POSSIBLE PHOTO THE SHOOT VENUES UNDERPASS
The underpass is somewhere which a photo shoot wouldn’t typically be held as it is open to the public, but when walking through I can see particular places that would look ideal in the magazine. I understand that if I were to hold it here I would be challenging the conventions. I feel that for the front cover I would place my artist in the middle of one of the corridors looking straight into the camera with a typical mid-shot. For the contents page I would place my artist in front of the repeating lips and this would be a close up and then finally for my double page spread I would place my artist next to the ‘Are we Free’ graffiti and make them face away from the camera in a day-dreaming tone. By using the graffiti it would relate more to the stereotype of my target audience and demographic as they are the ones who are completing the graffiti. I feel that from the graffiti I can gain some really nice vibrant colours that could be incorporated into a colour scheme and house style. The downside of using this as a venue is the lighting is quite dull and wouldn’t highlight the parts of the artist I’d want therefore giving me a lack of control over how Is want my artist to come across.
POSSIBLE PHOTO SHOOT VENUES FLINT WALL
I will now look at using a flint wall as a background for my photo shoot. It is seen to be cliché to have an artist in front of a brick wall so therefore I will look at having it against a flint wall instead. The flint will add texture to the image therefore heightening the interest but can also divert away from the main artist. The colour remains quite dark so I could place coloured cover lines over the top that colour be easily read but the cement in between the stones creates white lines which could obtrude the cover lines and make it harder to read. Again this location is outside so this wouldn’t allow me to have an easy control over lighting which wouldn’t be ideal as this could make my music magazine look unprofessional and basic. Another downside to this location is that it isn’t covered which means that my shoot would have to be spontaneous due to the weather, this would be difficult as I would have to have my artist and camera ready at all times but could also place me in danger of not meeting the deadlines as the weather can remain the same for long periods of time. This location is also known for a high footfall which could also put my artist at unease and remove a natural tone from the images. A flint
POSSIBLE PHOTO SHOOT VENUES COBBLED
This venue is similar to the underpass in the way that the background is quite unique but this doesn’t create a statement. This is quite picturesque and would go well in a magazine but not quite one of my genre. Although a contrast would be created through the juxtaposing soft street with the hard rebel artist. This venue could also work through use of aperture, I could have my artist in foreground in focus with the street in the back out of focus to define that my artist is the focus of the group. Again this is an outside location so weather could be tricky to get right and also lighting would be hard to control, this location leaves me with very little control which leaves me uncomfortable as it may not let me achieve the desired effect. I would also want my artist standing in the middle of the cobbles which is also a road, although it’s not a busy one, this puts both of our safety at risk which is definitely not sensible. Although there is minimal footfall which wouldn’t put my model in an uncomfortable position this venue doesn’t let me have control and I wouldn’t be comfortable making my model stand in the road and every so often have to move here. The
STREETS
SCREENS
Overall I feel that for my magazine it would be inappropriate to shoot on an outside location due to my lack of control that it would leave me. Through shooting at these locations I can put my artist on the spot and not be able to use studio lighting which would define my artist as established. I will now look at the typical conventions that I saw in my analysis’ of magazines. I will explore studio conditions and equipment that Here I can see for music magazines that it is I will need to obtain to have a successful shoot. conventional for music magazines to be shot in a studios, I feel that this conveys a sense of professionalism that I want to establish within my magazine.
Looking at other magazines there is the use of studio shoots but the backdrops range in different colours. Different colours can have different effects upon the viewer and can imply different tones, therefore to ensure I create the right air I will explore different types of backdrops that I could possibly use. Overall I feel that the white screen
SCREEN RESEARCH
Here there is a use of a mixture of bright vivid colours which have a high contrast, this is also then contrasted with the top of the model. This use of colour creates a fun impact and implies that this artist is exciting and bubbly. This would be inappropriate for my magazine as it doesn’t suit the overall genre of alternative which is usually a more moody and dark scheme. Although by using such bright colours this
This is a purple gradient backdrop which is very feminine, this also matches the outfit of the model on the front. This is a very feminine back drop which could possibly alienate the male side of my audience. I feel that this screen works for this magazine due to its genre and target audience of females but with my genre and demographic I feel that this wouldn’t be suitable for my music
Here is a plain white backdrop that I could use. Here the backdrop has been used to create a contrast between the model, masthead and cover lines, this emphasises and creates an impact upon the viewer which has certainly worked in the front cover. I really like this use of contrast which portrays a professional air which conveys the information clearly and concisely. The contrast also draws attention to the artist. It also fits with my genre so this
Here a black backdrop has been used which emphasises the faces of the band through the use of contrast. I feel that the black has worked on this cover due to the overall darkness and mysteriousness of the band but I feel that the black would be too harsh for my music magazine cover and that comparing the two the white screen creates more of a contrast which draws the eye more. The black also emphasises the faces which I dislike as I want to make a
will be most appropriate for my shoot due to the high contrast it will create. It will allow the cover lines to remain seen while allowing the models clothes and actions to be appreciated and seen by the viewer. It will also allow me to experiment with the image itself so I can break the codes and conventions in an unique way which will make my cover more memorable along with the actual brand of my magazine thus raising the publicity and making more people want to read it. The white will also make the interview more natural as white is less noticeable than black so therefore the audience will be aware
LIGHTING
The whole aim of my magazine is to create a natural atmosphere which will remove the barrier between the audience and the artist. This overall aim needs to be conveyed in every part of my music magazine and another minor detail is lighting. I will aim for a set-up of studio lighting that will overall suggest a natural atmosphere.
SCREEN
To create the natural light I have decided to use a soft box. This piece of equipment diffuses soft light into the room and then, to avoid one face being significantly Position of artist lighter than the other, I have decided to Position of reflectoruse a reflector. I will use a silver reflector as I feel that a gold one will portray a too Position of soft warm light whereas I want a less box noticeable reflection of light on my artists face to still convey this natural air which hasn’t been manipulated. I will place Position of the soft box and reflector at an around 90 camera degree angle to each other and a 45 degree to the artist to ensure that the right amount of light hits the right places and that there is enough light for the reflector to successfully emit onto one side of the
EQUIPMENT I WILL NEED FOR PHOTO SHOOT • • • • •
One Soft Box One DSLR (Canon 1100D) One Silver Reflector (and someone to hold it) One White Screen One Tripod (with camera plate), I will need a tripod to keep the camera still and in the same place. Although this will give me a slight restriction this will allow me to merge images and experiment and when I want to take closer images I will have the option to remove the camera from the tripod. The tripod will give me the ability to create professional and in focus images that are straight, thus increasing the professionalism of the overall result.
THINGS TO DO TO ORGANISE THE PHOTO SHOOT • • • • • •
Book the drama room to use the screens Ensure my artist can make the time and date Book the equipment Create a time schedule to ensure I complete all I need
TIME SCHEDULE
To ensure I use my time efficiently and get the best results I will create a time schedule. I have planned to use the drama room on a Thursday lunchtime meaning I will only have 45 minutes to shoot. This is less time than I’d ideally want but this is the only time whenI all resources have allowedare 10available. minutes to set up
Start of Photo Shoot
End of Photo Shoot
Time to put away equipment properly, as well as artist to get changed back into original clothing.
Time to obtain equipment and set up, as well as artist to get changed and prepare for shoot.
and put away equipment as I have loaned it from the photography department. It will need time and care to put away this equipment safely and to allow the artist to get ready with clothes and make-up. This overall only leaves me with 25 minutes to take photos, this isn’t an ideal but I feel that if I only used this time to take images for my front cover rather than my double page spread then not only would I have a bigger range of images to select from, Actual time to take photos there would be a different costume and images. and make-up which gives a magazine a sense of variety. Due to the little amount of time this would be a
ARTIST PROFILE
Born: Poppy Lace Scarlet, 24th January 1994, Oxford, UK Residence: United Kingdom Occupation: Singer/Songwriter Years active: 2011 – present Genre: Alternative Instruments: Guitar and Vocals Label: Universal Singles released: Swimsuit, That Day, The Hard Part, Simple like Me (all of which reached number one in the alternative charts) Albums released: The Hard Part (reached number one in the alternative album charts) Albums to be released: All You Need to Know (I will make this release date within the month that the magazine is issued to make it current and relevant to outside events, which is when Poppy Scarlet is most likely to have the public interest. Traits: confident, rebellious, independent, ambitious, outgoing, bold
Her Story Poppy Scarlet started her love of music through sitting in her mothers car listening to the likes of Dolly Parton and was influenced through how music could make you feel emotionally and physically. This passion started the singing in the shower which progressed to her bedroom then living room and finally the kitchen where her skills as an air guitarist were strong, until her mother brought her a new electric guitar to learn. Whilst cutting her fingers on the strings her love grew into school where she was considered a founder of the music room and a professional of instrument. She continued to study less and strum hard until the end of her A-Levels where she had passed (just about) them all and in the long summer created many YouTube videos which had the views of about 5. Poppy Lace Scarlet was no internet sensation, until on one hopeless rainy day she got one mail in her inbox (which for once wasn’t spam) which was an email from a manager who wanted to sign her. From then on Poppy Scarlet has played at venues such as pubs to now concert venues in Camden. Here first album, The Hard Part, was well received by critics across the industry but not by Poppy herself who left the record label behind after them not letting her be ‘artistic’. Poppy Scarlet has gradually less timid through her love of music and her attitude has certainly set some sparks flying.
POSSIBLE PROPS
Within my shoot I would quite like there to be a use of props but I will need to ensure that they are appropriate for the artist while being appropriate for being used in a magazine. Not Cliché Can be bulky and hard to get into an Relates to the magazine name image Musically ‘Amplify’ Orientated Amp Relates to the guitar meaning it suits This is my aim for my magaz my artist Can be held in a variety of Microphone Amp Sends off wrong signals Electric guitar ways to create different Lead about the genre to effects.to the magazine Relates My artist sings viewers at the name ‘Amplify’ Suggests relaxed and newsstand. Implies a Relates to the guitar personal journey and meaning it suits my Not Cliché Suits the artist the guitar is artist Could call the article ‘unplugged’ Completely opposite to a sidekick due to this Very cliché and stereotypical Suggests rebellion the alternative genre to have on a music magazine My artist plays cover Held as if it will be Can suggest Karaoke guitar Very cliché and smashed Can be quite bulky and stereotypical to have on take up a lot of room Can be held in different Carries it a music magazine cover on the front cover and ways and can be used over Suits the aritst contents page. for different effects shoulder
POSSIBLE PROPS
Overall I think I will use the Amp lead as a prop for my magazine. Although the guitar is the main instrument for the alternative genre I feel that this will be too obvious and cliché, I want to avoid clichés as much as possible as in my surveys the view on music magazines was mostly negative so therefore I want to avoid the obvious guitar or instruments that would be typical on the front cover. I also looked at a microphone which would relate to the singing side of my artist but I felt that this had too strong connotations to karaoke which would convey a cheesy tone and would also imply the wrong genre thus misleading the viewers at the newsstand. I liked the idea of an amp but this would be too bulky which would block and distract away from the artist. I do like the connection to the title of the magazine
OUTFITS
Style is a very important factor within a shoot as I want something subtle so the focus still remains on the artist and there is no distractions but also from my survey I found that people spend money and take time to make themselves look good so therefore it must be important to have style inspiration, although this magazine isn’t of a fashion genre the clothes convey the overall personality of the artist so it is important I get this right. The typical attire of a musician is black so I wanted to keep a part of this by using black. I also wanted to take advantage of the high contrast between black and white as I am using a white screen. I’d also like a splash of red due to the amp lead being this colour and this colour could be incorporated into a house style. I decided to involve shorts as this could be another way to widen the colour, also shorts is a very basic part of an outfit so by using them we don’t create a too distracting look as the viewers attention needs to be drawn to the cover lines, masthead and artist’ face, also if I were to choose too distracting clothes then they would obtrude the cover lines making them harder to read. Clothes can also create a statement about the music magazine itself so if my artist was wearing something revealing then it could be said that my magazine is aimed at more boys than girls, for this reason I will make my artist tuck her shirt in to her shorts to prevent my magazine being confused with the ‘lads mags’ genre. Looking back at my artist profile there is nothing yet to suggest rebel so I will probably add ripped and laddered tights to the outfit to present Poppy Scarlet’s wild side. Finally I will include the creepers which create a clear and defined statement which is what my artist is all about.
POSSIBLE POSES
Due to the amount of time I will have to carry out the photo shoot I will plan possible poses to ask my model to do as well as talking to her and capturing more natural poses to create a tone that would have no barrier between the reader and artist which is the unique selling point of my magazine so therefore is vital that I get it right.
Here is a more relaxed pose which could involve the possibility of editing in Photoshop to experiment with the opacity. I will also get my artist to swap sides so I can create a symmetrical effect.
Here is a simple pose with my model holding the amp lead across the top half of her body. It would be pulled tight to convey the rebel streak within her. It also portrays her confidence, to add to this rebellious side
POSSIBLE POSES Here I would want my model to be pulling on the amp lead. I would need someone out of camera view to pull this lead tight. I wouldn’t use this for a front cover image as my artist wouldn’t be able to look like she was pulling against the lead realistically while looking directly into the camera so therefore wouldn’t be appropriate but could be for contents of double page spread. This pose would convey her competitive and argumentative side. I could even edit in another side to make it look like on the double page spread that my artist is going
My final planned pose is where the model just holds it up next to here, this is extremely simple and doesn’t use the amp lead to the best advantage. I feel that this pose will be disliked by the artist as it’s very basic and can almost be described as awkward as it places my artist in a forced pose which could produce images of her uncomfortable. I also couldn’t see myself prospering from this pose as no statement is made apart of the emphasis on being ‘unplugged’.
POSSIBLE POSES
Here I will look at poses that don’t include the amp lead but are natural that could also be incorporated onto the contents page or double page spread. I will also let my model experiment herself with the amp lead and natural poses to create more fluent images that will be perceived as the artist herself and no instructions between her and the photographer. This reinforces the natural tone.
A lean left and right could be a natural pose that could be incorporated through the opacity on PhotoShop to add interest to the image, although I probably wouldn’t add it to my magazine alone as I want my artist to be looking down to the ground in this pose whereas if I would prefer to have the artist look straight into the lens. I will also get my artist to lean the other way so if I use this for opacity I can get her to lean both ways to create a sense of symmetry. The hands on hips also assists this but also creates a feel
Here would be a simple stand straight and look into the camera pose which could be used on the contents page or even front cover, this would be ideal as there would be direct contact with the artist and viewer therefore removing the initial barrier between the two and making the two come closer. I could improve this pose with hands on hips to present and attitude and air of