Researching Photography

1
Investigating Professional Photography

• Selecting and Constructing photography for the
  music magazine

2
Investigating Photography

• 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.

3
Crystal Castles

• I like this photograph because it features a
  rather high exposure, and has emphasised black
  details. I like the use of props and a non-caring
  attitude that is conveyed to the viewer through
  this image, and the overall grungy sense to it.
• It could be used for the inside of an album
  design, along with other photography and info on
  the band. Also a perfect magazine cover, or just
  something to go on their website.
• It would influence the design of the page by
  giving it a range of colour scheme, and with
  opportunity for plenty of negative space, either
  a simplistic or busy magazine cover with a lot of
  side reels could work.
• It might have been created by a studio
  photographer, in front of a green screen using
  props including a cigarette, lighter, all black
  clothing and later editing it and adding a
  slightly higher exposure.

4
Grimes

• I like this photograph because it is unusual, and
  hasnt been done before. The use of high exposure
  but lack of saturation gives it a nice effect,
  looking slightly like a polaroid effect. The
  warmth appears to have been raised, giving a
  pleasant complexion on her face.
• It could be used for a magazine cover, album art
  or feature section to a magazine.
• It would influence the design of the page by
  giving a wide range of colour scheme, intrigue
  the viewer due to its originality and offers a
  lot of negative space if put on background of the
  same colour.
• It might have been created by a studio
  photographer, then later edited on software like
  Photoshop, desaturating the colour and adding
  warmth and a higher exposure.

5
The XX

• I like this one because it has a desaturated
  effect and the use of a slow shutter speed gives
  a ghostly movement effect. This is striking for
  the viewer because their focus automatically
  highlights the movement of the hands, but
  especially faces.
• It could be used for a magazine feature or album
  art.
• It would influence the page by giving a darker
  colour scheme and an opportunity for desaturated
  colours and dullness, but in a flattering
  simplistic manner.

• It might have been created by the use of a slow
  shutter speed or perhaps the use of super
  imposing, using two images and editing them to
  create a blur effect.

6
XXYYXX

• I like this image because of the use of the
  animal mask and the smoke. It is a widely used
  feature in a lot of indie photography and is a
  high influence in work I am wanting to produce.
  There is a shallow depth of focus as only the
  mask is in fuller detail whereas the remainder of
  the image is blurred.
• It could be used for a magazine feature, a
  banner, album art, perhaps part of a music video
  and it has many other uses.
• It would influence the design of the page by
  offering a natural green, cream and white colour
  scheme, the use of indie music and has an
  original effect that isnt seen on magazines.
• It might have been created by using a mask and
  cigarette or shisha to give a thicker smoke
  effect, and channelling it to certain areas of
  the mask by making holes. The camera has also
  probably been manually focused to base itself
  mainly on the nose of the mask, leaving the
  majority of the smoke and the background out of
  focus.

7
Crystal Castles

• I like this photo because of the use of smoke in
  the background, high exposure making her look
  exceedingly pale and emphasis on shadows and dark
  colours.
• It could be used for a magazine cover, feature,
  album art or within an album art along with other
  photography on the inside.
• It would influence the design of the page by
  offering a wide range of colour scheme, but would
  go well with mainly dark colours and flashes of
  white.
• It might have been created by a very quick
  shutter speed, taken from a lower angle looking
  up at Alice Glass and a high exposure.

8

• I like this photo because despite Chino Morenos
  heavier music influence, this side project is
  very ambient and this photo emphasises the
  calmness through a monotone colour scheme, a
  vintage effect and a Dutch tilt angle.
• It could be used for an advert leaflet, a
  magazine feature, an album cover.
• It would influence the design of the page by
  giving a chance for a range of colour scheme, but
  would also compliment a desaturated scheme.
• It might have been created by any camera, with
  the use of Dutch tilt and a black and white
  effect put over the top or done manually on the
  camera. A grainy vintage effect is added, giving
  a polaroid feel. Taken in a vintage looking
  restaurant booth, this adds to the theme, giving
  this photo originality.

9

• I like this one because of the underground feel.
  It gives off an attitude and is somewhat indie.
• It could be used for an album cover, a leaflet, a
  banner, a magazine cover/feature.
• It would influence the design by encouraging a
  simplistic design and a range of colour scheme.
• It might have been created by the use of black
  and white, or perhaps edited afterwards. There is
  an increase in exposure and the shadows have been
  accentuated.

10

• I like this photo because it is a good example of
  some images I hope to achieve for my music
  magazine. I am heavily influenced by the vintage
  effect, and I like the dark colour scheme and
  high exposure.
• It could be used for an album cover, album
  feature, magazine feature, magazine cover (due to
  a lot of negative space), and an advertisement
  flyer.
• It would influence the design of my page by
  giving a wide range of vintage and simplistic (or
  busy) additions to the complete page, giving
  opportunity to add magazine features within and
  attract a certain audience straight away.
• It could have been done by using a film camera or
  more significantly, a Polaroid camera. It has the
  marks and scratches of a vintage camera, however
  this could also be achieved through editing which
  has been available since before the release of
  this photo.

11
More examples
12
Resources for Reference

• Delete the slides from this point once you are
  ready to upload this powerpoint

13
Investigating Photography

• Photography useful for a front page might be
• Artists in dramatic poses that focus on their
  character.
• Pop-up figures that are cut out at the bottom
• Unusual designs that can be used as album covers
  and adjusted in Photoshop
• Close-ups and medium close-ups for secondary
  leads
• Live shots, stage shots and poster-style shots
• Backgrounds and textures

• Photography useful for a contents page might be
• Mugshots of the editor for the editorial
• Framing images that help to create a shape that
  the contents can work around
• Close-ups of instruments, clothing etc for
  features with a special focus
• More band and artist shots
• Drawings and designs that represent artists /
  ideas
• Unusual designs that can be used as album covers
  and adjusted in Photoshop

14
Investigating Photography

• Photography useful for a double page might be
• Shot series that show various poses and
  expressions
• Wide angle shots that help to create mood /
  atmosphere and highlight setting
• Long, loosely framed shots making maximum use of
  mise en scene
• Fun or story-relevant inset shots of the artists
• Many of those also relevant for the other pages
  such as

• Framing images that help to create a shape to
  work around
• Drawings and designs that represent artists /
  ideas
• Artists in dramatic poses that focus on their
  character.
• Unusual designs that can be used as album covers
  and adjusted in Photoshop
• Close-ups and medium close-ups for secondary
  leads
• Live shots, stage shots and poster-style shots
• Backgrounds and textures

15
Great Links for Photography

• Professional Photographer - http//www.professiona
  lphotographer.co.uk/
• BIPP (British Institute of Professional
  Photography) - http//www.bipp.com/
• BJP (British Journal of Photography) -
  http//www.bjp-online.com/
• Ami Barwell (Rock n Roll Photographer) -
  http//www.musicphotographer.co.uk/
• Graham Smith (Music Photographer) -
  http//www.grahamsmithphotography.com/
• Michael Williams (Photographer) -
  http//www.michaelwilliams.co.uk/
• Dazed ( Confused) Digital - http//www.dazeddigit
  al.com/Music/Default.aspx

A Google image search for Photo Shoot with the
word Rock/Indie/Punk etc. in front of it can also
provide good results.
16
Great Links for Textures

• CG Textures - http//www.cgtextures.com/
• Filter Forge - http//www.filterforge.com/
• Mayang - http//mayang.com/textures/
• Free Textures - http//www.freetextures.org/
• Texture King - http//www.textureking.com/
• Background Labs - http//www.backgroundlabs.com/
• Vector Art (geometric shapes which can be used
  for graphic features) - http//vectorart.org/
• How to make vector art - http//www.melissaclifton
  .com/tutorial-vector.html

17
Great Links for Album covers

• 99 best designed album covers -
  http//inspiredology.com/99-best-designed-album-co
  vers/
• Top album covers - http//www.topalbumcovers.com/
  
• Top 50 album covers - http//www.ugo.com/music/bes
  t-album-covers

18
Inter-textuality ( Iconography)

• References made that is known and recognised by
  particular audiences, connecting with their
  understanding on particular things.