1) The document discusses photos taken for a school magazine photoshoot. The initial idea was to have the model holding books and a drama mask, but the photos did not capture this well.
2) Additional photos experimented with different angles, props like a Rubik's cube, and backgrounds. One photo used poor lighting and had distracting shadows.
3) The selected cover photo features the model holding a Rubik's cube against a purple background. This photo emphasizes the subject well without distracting shadows.
2. Photoshoot Images 1
The image on the right is a similar
vision to the initial idea I had in my head of the
cover image for the photoshoot. My initial idea was
to have my model have one hand full of books and
the other holding a drama comedy/tragedy mask, to
suggest that she is juggling with drama in her life
and the ton of school work in her life.
However, while this idea was photographed several
times, there did not seem to be an image that
reflected this idea very well.
The image on the right has some
problems with it. One of them is that although the
position of the model on the cover is in the middle
and she is symmetrical, the books on her left
hand, on the right side of the cover, are partially out
of frame, not in sync with her other hand’s
object, which has left some white space on the left
side of the cover. However, enough space has been
left for the top part of the cover, for the masthead.
Additionally, the expression on the model’s face
looks as if she feels out of place and doesn’t look like
it would be appropriate on a front cover of a
magazine. Additionally the lighting used has
created a trail of shadows behind on the wall.
3. Photoshoot Images 2
This image was the result of
experimentation during the photo shoot
and how an alternate angle may work or
not work. This image is ultimately a poor
shot. The lines present in the photo, such
as the walls and their intersecting points
make the photo seem messy and
misguided. The black line on the floor is a
distraction and suggests a messy, dirty
environment. The angle is also obscure
(high angle) and the image just shows a
woman reading a book, with no clue as to if
she is a student.
4. Photoshoot Images 3
This image was not used for the central image for several reasons, one being the
landscape format (horizontal stretch) it has, and the poor quality of the prop involved. It
was at this point that I decided to replace the drama mask with the Rubik’s Cube as the
prop used in the remaining series of images.
Excluding these aspects of the image, the image is quite good. The shadow of
the model is following the tragedy mask, suggesting that she soon will be unhappy or
found in serious turmoil. The model’s face doesn’t seem to exude any particular emotion,
but connected with the hypothetical coverline ‘How to cope with the drama in your life’,
the overall tone of the image is one of despair. The
use of an eye level shot in this gives a realistic feel to
this photo that feels infinitely more personal. The
books she holds strongly suggest that she is a
student, adhering to the fact that this is a school
magazine. The position of the model is
strong, showing one side of her face, and positioned
slightly more to the right part of the
photo, interesting the reader more than if she was
in a central position. Nonetheless, the negatives
override the positives in this unused image.
5. Photoshoot Images 4
Both these shots were created
with the intent of showing a female student
(no clues as to her student status but her
youthful looks) who is smart, as shown
through the evidently completed Rubik’s
Cube. This would link back to the finished
cover page, when the main coverline would
be about ‘How to cope with schoolwork and
other drama in your life.’
These images both have good
features, although they may be discounted as
too similar. Nonetheless, the ‘smaller’
differences make all the difference in the
choice of which would be the image on the
magazine cover.
The image on the left has a white
background, which is the advised
background to have on a magazine cover, and
the lighting seems to have lent a warmer
glow. The model’s hair is mostly
organised, although some hairs are poking
out. However, the most distracting feature of
this photo is the shadows induced by the use
of a flashlight.
6. Photoshoot Images 5
The shadows in the image on the
left prove to distract from the model and the
object she is holding. Additionally, although
a white background was advised, I thought it
looked dull with the combination of the
model and the Rubik’s Cube.
The image on the left was chosen
to be the central image on my magazine
cover. The purple background, although
unusual, emphasises the model and the
Rubik’s Cube, bringing out the colour in
them. Nonetheless, the image lacks a warm
glow that the other image has, and seems
colder.
Additionally, the Rubik’s Cube as
seen on the image on the right is at a different
angle, exposing more colours, which could
therefore connect to the text on the cover.
Also, there no shadows distracting the viewer
from the actual focus of the image.
This is why I picked this image as
the cover image on my cover.