The Recce

I have decided to take my photos at my house; there will be a lower risk of anything happening. Although, either the model or I will need to watch out for certain things lying around the room. My Model will have straight hair therefore we will have the likes of straighteners hanging around so it is important that we keep a close eye on where these type if things are.

The weather will not particularly affect the way in which my model looks, although it may mean that I will have to postpone it for the fact that my model cannot make it due to the bad weather, but apart from that it does not risk my photo shoot. However the time of day may jeopardies the final outcome of my pictures, as I may need daytime lighting to help make the pictures look better. Fortunately I have arranged for my model to come to mine during the day.

I wish for my model to be standing in-front of a white back drop, mainly for the fact that it means that she will stand out and the target audience will not feel the need to get distracted. I am undecided about shooting outside, it will depend if I feel I can get a decent shot.

Using the flash on the camera will really enhance the models features and bring more colours out; therefore I probably will decide to use it when photographing my model. We will be working in a room without any distractions e.g. anything that could get in the way of my shots, reflect on to the model etc. (I will not need any permission to take my photos, as it will be in my own home.)

Due to the fact that I will be working in my own home there will not be a distraction from others, although my family may be in at the same time, but I will make sure I warn them in advance that I am working.

I have my own props, so I shall use them to help me find the right shot. Fortunately my model is someone that I already know and whom lives close, so it will be easy enough to invite her over to take my photos.  

Finally I need to make sure that I keep in contact with my model, especially a few days before we come to do the shoot, incase my model is unavailable.

My colour scheme

My colours

I have created a colour scheme. I have chose to use these because they match my magazine genre and are aimed for my target audience, male and female. The colours will contrast well with my model and the images in which I took. 

Jarvis Cocker

I was asked to complete a practise magazine front cover as part of my preliminary task. We were notified that Jarvis Cocker must be used as the model on the front. I completed this by using Photoshop. I had never really used this before, so it was really all about finding my way around it and being creative. I believe that once I did have a few goes on photoshop my work was of an alright standard and I have slowly but surely found my feet with photoshop and have full confidence in using it in the future

However after looking back at my first attempt I think it is very obvious that I had never really used photo shop before as it isn't up to an actual magazines standard, in my eyes anyway. But again if I were to re-do this task I would be able to hand in a higher standard of work. 


  



Here is a screenshot of my preliminary task feedback. Overall I was told that my attempt at this cover was good, but I had to make sure that I made the writing around the image bold and stand out.

Font Ideas

I have researched different fonts to give me ideas for my own magazine. 

I have picked six unique fonts and have wrote down the pros and cons of 

actually using them in my own work.

Potential Problems with My Coursework

Initial Proposal Table

Photographic Techniques

Photographic techniques

Some ideas and techniques are essential when taking a good photo:

•       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:

•       ELS/LS good for showing the insignificance of character of character or for showing characters as powerless within an overpowering environment. Also goo for establishing location.
•       MLS/MS good for showing movement or for a balanced tacking of characters and their environment.
•       MCU/CU good for portraiture or for moving image interviews.
•       BCU/ECU good for showing the significance of character or for showing character as powerful. Also highly useful for drawing attention to character emotions.  

Tilt shots:

•       Tilt up shot- used to convey power or dominance.
•       Tilt down shot- Used to convey vulnerability or weakness of a person.

Tone:

·      Control of tones, including variations of light and dark, emphasizing parts of the image.

·      Tone control can be used to emphasize the shapes of the most important elements in your image.

Photographic/moving image techniques:

Composition:

•     You need to think very carefully about how you compose a photograph.
•       Many photographers place in their subject in the middle of the photograph, which can result in a dull image.

 Foreground/ background :

•      You must always think about where the model will be photographed and remember to check the background out to ensure that there is nobody/anything accidentally in the back of the image. This should not be a problem for me as I am making sure my model will be standing in-front of a plain backing.

Framing:

•       Keep the rule of thirds in mind when designing your shot. The views eye is drawn to the cross-sections of a frame, this is where your action should be taking place.

Lines:

•       Lines are useful for emphasizing and leading the viewer towards a main area or subject.
•      You can easily control the appearance of lines in your pictures by camera viewpoint.

Using colour:

•       Taking control of the way in which colour is used in your photos is a key way of improving your images.
•       Keep your eyes open for vibrant coloured subjects, but also look for delicate coloured subjects and ones with muted tones.
•       Colour sells. Bright, bold colours are used on magazine covers, so choose or plan shots that you will take when producing your magazine cover.
  
  By looking over this it has helped me understand how I should take my photographs and what will look best for my product. I know what kind of lighting the photographs should be taken in and how my model should be positioned.