my contents page from the layout of the Top of the Pops contents page. I quite like the layout I used as I think it makes it look more organised and allows the readers to easy find different articles easier. I also decided to split the articles under certain subheadings such as 'Fashion and Win' so that it shows the reader the different features that the magazine are writing about. When doing my research of music magazines, I saw that a lot of them placed the page numbers over some images to show the audience what it was going to be about. I decided to incorporate this idea into my work so it looked more interesting and engaging. Additionally, I highlighted and printed the celebrities names in bold to attract the reader. I included articles that will appeal to my target audience and used a list of competitions and offers to allow them to interact with the magazine. However, when it comes to creating my actual contents page I know to not leave a lot of 'dead' space as this wouldn't happen in an actual publication as it make it looks unprofessional. I will also add a lot more images to make it look more fun and attractive to the reader.

Double Page Spread

When creating my DPS I had to make sure that the page orientation of the word document was in landscape as this is usually the format of how a DPS is presented in a magazine. I wrote the interview in the style a DPS would be written which is in columns, this helps to make it look more presentable and organised. I also decided to bold the questions of the interview and write the answers in a normal font. I plan to use this format in my actual coursework as it allows the reader to follow the interview with a more natural flow and helps to tell interviewer and the artist/band apart. The image on my DPS takes up a full page but I didn't include a caption which I now know is something to be included in my real work in order to make it more informative. When looking back at my DPS, I could have written a lot more so that the text didn't look like there was a lot of left over space and unfinished.