I DID IT!

Yesterday, I shot the photos for my magazine and I couldn't be happier. The cover photo came out amazing, the tape with sharpie worked perfectly on Ambar and the idea of two colors really made it stand out. The outfits I chose for her definitely gave the glam-rock vibe I was going for, and the addition of glitter under her eyes from the inspiration from Neon Demon executed exactly how I envisioned it.
The shots of the clothing rack took a while but got finished, and I need to photoshop the coloring a bit since I had to use flash and they became a little washed out. The photo through the mirror of the getting ready action also came out exactly how I wanted them to. I think I'm going to add a bit of the hue of the cover image, red to the clothing rack photo and blue to the makeup photo.
I need to start working on the content but I am very excited and a lot more motivated now that I have everything shot!

Freaking out.

I'm shooting tomorrow, which should be excited, but I'm kind of nervous. I don't have anyone to help me with the lighting, and I don't even know if I'll be able to get all of the right angles for the pictures, but tomorrow is the only day I'm able to do it. I need to sort out the outfits tonight so everything is ready, but I'm not even sure which ones will look the best with the lighting. A whole lot of uncertainty! This isn't good! Just a quick check-in before the day of, I wish it were going a little smoother than this.

Schedule

Today is Sunday, which means the day is approaching. I need to talk to Isabelle and Ambar to figure out what outfits they'll be able to put together based on what they have for a couple different scenarios. I will either shoot the outfits on a blank wall and photoshop them together (like Polyvore, see below) or shoot them on a rack and leave the background as is. I think we could get together around noon, and be completely finished before three. Not quite sure why time is relevant here, but it makes more sense to me in my head. I keep thinking once I shoot I'm done, but I need to put it all together, write the articles, put those together, figure out a layout, AND do the (is it called CCR? yeah, right?) 10 minute thing. To top that all off, I have a yearbook competition from April 12th to April 14th, the last three days I have to work on this project. Basically, it all has to be completed in roughly two weeks from today! Fun! Let the stress begin.

Backtrack? Edit: I got an idea.

So I went back and did a little bit of research as I am entering the week of the final product coming alive. Even though I know the first spread is going to just be a playlist with a little blurb, I wanted to add an actual article based on Ambar and Isabelle's interaction with fashion. I wanted it to be a little Q and A, but I feel like I can expose my writing skills better if I include an actual article.
According to this article from Freelance Writing, they recommend writing on a topic you have actual interest in, which is why I'm leaning towards fashion. It's something I can learn more about, that I also have the desire to. While researching, this article gave me the inspiration to write what is called a "trend piece" in the fashion world. The article suggests that I should start the piece with a quote, which is exactly what I'll do. It makes sense since I am highlighting Ambar and Isabelle. It also suggests that I add anecdotes, so I JUST GOT AN IDEA IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS THOUGHT! Rather than TALKING about fashion, because that's boring, we'll follow the format of the music playlist but Ambar and Isabelle will suggest different outfits for different scenarios!!!
Okay, okay, my creative juices are flowing like crazy right now. The first spread is a playlist for how to get ready in the morning to get pumped for your day, chosen by Ambar, who portrays a model that often has very productive days. So, to move on from that, the following spread will be Ambar with Isabelle (photo yet to be designed) and their outfit tips for certain scenarios (ex: dates, lunch with friends, family brunch, job interview, etc.) AND they're both so fashionable I know they'll have all of the pieces available. I love it!

Help.

The first double page spread about Ambar with her playlist is final. I'm not touching that, but I'm thinking of adding the second spread with one of her friends (hi Isabelle). But I'm so stuck!! I can't think unless I'm hands on with my photos, and I can't shoot until next week FRIDAY. That's so far away. What am I supposed to write about this week? My brain really can't process these spreads without having my concrete photos along with it. But I think I have to force myself to start them anyway. Well, spring break starts tomorrow. I can start to pretend I'm artistically inclined and get some sketches done, just so I don't go into the shoot blindly. I also need a location. And colored sharpies. And outfits picked. And props.... Okay, maybe I do have something to do.

Where am I?

I'm sort of stuck. I have no motivation whatsoever to do this project or pursue this idea that I have, which I was totally excited for a couple weeks ago. I'm dreading shooting and I'm dreading having to start writing for the spreads. Is it that I'm tired of school overall, or that this idea wasn't meant to be mine? I'm envisioning it now and I see it turning out completely different than I want it to, in a bad way.
Nevertheless, I continue. Next week I am shooting all of the photos for the magazine, with a ton of extra photos in case I want to switch things up as I'm laying it out. I'm also going to start "assembling" the magazine when I have the photos, which I haven't been doing because I don't want to get carried away with the layout and then get frustrated because it doesn't work with the photos I shot.
I need to find my motivation again! I was super excited for this and without that excitement I won't get anywhere. I think I'm going to start writing the music content of the two page spread this week to help me get a vision of the shots I definitely wan't to use for the table of contents and the spread. I'll keep you guys updated!

Time is Ticking

I just realized this project is due in less than a month and the final project is completely untouched. I should start on the content of the spreads and begin to work on the layout, because I can't shoot Ambar until we're both free (which is NEVER). The photos won't take too long, but it's all trial and error and I don't want to rush it.
I think I have the cover idea finalized. Ambar will be shot from the shoulders up, with space left at the top of her head so I can put my title, and the bottom will have space as well so I can add a subtitle. I don't think I want coverlines, as the main focus is the photo of Ambar herself. What I envision is two colors rather than one, purple with pink, or red with blue, whichever looks the best. I want her to be holding a rose to bring out the femininity, but I will try a couple shots without it as well to see how it turns out. 
As for the inside, I will slightly break out of the dark lighting, and give it more life with some natural lighting, yet some color (filters or lighting) incorporated. For the table of contents, I think I want to do a blank page with text on one side, and the photo on the other side, contrary to what I said before. The photo will be of Ambar's hands going through her makeup OR I JUST THOUGHT OF THIS I could shoot her image in the mirror of her doing her lipstick (typical, but classic). Inserting pictures now!

That could incorporate the aspect of her getting ready for her "life," as we are getting the inside view of it from this issue. For the two page spread, I really loved the idea that Vogue did with the playlist for Dua Lipa to get her ready for her workout. I wanted to do Ambar's playlist for getting ready for a stressful or important day, to help the day start right. I also wanted to add an additional spread for fashion, as Ambar is a model in this issue. But, I want to focus on what's actually due before I get too ahead of myself. I'm very excited!

And so it begins...

Joomag was hard to figure out at first which resulted in full blown chaos, but within five minutes I got it. The layout that I want to work with is a fashion based layout, and what drew me in the most was the table of content page. It's not what I originally envisioned with the roman numerals, but it has a very interesting layout of the numbers huge in random places on the page.

I think this is what I will start working with for the table of contents, but have a photo layered in the background and change the opacity where the text would go. The only issue I've noticed is that the numbers stand out before the text does, and the text is usually what draws the reader to want to flip to the page. We'll see where this takes me!

Inspo

Going back to Atomic Blonde, the movie itself features some elements of the lighting I wanted to achieve. For the inside photos, I don't want them to be extremely dark and menacing, yet I want it to show real life through a powerful eye. These are the photos from the movie, they show the background instead of getting rid of it, yet the focus is always on her and the lighting highlights her features perfectly.

The lighting is obvious, yet you can still see the background, other people, and every element of the setting in the shot. That's the look I'm trying to achieve, because I don't want to completely obliterate the background and lose the element of life itself.

I really love the photo from the screenshot of "The Neon Demon," and I found more with the glitter aspect that makes the photo look amazing. These are the inspiration shots I have for the cover.

The lighting is exactly what I envisioned; colorful, powerful, and stark, yet the glitter makes it more fun and playful, so it doesn't become too dark, boring, and somber (thank you for the word Ambar). The way the light will bounce off of the glitter adds dimension to the photo as well, which will make for a great cover. Bless my AP photography mind. We love her. 

Meet Ambar

Ambar is going to be the star of this production. She is going to be the featured person in this issue of my magazine, and all of the articles are going to surround her and her way of life. I want to do two additional two page spreads besides the table of contents, and I have a pretty solid idea for the first one.
In the magazine, Ambar Ramirez is a high fashion model, and she is going to be giving her tips to having the best lifestyle. The first spread is going to focus on music, and she is going to give her playlist of 15 songs to play while you get ready in the morning, to kick off your day well. This idea is inspired by Vogue's article highlighting Dua Lipa, and her playlist for working out.
As for the layout of the magazine, I want them to be heavily focused on photography, and I'm thinking of doing a photo of Ambar doing her makeup while "singing" for this specific spread. The photo will be shot landscape so that Ambar is on the left, and the text can go on the right, with some of the image serving as a background. I'm thinking of orange lighting for this one, but using natural daylight as well, making sure it isn't as stark as the cover. 
Nope, scratch that. I've been looking for picture inspirations and it just hit me: she's a model, I should shoot her picking out her outfit. That's still included in getting ready in the morning, so it works perfectly. It might be difficult to get good lighting since it will be from inside a closet, unless I can find a clothing rack. Ambar has just informed me that Isabelle has one. We might be onto something. 
I can't find the exact composition of the pictures I want, but I have a few inspo pics from Clueless (AKA the best movie of all time).

I could always shoot Ambar choosing her clothes from the back, but having her face in it is more effective. WAIT. What if I get the clothing rack, and have her peeking from in between the clothes? Or I have her holding up her outfits? I need to go shoot and see what comes out the best, but these are my ideas so far. Let's see where life takes me!





Mahanty, Shannon. “Listen to Dua Lipa's Exclusive Playlist.” Vogue, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2018, www.vogue.com/article/dua-lipa-inspiring-power-playlist.

Welcome to Atomic

I've decided on a theme! My magazine will be titled "Atomic," and I am going to work with the bright, stark, colorful lighting. When I googled the word "atomic," some covers from the movie Atomic Blonde popped up, and it definitely serves as inspiration. 
The beginning of this article opens with, "Rather than the gray skies, beige overcoats and grim tension of many thrillers set during the Cold War, the new film 'Atomic Blonde' exists in a boldly sensual world of neon-streaked lighting, high-glamour outfits, moody synth-pop and intense action." These descriptors follow the exact conventions that I imagined for my magazine, and the following pictures are my inspiration for my cover. The fonts are very bright and powerful since they have the neon glow against a solid background, or a simple yet bold portrait. I think I will utilize the neon fonts, figure out how to add an outer glow to text, and use the original idea I had with the cover of Ambar.
Let's get this show on the road!

Here We Go

I have made my final decision! I'm going with the darker, powerful vibe for the magazine. It will still be lifestyle, focusing on music, love, and self (female) empowerment. The model will be Ambar, and I'm thinking of adding an additional two page spread highlighting her friends as well. The main focus will be Ambar, with the "advice" coming from her and the anecdotes supporting the article coming from her past. 

For the cover, I will emulate a photo I have take before in AP photography (see below), with direct eye contact. I don't have an exact title chosen yet, but I have five choices in mind: Belladonna, Atomic, Blaze, Ignite, and Reign. Basically words pertaining to women and fire. Powerful! Although, the fire words may not work, because I'm thinking of more cool tones for the lighting because it works better with the aesthetic in my head, but we'll see.

The table of contents will have a simple layout, text over a photo with the same lighting, probably Ambar's hand with a record player. Not sure yet! But I don't want any fancy fonts for the table of contents, something a little more simple and easy on the eyes. I want to work with roman numerals for the pages, just because it looks ~cool~. Kidding, but not really.

The following two page spread(s), (kind of want to do an additional two page spread) will focus on Ambar directly, her advice for readers, and a little bit of her past. I want music to be highlighted; how music can change your life for the better, escape through music, etc. I also want to do a fashion graphic, or just feature it inside the spreads. My thoughts are all over the place! I need to organize myself. For now, this is what I have in mind. 

Normally when I shoot colored lighting, I use the good old method of coloring a piece of scotch tape, covering my phone flashlight with it, turning it on, work it around my subject, and shoot with another phone, or my camera. But I looked up how to effectively get colored lighting, and this article mentions using "color gels" with physical lights (aka a lamp I will take with me everywhere) and the effect looks a lot more refined. The article mentions using two different gels on each side of the model's face to create a gradient where they meet, and I love the look. The malfunction of the tape and sharpie lighting is that it usually doesn't work unless it's pitch black, but the color gels seem to work in normal lighting which will be a huuuuuge plus for the quality of my images.

I don't think I've ever been this excited to start working on a project! It's mostly because it's completely centered around what I want to do and what I am able to achieve. Onwards!

“Shooting with Color Gels.” Fstoppers, fstoppers.com/studio/shooting-color-gels-2723

These two photos are part of my concentration for AP photo so I can't upload them full quality or collegeboard will get me in trouble, but this is what I was able to achieve with sharpie and tape! 

I got it! (I think)

I'm conflicted. I have two, solid ideas. I either want to create a carefree, light theme, or the complete opposite, a dark, dramatic vibe. I have two covers in mind, one for each "theme." One is a low angle shot of my model, the beautiful and talented Ambar, with the sky bright in the background, her spinning around and laughing, holding some sort of drapery or blanket behind her of a light color. Maybe Coachella style? The other cover idea is a dark setting, with Ambar holding a rose and staring into the camera, a stark red/purple spotlight on her face. This one feels more "me," but I'm not sure if it will execute well.
The problem is: both magazines convey completely different ideas, and I can't move on and think about the cover later because I need it in order to know what to write about. I have played with color lighting before for my AP photography class, and it is very simple with a beautiful end result. But, I wanted to play with something new for this magazine. Do I take risk doing the option out of my comfort zone, or do I go with what I'm comfortable with and execute it as best as I can? I guess we'll find out!
Here are some photos for inspiration, just to get a mental picture.

Idea #1:

Idea #2:

Got Genre?

Hello, I am stuck. It's like when you think of a really good idea, but you only know the end, and you have no idea what you want the beginning or the middle to be. AKA, the most important parts. I know I want the magazine to be heavily based on photography because, not to toot my own horn, but I take pretty great pictures. I have this vision in my head: my model (shoutout Ambar), perfect lighting, sharp makeup, enticing eye contact. But I have no context behind it. I think I've decided though, lifestyle? I guess that's what I'm going for. I found this article which says lifestyle magazines "include articles and editorials in the areas of fashion, travel, food, trends and general pop culture," which is right up my alley. The more I say it, the better it sounds. I'll read into it a little more and get back to you guys. 

"How to Launch a Lifestyle Magazine." Bizfluent bizfluent.com/how-7726695-launch-lifestyle-magazine.html.