Contents Page Ideas

I have created a draft of how I would like my first contents page to look. This is so I can see if the format would work. I quite like the way it looks and I think it will look quite classy when it is all done. The Elle and Vogue contents page only have 1 or 2 pictures on them, but as my brief requires me to have more I looked at different contents pages to get an idea of to to include more pictures. I looked at Cosmopolitan and saw that the layout was quite neat and the pictures were well lined up, rather than all mixed in and overlapping like on some from other magazines. I think it looks more sophisticated when they're lined up hence why mine are. I will also add the page number of where to find each picture perhaps in the corner of the picture.
I am quite pleased with the way it looks and with the text I managed to come up with, therefore I think I will stick with a similar arrangement when it comes to creating my real one. I will have a strict layout for the other contents page as well, but it won't be exactly the same as this one as that isn't very interesting.

Similar Products

In order to add to my understanding of magazine front covers, I decided to buy some high fashion magazines that will be similar to the one I will make. I bought the August edition of Elle, and the August and September editions of Vogue. I also bought a Grazia magazine because Bauer owns them and so I thought it would really allow me to get an idea of the sort of product they own, seen as though mine will also be owned by them.

I really love the Elle magazine because the colour schemes allow it to look very classy and sophisticated. It is nearly a full length body shot and the model is posed in a way that makes her look quite voyeuristic, as she has her hand in her hair and isn't wearing much on her bottom half. However, it still seems very sophisticated and classy because of the high fashion clothes she is wearing and the way they match the masthead. The turquoise works very well. The font used is very elegant and simple, it is the same as the font used on the contents page inside. 

I like this August edition of Vogue because again, it is very classy. The red and white work really well together and are a lovely contrast. I will definitely have strong colour schemes on both my front covers as it certainly makes the magazines look sophisticated. On all the high fashion magazines the models are conventionally looking straight into camera. I really like how the earring has been featured on this front cover as well.

This September edition of Vogue is my favourite because I think it looks extremely aesthetically pleasing as the colours work so well together due to the strong contrast. It looks tropical and very classy. The models make up has been done very bold with a dark purple lipstick and very interesting thin pencil eyebrows. I think it really makes a statement and I would love to create something similar to this. There is barely any writing on this front cover so the attention is very much on the models face. I think this cover really stands out compared to the rest and I want both my magazines to create this effect as well. This cover has really inspired me. 

The Grazia magazine is nowhere near a sophisticated as the others, due to it not being a high fashion magazine. The front cover is a paparazzi picture so this instantly makes it not sophisticated. Even though it is owned by Bauer, it isn't a proper high fashion magazine like Vogue and Elle, so I won't be taking inspiration from this front cover. Although, I have looked at the contents page to get an idea of how they set it out and this might help me to design mine.

I also went on the British Vogue website to see all the front covers created by them in the past few years.

Something I noticed was that as the front covers got more recent, the amount of text reduced. June, July and August 2018 have text down one side and a larger piece of text at the bottom. September 2018 only has text at the bottom. Whereas if you look back at older covers this is very different.

These covers from 2015 all have text on each side and at the bottom. This makes them look very busy and not as sophisticated, which is probably why they have less writing now-a-days. It also takes the focus away from the models. When I design my front covers I will definitely go with a similar layout to June, July and August 2018 covers, with less text. This will make the main focus the model, and it will make it look much more sophisticated. I think there is no need to cram all of the text on the front - that is what the contents page is for.

So from this research I have learned:

• Not to put too much text on the front cover.
• Have a strong colour scheme on the front cover.
• Use contrasting colours to make an impact.
• Ensure the model is conventionally looking into camera.

Photography

I took my first pictures of one of my models at a very elegant location. My mums friend lives in a converted chapel and so we asked her for permission to use her house as a location for some pictures, after exploring many other possible locations. I was supposed to take these pictures earlier on in the week but unfortunately the heavy rain meant we had to reschedule last minute. Luckily this wasn't a problem for my model and we managed to get some really good shots. My model wore a very classy red dress that is actually couture and so very high fashion. It worked really well with the chapel background, and she looked extremely sophisticated.

In contrast, we also took some pictures where my model had trousers on that were quite unique and we chose to have her hair up, as it worked better with her costume. We used some very unique shoes here and really tried to make them a main feature of the picture. The setting was very old looking and classic, which made a really nice contrast with the modern clothes and poses. We used the natural light from outside which worked really well, creating a more natural sense, rather than artificial. I took most with the tripod as it provided more stability and gave the pictures an overall better effect. We took pictures in several other outfits that were quirky yet elegant and I am very exciting to see how they look and begin the editing process.

With my next 2 models I decided to take them to a location that sees the Humber Bride in the background. I felt it made a interesting backdrop for the picture. I dressed them both in fur coats with shorts and glasses. I felt this look was very bold and iconic, which is perfect for my magazine. I had one model with space buns because I think this hairstyle is unique  and the other with her natural curly hair as it contrasted well with the other models hairstyle. I also took them to Normanby Hall where they changed outfits allowing me to get several good images. I particularly like the green outfit that my model wore as it is very different and certainly stands out. I stood her in the green doorway because it worked as a natural frame and I think the outfit went well with it. Both my models had subtle make up which I felt worked well as it reflected youth and purity.

I took my next model to Normanby Hall as well, as I had seen several other locations that would work when I was there the first time. I had her with her hair down and straight as I wanted it to look natural. I took some pictures of her with her pointe shoes on as they look very elegant and so work well with the theme of my magazine. The leather jacket she wears contrasts with this elegance and makes it more unique which I really like. We did some with the jacket and some without. She had make up on that wasn't subtle but also wasn't too over the top.



I also took pictures of her in a different outfit. She wore a leopard print fur jacket, black top, black leather skirt and black heels. This look is very different to the other and I really like it. It contrasts well with her blonde hair and her facial expression really represents her as strong and powerful. I would like to use this image as a front cover because I think it reflects everything I want my magazine to be - unique, powerful, bold and iconic, yet elegant, sophisticated and classy. The grand location gives the image its elegance and sophistication.

I took this model into a yellow field near my house. I decided to have her in her prom dress as represents the magazine as elegant and classy. We took lots of different shots, some with her sat on the chair and some with her doing things with the dress. She also wore my prom dress for some pictures as the colour of it went nicely with the surroundings. For the ones in my prom dress we took an umbrella in an attempt to create some interesting shots. She had her hair down with full make up, making her look glamours but still classy.

For my final images I used my first model again, as I wish to use her for my other front cover. I really love this outfit because it is very unique. For my front cover it will be an over the shoulder medium close up. The background will be blurred so it just appears yellow. I wanted this effect because it is very summery and this is what I need seen as it is a summer edition. Her make up was very light and bright, making her skin glow and her hair is golden which works well with the summer theme.