Photoshop Image Development

This is my original image. The image has not been edited or altered. I have selected this image to edit as the subject is an ideal size and has a clear shot of the eyes. This image is the image I would like to use for my magazine front cover. The image is ideal as there is a clear show of the subject and his eyes are the in the top third of the page.

I loaded the image on to Photoshop and started to alter the auto colour and the auto mask. This increased the depth of the image and made it stand out from the background. This is an advantage as it would make the magazine front cover jump out and grab the attention of the customer. As you can see the image is sharper and more vibrant. This makes the subject stand out from the background and create a 3D effect.

This is the third image that I edited in Photoshop. The image has been brightened. Brightening the image prevents the image from looking grey and flat. I also vignetted the image, vignetting the image created a dark area around the image. As you can see I have used this feature to make the subject stand out and catch the attention of the reader. I also lightened up the lighter parts of the image, for example I have made area on the subjects face and jumper whiter by highlighting key areas. This makes the subject stand out drags your eyes to the image.

This is the final outcome. The fourth image that I created has been totally altered. The image has a number of effects present. The main effect is de saturation. I have de saturated the image to give it a classic olden day type look. This would make a magazine interesting as magazines don’t usually use de saturated images. I also used the dodge and burn tool to darken the shadows on the image and highlight the whites within the image. This makes the image look professional and fit for a magazine.

Magazine Front Cover

I was asked to create a magazine front cover for my A-level assignment. The front cover needed to be based on music. I recorded my ideas and went on to create my magazine.

Firstly I needed to take the main image that would be placed on the magazine cover. To take the best image possible I used the manual focus option on the camera. Using the manual focus ring allows me to sharpen the image and create an outstanding cover. If I used the auto focus option, the image may come out blurred, making the image unusable. I was taught a set position in to take the photo. This was called the T stance. The T stance is a unique standing position that photographers use to keep their body steady when taking a photo. Using the T stance allowed me to crouch down and still take a steady photo. I was also asked to take the photo in portrait mode. Taking the photo in portrait is essential as it will allow the image to fit on the front cover perfectly, as the front cover is portrait. If I had taken the photo in landscape mode, the image would not fit on the cover and I would have to stretch the image to make it fill the page. Lighting is also very important when taking a photo. Taking a photo in the correct lighting makes the photo stand out. If a photo was taken in very light or dark conditions, the subject would be distorted and dull. This is not ideal as images need to be eye catching in order to sell the magazine. When taking the perfect photo, eye line needs to be taken into consideration. I used the rule of thirds when taking my photo, the eye line of the subject needs to be in the top third as this area will match the proportion ratio of the customer’s eyes. This allows the customer to engage with the magazine and feel that they are a part of it. The background of an image is essential. I carefully thought about the location that my image was to be taken. The location I had chosen was in front of a row of houses. Taking the image in front of the houses makes the subject stand out and at the same time adds character to the photo. Taking a photo in the correct location will attract the customer as the image will jump out and attract their attention. When taking the photo I handled the subject very well. I told the subject where to stand and how to stand, in order to create an outstanding photo. I don’t think the lack of photographic skills that I had affected the image, as I used all of the instructions that I was given in order to create the best possible image.

After I had taken the image, I loaded it into Photoshop. Inserting the image into Photoshop allows me to edit the photo and create my magazine. There were many features and skills that I used within Photoshop in order to create my magazine front cover. I used the text edit to insert text. I downloaded a unique font from a website called www.dafont.com the website is great to use as it allows me to download a font for almost any type of magazine. I inserted the font into Photoshop and used it to create the outstanding text on my front cover. To make the text stand out I used a drop shadow and an inner shadow. These effects make the text stand out as they jump out off the page to create a 3D effect. I also used a pattern overlay and satin. Using these effects give the text a unique style and makes the magazine effective. I did not use any effects on the photo itself as the image was the correct depth, brightness and colour. The image stands out and catches the reader’s attention, if I used multiple effects, they may make the image look unnatural. Choosing the correct font colour is essential, choosing the correct colour will make the text stand out against the background and catch the customer’s attention. The colours that I used were black and pink. Using black and pink as a text colour scheme is effective as they contrast well with one another.

There are many ways in which I could improve my magazine. I could make the masthead larger. Making the masthead larger is essential as it will jump out and attract the attention of the customer. Another improvement that I could undertake is to move the subject’s eye line further up the page. Moving the subject’s eye line further up the page is essential as customers will be able to connect with the magazine.

The strengths of the magazine are that the magazine uses a good colour scheme. Using a good colour scheme is essential as it will stand out against other magazines that are for sale. Another strength about the magazine is that the magazine uses an effective background image. Using an effective image is essential as it will attract customers and make the magazine look interesting. 

Here are three photos to exemplify my photographoc skills development.

The first image that I had taken had many advantages. An advantage to the image is that it is focused. Taking an image that is in focus is essential as it will stand out and look professional. Another advantage to the image is that the lighting is ideal. The sunlight is shining from behind and reflecting off of the car, this makes the image stand out as there are bright and darker features on the image. The sunlight also creates shadows, creating shadows is essential as they add character to the image. The light illuminates the subject perfectly, he is easily viewable and details can be extracted with ease. This makes the image look professional as the photograph focuses on essential features that would be used to attract attention. Another positive about the image is that the image is set in an attractive location. The image background looks busy and interesting. This is an advantage as the image would attract attention if it was used on the cover of my magazine.

 This image could have been used as the image on my front cover. The image has the correct eye line. The subject is looking down at the customer to show his importance. This is a great way to sell the magazine as this makes the magazine look interesting.  The bad points about the image are that it is out of focus. Using an out of focus image is not ideal as the magazine would look unprofessional and would not attract the target audience. Another negative point to the image is that the subjects face is too bright. This makes the image unusable as this will not make the magazine stand out against competition. The skill that I need to improve on is to work on lighting. Lighting is very important as it can either make the image look professional or make the image look bad.

The third image that I had taken has many negative points. The image is not straight. You can see this as the doorway is not level with the top of the image. If I used this image on my magazine, the magazine would not look attractive as the image looks like it has been taken quickly are carelessly. The subject is also too small. If I used this image on my front cover, the customer would not be attracted as they could not see the small details in the image that would pose an attraction. An area to improve is to make sure the camera is angled straight. Ensuring the angling is straight is essential as it makes the photo look professional. Another area that I could improve is to ensure that I get close up to the subject. Standing close to the subject is essential as small details will become viewable and catch the attraction of the customer.