Question 6

1
What have you learnt about technologies from the
process of constructing this product?

• By Tom Loftus

2
Photoshop
Here is a screen shot of one of the main programs
I used to create my magazine Photoshop.
3
Quick selection tool
The quick selection tool was a vital component
when constructing my music magazine as the tool
easily helps you extract items from a background
or take pieces from an image. I used this tool a
great deal when constructing my cover page as I
had to cut out my model from an image with a
vibrant background. However I learnt how to use
this tool quite quickly and efficiently.
4
Refine edge tool
I used this tool a lot as I had to use it every
time I cropped something or used the quick
selection tool. The refine edge tool just
smooth's the edges and reduces the roughness
therefore giving your cut out a more professional
clear edge. I got to grips with this tool very
quickly and it was used greatly when cutting out
my model also on the cover page.
5
Indesign
This is the software I used to physically create
and put together my magazine its called indesign
and looks like this
6
Rectangle tool and text box
This tool does exactly what it says and creates a
rectangle once having created the rectangle you
can modify it in multiple ways being different
colors, borders different fills ect Then there
is the text box tool in which it creates a
rectangle shape in which you can type I used this
greatly throughout my magazine but mostly in the
double page spread to add the text, fact file and
columns. I picked up the skills of these tools
quite quickly as they are simply and quick to
use, there isn't much complication to them as it
is just a drag motion with the mouse.
7
Text box tool advanced
There are more ways in which you can manipulate
the text within the text box tool. Firstly you
can edit your font style which change the
physical appearance of the text within the text
box, you can also edit the text style with
different degrees of bold and angle of italics.
Then you can choose the font size which affects
the size of your written text you can also adjust
this further by changing the font height and
widths. I used this a lot within the contents
page as I wanted to create a tall text as seen in
many modern fashion magazines as it appeals to a
more mature audience.
8
Stroke layer
This tool allows you to edit the color of text in
a bit more detail. With the color stroke tool you
can change the boarder of the actual text and
differentiate it from the fill of the text. Using
this tool you can create vibrant color clashes
and really make your article pop. I used this
frequently on the cover in order to create eye
grabbing segment and really grab the readers. The
tool is very easy to use and I picked it up
almost immediately as you can see above there are
two different boxes one for fill and one for the
boarder therefore you just need to select a color
for each.
9
Group tool
This tool I used frequently in my music magazine
as it you can build up a final image from
multiple small ones. It also helps for easier
group arrangements when moving things around. I
used this to build up my man of the year
headline/logo on my contents page. I also used it
to create my initial clarity logo which is
featured throughout my music magazine. This again
is a tool which is quite simple to use and get to
grips with and I picked up the skills of this
tool very quickly and efficiently.
10
Photography techniques

• I am now going to display with examples all of
  the photography techniques and have come to
  learn about and all the skills I have developed
  within this field. I am going to go over mode of
  address, costume, props, lighting, and finally
  camera angles.

11
Mode of address
The mode of address is very important when
picking photos for your magazine this is due to
the mode of address effecting the impact by a
great deal. With the most common being direct
mode of address for the use in magazines this is
where the subjects eyes are looking directly at
the camera this establishes an immediate
connection with the reader and I choose to
include this within my cover photo. The use of
non direct mode of address could be used in other
areas of the magazine for example I used in an
album cover to create a relaxed feel for that
album.
12
costume
This is very important when constructing my
magazine as a models costume can say a lot about
your themes and genres. Therefore in order to
establish with the reader my magazine has
qualities of indie, hip-hop, and matureness. So I
styled my model in a indie pete doherty stlye
with hip hop aspects bowtie over sized shirt and
then finally the maturity with the collared
shirt, whiskey, trilby and bow tie. So while
creating my models persona I learned a lot about
how important the costume of your subject is.
13
lighting
I found of that lighting Is an important
technique to learn when constructing your
photographs. I learnt about the different methods
of lighting e.g. high key, low key ect therefore
in order to perfect this we tried a range of
lighting with our model until we reached our
optimum brightness and shadowing. I finally went
with subtle high key lighting and then actually
darkened it further in Photoshop in order to
create a darker more mysterious look for my
double page spread. After completing this process
I really understood the techniques behind
lighting.
14
props

• Props Used
• Poker table
• Poker chips
• Lighter
• Whiskey
• Luxury whiskey
• Ice bucket
• Champagne
• Car key

Within the photo shoot I did I sample a range of
props in order to create a certain image or to
conform to stereotypes. I used specific props to
blend all aspects of my music magazine together.
Therefore I used props people associate with a
luxury party life style in order to give them a
first impression of what my article is going to
entail. I also had to consider positioning of the
props within the frame in order to make sure they
weren't blocking any key features. So after
constructing my double page spread photos I fully
understood all of the techniques to consider when
using props within photography.
15
Camera angles
There are also multiple camera angles to consider
when taking your photographs as it can make your
subject appear in different ways. However we
tried multiple camera angles during the shoot but
I already had a clear image of them mostly being
eyelevel in order to really grab the reader and
engage them with the page. We did try low angle
as it creates a more powerful image of the
subject and can bring out some of the subjects
features however it didn'tt really fit with my
double page spread so I stuck with eye level
shots. While conducting my shoot I got to learn a
lot about camera angles and the techniques behind
them and also how they can effect the image of
your magazine.
16
conclusion

• So to conclude I have learnt and progressed in
  multiple way since starting the construction of
  my music magazine. I have picked up many
  techniques along the way in multiple different
  form of technology, and photography fields. Since
  upon taking this task I have used a wide variety
  of software some In which I have never used
  before. So I think while completing this project
  I have learnt many skill by using and study
  multiple different types of technology, software
  and photography techniques.