Selecting and Constructing photography for the music magazine

I looked at a series of websites to find appropriate professional photography that I could use in my magazine. This is because: I need to have lots of options for what to use in the

magazine. I need to have plenty of variety that helps to represent

my music scene accurately.

I like this one because the subject is not directly interested in what is happening, hence the prop (a cigarette) he has. However, he is looking at the camera in quite an emotionless way which shows how he is cool and not bothered what people think of him. Moreover, it draws your attention to the image, regardless of the black and white colour used for it. It is simple without that much going on, yet still eye catching and effective.

It could be used for a cover shot as it features the top half of one person. He is also in a background which contrasts for him so it is easy to edit.

It would influence the design of the page by representing what kind of magazine the one he features on is. For example, the leather jacket, cigarette, hair etc.

It might have been created by a magazine which includes the music he plays. Moreover, even a male magazine may feature him because of his style and attitude.

I like this one because it is very simple and has a contrasting background to it, so the person in the photo stands out. This also makes it easier to edit too. The pose of the model is very effective too.

It could be used for a contents page with other images and text around it in a magazine. This is because it is a full body shot and has a plain background to it.

It would influence the design of the page by showing that the magazine probably has quite a simple house style to it and can reflect the kind of magazine it is. For example, pop magazines usually have more photography and a poster style design. This makes the magazine look effective and professional, making people want to read it.

It might have been created by a fashion or a music magazine. This is shown in the way she is posing and the ‘grunge’ style of clothing that she is wearing in this image.

I like this one because it is landscape which is easy for it to be placed on most places of a magazine. Moreover, she is on quite a contrasting background, meaning that you can cut her out. It is very simplistic and is effective due to the simple pose and props used in the image.

It could be used for a double page spread. This is due to the fact that it is a landscape image with not a lot going on. Therefore, its easy to place texts and images etc on top of it without the background being too distracting and making it look messy.

It would influence the design of the page by making it look much more edgy and emphasising what the context of the image and the ideology of it is.

It might have been created by a music magazine or a fashion magazine. This is because of the props used and also how the subject of the image is positioned.

I like this one because it is a natural shot with the band laughing, showing they are fun and exciting. It portrays the kind of music genre they are, by being relaxed and not really caring about the photo.

It could be used for a feature shot on the contents page.

It would influence the design of the page by showing the laid back image of the band and the kind of music which they play as this is the typical style and attitude they all usually have. This is effective as it appeals to the readers and fits with their interests.

It might have been created by a music magazine that wants to do an editorial or feature on the band in their magazine.

Some of the common techniques that appear to be used in photography for this genre include medium close ups. This just shows usually the shoulders and head of the person on the image. Moreover, a common technique for bands is placing the band members ahead of each other depending on their importance and impact on the band. For example, they often place the lead singer of the band ahead of all of the other members to show their role. Not only this, they often make them have props on the shoot such as instruments and microphones. This emphasises what the photo is for and that they are actually musicians. Not only this, but they often do framed shots. This means that the people in the image often stand out and contrast from everything else. Furthermore, they also use fun or story-relevant inset shots of the artists. This makes the photography and artists look much more enthusiastic and emphasises the image completely. A similar technique to this is when photographers take photos of people doing dramatic poses and expressions that focus on their kind of character and personality. This is effective for the readers as it shows us what they are really about and can also portray magazine styles too.