Photos for my features page

In these photos I wanted to create a believeable setting. Therefore, I used a keyboard and headphones, and by doing this I also depicted that my magazine is categorised in the 'music' genre. I wanted this shot to be natural, and this is why I asked my model to sit at the keyboard and play it; I did not want the photo to look too staged, as a lot of the other photos are. I experimented with using different facial expressions, and decided to use the one in which my model is smiling because I wanted this photo to be more relaxed and show the 'artists' 'fun' side. The lighting in these photos is quite clear, but I put the one that I used into black and white as it made it look more professional.

In this photo I wanted to really create an appropriate set. This is why I used a guitar and amplifier, as well as the headphones used in the previous shot. I wanted this photo to be more of a serious, action shot, perhaps recreating a live performance, and this was why I included the amplifier. By using these props the photo also depicts the type of music that the artist creates. The lighting in this picture is too dark, giving it an unclear quality. I used this photo for my features page, but altered the contrast and put it into black and white so as to make it look clearer.

I wanted these photos to look as though my model was standing around casually. Therefore, I have him standing in a laidback pose against a white background. The lighting in these photos is not very good - particularly the bottom one - and so I did not use either of these photos in my final features page, as I could not alter them in such ways that they could look more professional. Both of the photos have an indirect address to them, which adds to the casual feel of them.

The main focus of these photos is the headphones that my model is wearing. This is why he is sitting against a blank white wall, and the photo is a close up shot. I wanted my photo to focus on the headphones so that it helped to convey my magazine as a music magazine. By using an indirect address, more attention has been brought to the headphones. The lighting in the photos is bright enough to ensure that the image is clear. I did not use any of these photos in my final features page because I found that the background was slightly dull, and I only chose 3 photos in the end. I asked my model to experiment with facial expressions, as I did not really know what sort of mood I wanted the photo to be.

This photo would have been more successful if I had asked my model to keep both feet on the ground, as it looks slightly as though he only has one leg! I asked my model to stand in the far right part of the frame, and to look at the bottom right hand corner, as this created an interesting effect with the majority of the photo being the white background. The focus of this shot is, again, the headphones, so as to once again depict my magazine as a music magazine. The lighting on the photo is perfect, as I did not want this picture to look too bright, seeing as it is a serious one. I did not chose to use this photo in my features page, simply because I thought that the other 3 were better photos in the way that they conveyed more clearly that the magazine is a music magazine.



I took these photos against a brick wall outside, as I wanted to experiment with lighting. These photos are intended to be more casual yet thoughtful, and my model is once again wearing the headphones to show my magazine is a music magazine. I was inspired by some photos I had seen on the internet to create these photos, and a lot of rockstars have famous shots taken of them against a brick wall, so I have tried to mimic these photos. I used the top photo in my features page, as it looks professional and a realistic album photograph.



For these photos, I used the same background and scenery. I placed my model on a stage, against a black background, as she is wearing light coloured clothes and I wanted her to stand out. I experimented with a variety of camera angles, but kept most of the distances the same because I wanted to feature the same amount of my model. I ended up using the photo taken from the high angle, as I thought it looked interesting and flattering. It also gave my model an inferior look, whereas some of the photos taken from the floor (low angle) made the model look authoritative. However, by directly addressing the audience, the high angled photo also made my model look authoratitive, and this was why I used it in my features page. The lighting in these photos is too dark, so I edited them, making them brighter and airbrushing my model's face to give her a flawless, cover-girl, glamourous look, like the popstar she portrays.

The original idea that I had for my features page was to have a Christmas feature. I have kept this theme throughout my magazine, headlining my main article 'Winter-oducing Simi'. This explains the Christmas tree in these photos. In the bottom photo, I used a window to take the photo through, in order to convey my model (Simi) decorating a Christmas tree. Neither of these photos really work, as the background is plain white and when I tried to edit in photos of Christmas objects such as presents, the photos looked unprofessional and unrealistic. This is why neither of these photos ended up on my features page.

I wanted a close up, direct photo for my features page, and so I took this one. I tried to incorporate the Christmas tree, but because this photo is against a black background and the tree is quite dark, the efforts are unsuccesful. By having the model's hand up to her head, the photo looks very staged and almost uncomfortable, and the lighting is once again too dark. These factors compelled me not to use this photo for my final features page.

This is the edited version of one of the photos that I used on my features page. I cut out the background and brightened it as well, and the effect of this is that the photograph looks much more glamourous and professional. Though the background is now white, and the model's tops are white, this does not have much of an effect, as my model's hair is so dark, and also the hood of her fleece stands out. I wanted to create a different looking, staged look on this shot, and this has made my photo look much more professional. I airbrushed my model, and this has made her look more glamourous, depicting the type of 'artist' she is portraying.

These photos were taken with a folk artist in mind. This was why I used outside to take the pictures, and included trees in them as well. I wanted the artist to be a little bit like Jason Mraz, and this is why I asked my model to wear very casual clothing. I took the photos outside in the dark as I wanted them to contrast with the other photos that I had taken, which were outside. I used the second photo down, and this has been made brighter, though it is still obvious that the photo is taken in the dark. I made the photo brighter, and asked my model to sing, so that it portrayed a concert scene, as I have not really taken any live action shots for my features page.