My initial response to the module is that I have enjoyed the design aspect, creating a layout and spread in InDesign. After this module, I have been inspired to start my own publication, which myself and a few friends are in the process of establishing. Furthermore, I like to see my work in print, and now I believe that I should start to push my work towards professional printed publications, to have it published.
This module has taught me that I am interested in portraits; I especially likes the studio shoot for the spread aimed towards Offscreen Magazine. I also enjoyed shooting the live gig, for the spread which echo’s the layout of Q Magazine. This module has taught me to explore different genres of photography that I hadn’t previously thought to explore. This is a crucial explorative step; if I am to become a freelance photographer, I will need to undertake varying assignments on a weekly basis.
This is the spread that I had the most enjoyment shooting and designing; gig photography was something that I had never really tried before. Once coupled with my love of shooting film, photographing the gig on film was a great experience. For the spread I photographed School Disco, a small band from Plymouth, who are beginning to make a name for themselves online with the recent opening of their own Spotify. In terms of the design aspect, I aimed the spread towards Q magazine, a magazine that covers all aspects of music, from rock, pop, indie and music of previous decades. When looking at the magazine I particularly liked the design and the layout not just the content. I felt the style was unregimented, which is often personified on the music that they photograph. However, I noted that all of the acts that were being covered were signed and had record deals. Thus, photographing an unsigned band could arguably add more variety to the publication whilst further supporting the music industry. This is what the spread I have created aims to cover. It wouldn’t be hard for the magazine to allocate a double page spread each issue dedicated to unsigned talent.
The spread is probably my favourite that I have produced, due to the stark contrast between the black and white images, and the bold red that is present on both the first and the second spread. Q magazine don’t keep to a strict layout, which meant that I had the chance to experiment, and create a spread that let the photography do the talking. This is in direct contrast to some of the other spreads that I’d created for this project, which felt restrictive in terms of design.
Because I enjoy the music that the band, School Disco, produce, I decided to write the article which I again enjoyed, however found it relatively difficult to produce. From writing this article and two other articles, I have since found that I much prefer the photography and design aspect to the writing element of the publication. However, if it came down to it I would be able to write most articles, especially as it makes it more appealing to the publication, that I have produced, photographed and written the content.
For the second spread that I produced, I used my Self Directed Assignment from PEP 140, which was a project documenting people’s scars. In the project I photographed nine different people with varying scars, from skiing accidents to self harm, which aimed to look at the relationship the people had in their scars. I directed the spread towards Aesthetica magazine, an arts and culture magazine that regularly promotes new artists and photographers whilst showcasing their recent projects. This is how I presented the images, writing a small profile about the project and myself as a photographer, before using the three other pages to dramatically showcase a selected of images from the project.
I like how the images look on the page; it is clean and minimal. However, as a creative, I found it quite dull, as I strictly kept to the layout that Aesthetica magazine use. Unlike Q Magazine which was free and liberal, the design of the Aesthetica magazine spread felt extremely regimented and restrictive. Despite this, I do like the final outcome; I am pleased with how the images look when on the page. Due to the fact that the images I used in the spread, were also part of my Self Directed Assignment, this is the spread that I have decided to submit. The four page spread was sent to Selina Oakes, the Digital Content Officer of Aesthetica magazine.
The third spread that I produced was directed towards Offscreen Magazine, a creative magazine that looks at current and contemporary artists, that work mainly in a digital space. However, to juxtapose the work that the creatives produce, the magazine is only available in print, and isn’t available in an online edition.
For this spread I produced a piece on a fellow student, Lou on the Games Art course here at Falmouth University. In the spread I discussed the rise of the gaming industry, and how it had grown from a closed community to a multi billion-pound industry. I then linked this to Lou’s own expectations for when he leaves university and how he wants to get into the industry. I am happy with the spread, and particularly happy with the opening portrait of Lou, as it is bold, gripping and makes you want to continue onto the article. Moreover, looking at the design, it almost combines the minimalistic tendencies of Aesthetica magazine with that freeness and unpredictability of Q magazine, making it an interesting spread to produce. I used influence from the magazine itself in order to guide me to make an informed decision on how it looked.
This is the spread that I am least happy with, due to the images. For the four pages, I decided to do an article on cycling café, Rockets and Rascals, in Plymouth. The café is different to most in the fact that it combines almost every need for a cyclist; it includes a shop, mechanics and also the café which produces healthy, homemade food and drink.
When conducting the shoot, I should have used flash to add more light into the room, to create a brighter image. This, coupled with the strict layout of Cyclist magazine, I personally don’t like the look of the spread, however when implemented into the structure of the magazine, I feel it would work. If I had more time, I would have conducted a second shoot, making sure that I used flash to add more light. For this creation, I decided to use fill text, as when undertaking the shoot, I hadn’t had an opportunity to talk to have an in-depth conversation with own of the shop, giving me no material to produce written work.
The images that I submitted were from my Self Directed Assignment, and I sent them to Aesthetica magazine. I contacted Selina Oakes, the Digital Content Officer for the publication. I did receive an automatic reply stating that Selina will be out of the office until May 1st. Below is the email.
This module has not only sparked interest in design and creating a magazine, but has also help drastically improve my InDesign skills. Before this project I would have said that I had competent skills in InDesign; I had previously used it during my A-Levels, and to create a zine. However, when being tasked with much more complicated layouts, it push and advance my skills, giving me the confidence to direct my own photography towards an outcome in both print and a magazine forms. Not only that, but with the prospect of starting a publication with a couple of friends, it has given me the drive to learn specific elements of InDesign in my own time. The module has confirmed that I really like to perceive and present my work in a printed format, whether that be in a publication, magazine or zine.
