13/12/2010 - Male/Female Artists - Further Reseach

 Ideally the model that I use for my magazine front cover will dress similarly to Brody Dalle on the front cover of this magazine. I am aiming for a punk/rock style and a model who can produce an aggressive and intimidating look. In this picture she comes across threatening and you can guess what genre of music she is involved in. I'm  not entirely sure that I would use this pose this I researched some more photographs of her.

I found this picture where you can only see a shot of her head and her neck. I like this because it is simple but still conveys her to be intimidating like that the other image of her. The colours in this look a lot more defined and better quality. Her pale skin compliments her red lips well and the shadow underneath her face and to the right create more definition.

I also found this image which depicts not only her perhaps intimidating personality but also her feminine aspect as she comes across quite manly in photographs of her. She is dressed in black once again and her skin remains predominant and goes well with her black clothing and hair. Her makeup is dark and not particularly feminine along with her clothes. The pose that Brody is demonstrates her power and her sexuality through what she is wearing.

Currently, I am undecided about who to select as my model so I have chosen to research both male and female artists who I think could help to influence my photographs. Although I have looked pictures of Brody Dalle flaunting her assets and remaining intimidating it does not necessacarily mean that my model will use the same poses. I will probably use aspects of clothing and facial expressions as influence.

 In order to choose what kind of model I would use for my magazine I decided that it would be valid to my research to explore both genders and how they can be presented through images. Here is a photograph of Frank Carter displaying his tattoos to the reader. The magazine is a special edition in which it tells the reader 'The Cool List 2007' and obviously he is involved in it as he is the main artist shown on the front cover. His pose is evidently manipulated to convey his coolness and perhaps threatening personality. The way in which he displays his tattoos is unreserved and he looks quite intimidating to the reader. The model stands out and he is dressed in a plain black blazer with his pale skin boldly standing out over a background covered in words. As he is the lead singer of his band this could show his position and status of importance as well as implying that he could be in the 'cool list'.

After researching the use of an image of Frank Carter on a music magazine it seemed appropriate to look at another photograph taken of him and how he has been portrayed. In this image we can see that he is once again exposing his tattoos which are obviously an important part of him. It also gives the impression that he perhaps he is a strong person and someone to fear. His pose is powerful, he has his hand across his chest and showing a swearing symbol. Just like the female model he has attitude and seems intimdating to the observer. If I use a male model I would probably choose a pose similar to this as it is simple but shows how the model is dominating the image and can portray their attitude and the genre of the magazine.

29/11/2010 Music Magazine - Research

In order to produce a music magazine I need to research certain aspects of images used for the front cover. The clothing of the model is important as it portrays the personality and the mood of the magazine.

Until I started researching magazine front covers I had never actually heard of this magazine before and although I had not read it either I was quite keen to. The leader singer of the band 'The Killers', Brandon Flowers, is featured on the front cover of this issue of SPIN magazine. He is seen wearing a purple velvet suit and holding a crown whilst seated on a throne. He is presented in a regal manner and is staring at the reader with a look of self-importance. Flowers looks powerful and and full of confidence and this is portrayed not only through his attire but from the pose that he has been positioned to sit. The light highlights certain areas of his face and shades the left side. The model looks comfortable and attracts the reader to look at the cover of the magazine. The colours used in this photograph compliment each other well and allow the model to be the main focus.

I looked at another issue of SPIN magazine and came across one with the band 'No Doubt'. The band is also presented here to be quite domineering and to some extent intimidating. They are dressed smartly and the lead singer is evidently not dressed in a suit like the men to draw attention to her. Even the background of the magazine matches what they are wearing but it skillfully does not class and the although the writing is also black and white, the band remain the prominent feature. Each member's facial expression is different which could be a reflection of their personality. The model on the far left is posing in reserved manner, the model next to him looks content, the centre model is obviously the main focus and is extremely confident in her pose as she leans forward demonstrating her position in the band. The model on the far right seems perhaps a little intimidating with his grin and the fact that he is pointing at the reader directs their attention to the front cover. Even the colour of the lead singer's nails and lips and the model on the rights hair match the colour that are consistent throughout the cover. The hair of all the models has been styled similarly apart from the female's and they all have their own individual pose to reflect their personalities which could also be shown through the clothing that they are wearing. More light has been used on the singer so that she is the focal point and the other members have had their faces highlighted with lighting.

I think that this magazine is different to the SPIN magazine as it obviously caters for a different type of music genre and the layout is not the same. The band 'Rancid' are featured in this issue of Big Cheese and simply from this image you can see that they are being portrayed to be intimidating and powerful. In contrast to the previous issues it seems that the band are dressed in perhaps their own clothes as they do not seem to be wearing clothes that compliment each other and the colours of the magazine. However, the colours are consistent throughout the cover tend to be blue, red, white and black which each member is wearing. All of the members have similar poses and are conveyed to be quite threatening. There is more lighting on the prominent member at the front and there is less on the others. The reader can see their whole bodies which reinforce their power and the band name is positioned in the centre of them clearly so that we know who they are.