Photographs from Recent Concert

I was extremely happy with these photographs that I got from a Biffy Clyro concert. I especially like them because they weren't staged and it what just the band playing their music which would be hard to imitate with models. Being at the front I was able to get photographs that looked like the live photos that are used in Kerrang magazine.

Photo Manipulation

Using Adobe Photoshop a lot can be done with the photos I've taken. For this particular image I wanted to use on my contents page is a plug for the audience to visit the site, or wait until next weeks issue were the story will be expanded on. 

So for this image, "Mystery Rock Chicks" I wanted to do a silhouette which showed clearly with the instruments that they are a rock band and also that they are an all woman rock band.


Firstly I took my original images, cropped out the figure and painted it black.

Next I had to make each person look distinctly different, by adding in different hairstyles for each digitally.

I made sure that all my models had tied their hair back so that it would be easier to super impose an edgier hairstyle. Once the hairstyles had been replaced, I meshed them into the right shape and resized them.

Similarly with the figures themselves, using the same technique of meshing so that I could make them distinctly different by changing their body shapes and lengthening legs.

The background has a brown to grey gradient filter so that it wasn't completely black on white.

Finally I added the text, so the photo now has a more evident meaning and the anchorage text in red is smaller to expand on what we already know about them.

Template for Contents page (First Draft)

I shuffled a few of the features around and added to my template so that I can add my photographs in later. I have continued with the same house style and colour scheme using black, white and red. Similarly I used the same texture on the titles as this is one of the generic conventions of a magazine. The page is split into two, so that my main article will take up the first half on it's own while the other articles will be listed below, showing a higher importance to the article that will be on my double page spread. 

To create these drafts I referred to three different style models from, Q, NME and Kerrang. I focused mainly on the style from Kerrang as my Music Magazine is aimed at the same audience and therefore need to share some of the features Kerrang use.

Draft Photographs

These photographs are practise for creating the right attitude to have on a Rock Magazine front cover. The angle has to work s that the hand gestures are visible and a main focus, but they can't cover the faces. It worked well with black clothing as their hands were easily visible.

The background shows an urban and rock style, which is what is needed for a rock magazine like Kerrang.

Photographs for Contents Page

For all of the pictures I purposely took them with a lighter background behind the subjects, so that it would be easier to crop the background out, as they are wearing darker clothes.

Mis En Scene

I have researched into the fashion that surround the Metal industry of music. I am using Kerrang as a style model for my magazine and they are aiming their product at the metalhead audience. 
Throughout my research I have looked into the types of clothing and accessories that would be worn by the people in this genre and what signs can be given out through the symbols of their clothing.
For a lot of bands, they are typically straight forward, bootleg black jeans, band t-shirts, long hair and tattoos. But bands, such as Kiss and Slipknot are far more adventurous.                         
 

Jewelry is a particularly good way of showing the metal genre, a lot of bands wear crosses around their necks, big and small. Spikes and studs are also a very popular choice for men and women, as it leather, used in the accessories or on Jackets and boots.

When I create the image for my girl metal band,
I will ensure that with regards to the mis en scene I will include the following:

• A leather jacket
• Military boots
• Cross, spike or studded jewelry
• Ripped or studded jeans
• Piercing or tattoos if possible
• Band t-shirts
• Sweat bands

Draft Magazine Cover

I have completed the draft for my Front Cover using original images. Although these are not the images I will use in my final piece it was a good exercise to check the sizes and the poses that are possible with this particular layout and what will have to changed in order to compensate for different heights and different photographs.