Photography PlanningBy Oliver Midgley

Cover

• The main image on my front cover will be a medium close up of a man. He will be placed in the centre of the screen. I have decided that he will be using direct address, as while not looking directly at the reader achieves a sense of mystery and attitude which is an element I wanted, direct address is a lot more commonly used by music magazines. This is primarily because it invites the reader by establishing a kind of bond. I aim to create mystery by having the model’s head facing slightly towards the ground with a stern, concerned expression. It will create a personal/ intimate effect- one of privacy, adhering to the theme of my magazine which is being on the “Outskirts” away from the public eye and the masses. Him looking down suggests he is ashamed, afraid or hurt but most importantly vulnerable (I want the magazine to relate to the audience’s emotions and troubles). I chose a medium close-up because I wanted to represent his isolation (accomplished via a far away shot) but I also wanted the reader to feel more of a connection with him. He will be wearing an understated outfit- jacket with a hoody underneath and his hair will be styled. His hands will be in the pockets of his skinny jeans. It will be shot in a dreary, worn, urban setting in accordance with the title. All of this overall means it will fit in the indie music genre. It attracts people for multiple reasons: firstly it engages those who have been in a similar situation and gives them a responsibility to listen and help; secondly those who are currently suffering in the same way gravitate towards it for advice and guidance, it can also be reassuring when you’re not the only one; finally, some will want to read it simply because it is an exclusive story and he is opening up about a personal subject.

• There will be a sub-image of the lead guitarist from a band. It will be during one of his performances so I will use a longshot to capture the whole atmosphere. It will be a low-angle shot as if taken from the view of someone in the audience. It will give the reader a sense of involvement and participation. The low angle will also represent his superior guitar skills and emphasise his competence. The stage will be quite dark but with strong lights beamed at the artist to make him stand out. He will be performing on his guitar and his head his be pointed down, concentrating on his instrument- it shows his passion for music. Use of the prop will also communicate to the reader that this is a music magazine.

• Another feature that will appear on the cover will have three separate close-up shots of upcoming artists. It will be presented like a mug shot from a prison with the conventional horizontal lines behind them which identify height. Each of the artists will have neutral expressions similar to real prisoners. Other than for authenticity, this also gives an edge to them which captures my audience’s interest. The lighting will have to be central. I use direct representation of my primary audience by using male model’s on the front cover. I plan to make front cover black and white so the lighting is crucial to highlight the details I want.

Contents

• The main image on my contents page will be a medium long shot of a male artist. The shot will be taken in a studio with a white background. The unusual thing about this particular character is that he will be holding a prop in front of his face. It will be a blank sheet of paper with three very roughly cut holes- one for each eye and one for the mouth. This is the artists signature apparel which he wears at all gigs. It is representative of the ‘masks’/ fake personas people use in everyday life to hide their true selves from society’s judgement. This individual and unconventional attitude is what forms the indie genre. The mystery of not being able to see his face will entice reader. Furthermore, to add more confusion and emphasise the unusualness it will be taken at a Dutch angle.

• The only other picture on the contents page will be an album cover. I will take a longshot to fit all of the subject into the photo and then crop out the edges ( because a camera frame is a rectangle whereas album covers are square) so the cover fills the whole frame and there is no white space visible.

Double Page Spread

• I will have two pictures across the DPS. Both will be of the same model as the article on these two pages is about him. The first will be a close-up/ medium close-up at the models eye level. He will be facing to the side singing into a microphone with protector. His open mouth will indicate he’s actively singing and having his eyes closed will show the emotion he sings with and the passion he feels for his music. The prop of the microphone makes it clear he is singing otherwise it might not be so blatant to the audience. I plan to manipulate any images where peoples faces are on show in Photoshop to remove blemishes. However, in addition, with this particular photo I am going fade the edges to white so it will blend the photo into the white background and create a flowing, coherent result.

• My final photograph is a longshot of the singer. His laid-back attitude is represented through his body language (hands in pocket) and also his outfit (hoody, t-shirt, jeans). There will be no props. I will fully utilise to the lights available to me in the studio to create a shadow by having one side brighter than the other. This shadow will create a dramatic effect and imply he has contrasting feelings/ faces a personal battle.