The costumes I chose because of the genre of music being indie I needed to reflect this through my images.
- The first shot I used was a two shot for my front cover, I chose this because I feel it looked artistically composed with harsh lighting to give the deep intelligent meaning to the artists. The mise-en-scene I styled to look like a music video or stage set up with the equipment and wires casually lying about. I shot it in black and white because when I evaluated my student magazine that was something I looked at and compared it to the quirky take 'COMPANY' magazine had on an online digicopy. The use of a bowler hat for my male artist gave him that individuality that is seen within the indie genre, I tried to contrast this with a simple T-Shirt as I didn't want something over crowding and distracting on the front of my magazine to make it look amateur or out of place.
- The main image I used for the contents page was a strong pose. The close up side profile was striking to look at meanwhile the dangling hair looked soft and feminine, something I didn't want to lose. I gave her a white top to wear which fulfilled the conventions of a professional magazine by having different outfits for different appearances in the magazine. This made it look more thought out and planned, and showed my efforts. It also gave her a different look to the bold and dark front cover image we saw. Having her in white added a certain innocence.
- I used my idea of having the set like mise-en-scene in the background for my image on the contents page featuring my male cover star. Without the hat looked more natural and the pose was very relaxed, this showed how I wanted my artist to be seen and presented. I think it meets the expectations of an indie/acoustic fan's personality being quite chilled and happy in their environment.
- I liked the softness of my female artist that was there for my left hand page, so I wanted to reuse that when I placed her image next to my male artist. Using the black from before so they co-ordinated side by side, the close up of her face displayed her soft expression and girlish charm.
- For the DPS I didn't want it to all seem too serious as that wouldn't have captured the spirit of my young target audience and keeping them in mind I used a fun shot to connect to them. The way her hair spun round adds a lot of life to her look and it shows my creativity as a photographer. I think it embody's the youthful appeal I wanted to sustain and keeps to the quirky look of my indie genre.
- I used a second two shot in a medium close up to show their relationship being connected by music. It displays both their faces well and gives a moody/straight attitude that they would have for their writing. I think it projects them as established artists and gives the photograph a sense of professionalism. The co-ordinated black outfits shows the thought behind it and not randomly strung together.
- Again using the set like mise-en-scene I posed my female artist on an upturned box to create a platform, showing she is a high achiever through physical leveling. I really like how bold and in control she looks, the delicate placing of her leg doesn't shy away from her representation on the contents page but doesn't present her as a silly little girl. I think it gives off a head strong impression readers would assume to see from an indie musician.
- I wanted to display her unique outfit more and take the fashion side of it as part of the shot focus. Her individual choice of dungaree styled pinafore dress was something that clearly fulfilled the indie and individual aspect of the genre and representation of artists. Using the box again as a prop really makes her stand out in the shot and shows I am not afraid to use props and set to aid the visual appeal of my photographs. It's the type of idea that would be expected in a real magazine and using this wooden box meant that I could recreate the contents page image to show her link and that it was her in the front of the magazine. It reaffirms her soft sweet edge popular with female musicians.
- I really liked the two shots and in a conventional magazine with lots of imagery you get similar shots that have subtle differences to show it was a full working photo shoot. This gives my DPS collage a more professional edge because it's almost like it's off a proof sheet or photo reel. I really like the way the lighting captures the expressions and creates shadows on their faces. The low key lighting and center framing captures the dark and light effortlessly.
- The close up styled shot of my male artist posing with the bowler hat uses a prop to show his style and keep the British feel I wanted the magazine to have. I think this higher key lighting works well for the closer shots of the face and this one clearly displays how the shadows draw you into his bone structure. Having him look away gives him a shy quality that connotates to 'indie boys' and makes it less daunting or intimidating for the reader.
- For this medium close up I used a horizontal shot rather than a vertical like previously and gives a more spaced out feel. Having my female artist look down the camera lens gives her control, and my male looking at her reaffirms she's the main star of the magazine. It also reinstates his soft representation as shown in the previous image. The lighting picks up their cheekbones and catches their hair in a way that makes the photograph seem as thought it could be in a conventional magazine.
- I finally used a softer shot for my female artist to avoid confusion of her being dominating and in demand. I had her look down and seem thoughtful to show a sense of reflection that she would have in her work (her music) and how she feels as a person. This connects to how the female readers will be feeling as the age they are and shows she is on the same level as them, giving her a likability factor needed to sell magazines and her music. By doing this I have shown I am able to relate to my readers feelings and aspects of their life that they would seek some kind of similarity or resemblance from those they admire or aspire to. This connection makes sure I met the conventions of the genre and shown my artists in a way the media stereotypes them in society as hard working and philosophical of themselves and the aspects that surround their lives.
Overall I used a total of 12 photos to give a variety and show my ambition with this project. Having a range of shots too choose from gave my more time to experiment and create a collection of beautiful images that meet the requirements for my target audience. I think I successfully managed to obtain a series of images that meet the brief's needs.
