Styling - Iconography

I have chosen to include this photo on my blog because I like the way in which Lady Gaga has been styled. Firstly I like the way in which her front fringe help draw attention to her eyes and other featured, as I think this will lead the viewers eyes to hers making them connect with the photo. I also like the way which her make up is very minimalistic allowing her to look natural whilst the shape of a lightning bolt surrounds her right eye, agin drawing attention to her eyes. The colour of the lightning bolt and the clothes she is wearing is the same, I think this is to that the photograph looks complete and professional, however the colour black could also connote strength and darkness, this could have been used to show her confidence and strength in the music industry, which also shows her success as an artist. Her white gloves help her hands blend into the background so that they do not take the attention away from her face, however the microphone is highlighted by the white colours around it, this could be to show the more unfamiliar fans that she is a singer when they look at the photograph. The gems on the end of the microphone coulld be used to show her glamorous and wealthy, if this photo was included on a music magazine front cover than it could make the viewer want to buy is as they might want to know how to be as glam and successful as Lady Gaga herself.

Lighting

When I take photgraphs to include in my magazine I need to carefully think about the lighting so that my photo is a good quality and so the brightness is correct for the cover of a music magazine.
The first lighting that came to mind was natural lighting. If I was to work out side I would have to work with only the natural light as that is all I would have. So this would mean the photograph and quality of light could change due to facters such as time of the day, the weather and the location. From research over the internet I have found out that the best time of day to take a photograph using natural light is when the sun is low in the sky, as the light is warm and flattering for photographing people, because of this sunrise and sunset would be ideal. However a down side to photographing at these times can be the shaddows the subjects are left with on their face, as the low light could leave shaddows under their cheek bones or eyes, in this case, anywhere where the sun can not reach. I have decided that I am not going to take my final photographs by using natural light because I dont think this will look the most effective for a magazine.
Another form of lighting which I have considered is studio back lighting. This would meen having a light coming from the back of the subject I am photographing and using my cameras flash to ensure that there is enough light coming from the front. The effect of this would be a very well lit subject with very little shaddow and this would be ideal for the type of photographs which I want to take. I could also consider the settings on my camera when using a backlight, as I have found from research that many modern cameras have a setting specifically for taking back lit shots, this is because the flash on a camrea is usually too bright for this shot, so the spercific setting neutralises the effect of the backlighting, for professional results.
I then looked at using my flash. Usually when photographing to get professional results the flash should only be used when its essentially needed as it mutes the colours and creates dark shaddows that spoil the aesthetics of the photo. However in some cases the flash is needed and I have found out some factors which I need to take into consideration when photographing myself. The first thing is that the flash only reaches about five foot, so if I needed the flash the subject being photographed would have to be in this area in order to get a successful photo. The second thing is that if I was to turn off 'red eye reduction' to ensure my model does not get a red ring in her eyes because of the flash, would cause blurring, and the final thing is if I was to use my flash I would have to ensure my white balance is set correctly because if not the photo will be too bright, which would make me loose essential detail in the photograph.
I have also considered using a tripod. Using a tripod would ensure that my camera was still when taking photos, as it would reduce shaking, which would give a better photograph. This could be useful when taking a photo in low light conditions because in order for the camera to adjust to the lack of light the shutter speed would slow making the camera more susceptible to movement, which can cause blurring.
From my research I have decided to use studio back lighting to light the model for my front cover of my music magazine, as I want there to be minimal shaddows however I want the entite subject to be lit as this is conventional for an image on the front cover of a magazine.

Costume + Fashion

I want my magazine to be current, so I thought it would be useful to research the latest fashion items being sold in shops at the moment and this is what I found. When I researched on the internet for the latest fashion there was a reoccurrence of the cross shape, likewise when I went to look in popular clothes shops myself this is what I found. Ranging from jewellery to clothes and shoes the cross shape/pattern seemed to be creeping across the shelves, and because of this I hav decided that my model for my front cover is going to wear some type of clothing that includes a cross in the pattern, this is so that my magazine appeals to the feminine market as being high in fashion. The shot which is going to be included on the front cover is going to be a medium close up as this is conventional for a music magazine, because of this the clothing my model will have to wear in the cross style will be a top, as in this frame legs can not be seen.

Make up in use - Lady Gaga music video - R&B

Unique makeup ideas

I want my magazine to catch the audiences eye by being up to speed with fassion and acsessories but also by having unique styles. In many R&B music videos I watch, the celebrities have included something unique on their face, the most common being Lady Gaga. She is recognised to have a lightning bolt across her right eye, this in effect makes her stand out and draws attention to her eyes. In addition to this I did some research and thought it would be an interesting idea to include gems on my models face for my front cover. When researching I found many interesting designes of gem patterens on peoples faces, it most commonly includes detail around the eyes and/or down one side of their face. To make my magazine current and in trend with successful celebrities, I am going to create a gem pattern on the face of my model for the front cover of my magazine.



Inspiration - Lady Gaga photo shoot

Colour

When using colour in my magazine designs I am going to try and include both complimentary colours, so certain aspects stand out, and also neighbouring colours so the front cover isn't too harsh on the eye. I have decided to try and achieve this becasue I want my front cover to have various colours on so that it looks interesting but on the other hand I dont want all the colours to over power eachother as this will not leave me with a professional house style, which will leave my magazine looking unprofessional. I believe colour is what draws the viewers eyes to the page so I'm going to carefully use colour to try and achieve this.