New Mag Update

I decided to make the text be different colours to make it stand out more and add a bit more of colour to the magazine. I used the "+" symbol from XXL magazine, as I found this a way of incorporating something from a professional magazine into my own magazine. this made it look more professional. 

New Magazine Cover

I started off using this cover but i found the background look dull and not very intriguing. So using the color from her lips i used it on the text and created a simple color burst on the cover. I then edited the photo by separating the model from the background and then i put an effect on the background to make it stand out. I also added a shadow to the master head so it stood out more. However i still want to make the top banner bigger so the text is a bit clearer. I am also unsure of the the red text use. As its random and i think it makes it look cheap. Especially due to other magazines having the text pretty much the same color.

Photoshoot 3

Photoshoot 3 was of Julie. She was modelling for the Kayne West new clothing line section on my contents page.

• I was happy with this photoshoot, however the battery of my camera died preventing us from taking more pictures. 
• I tried too take unexpected pictures, so the pictures look more natural. 

PhotoShoot 2

Update to cover

I decided to make the text red on one side to match the dual background. Also it keeps the theme going.  

I then changed the master head to also fit the dual theme and came up with these ideas:


Im still unsure which one looks better, so i am going to do a survey to see what the target market prefer.

Photo shoot 2 - Idea's

Models:
Tashan - Male, 18
Jade - Female, 20

Locations:
SOHO

Costume:
Tashan - Khakhi green trousers, Black top, Black boots, Hat, Scarf, Leather gloves (black), Black leather jacket.
Jade - Khakhi green tracksuit with light brown, Khakhi green top, Gold hoops and little studs, gold chain and bracelet, Red lipstick, Curly Hair, Brown trainers, Black coat, New Era hat.

Ideas for photo shoot:

I would like to try and replicate some of these poses in my photo shoot. With the RollingStones mag, i want Jade and Tashan to face each other like it was a boxing competition. However i want a shot of them in the same position but looking at the camera rather then at each other. The mag with Nicki Minaj, i want to do but in brick lane, on a car or on a stool in front of a white wall.
The XXL magazine with the 4 men, i want to use some of the poses that the men are using. But not with the same layout but for my models individually. The other XXL magazine i want my model Tashan to put his arm round Jade like they are a team/Family. With the Billboard magazine i want to use the idea of dark lipstick as Jade is quite Fair skinned so could make it stand out. I also want to put diamonds on her lips.

Update... 3

I tried to give my model a nose stud to resemble a Tupac kind of look:

However i don't like the way it looks, due to it looking fake. I did however make the background more like the 50cent mag shown bellow by making the background half and half. I think this makes my magazine look more professional and not just an accident. 

I choose to lighten my models eyes using the dodge tool as there was a lot of black in the picture. I also feel that his eyes has to send a message to the audience as it is a head shot.  

Looking sat the image of the eyes, you can see they have a sparkle to them and quite an in tent look in the positioning of his frown. Which is shown in his eyebrows. i wanted to replicate this so i tried to make his eyes lighter with a sparkle in them too entice the female members of the target.

Update 2

I decided to add a bottom banner to make my magazine look more professional. I also moved the barcode, QR code and issue information. I also added the website on the front page as well. This was due to online copies being available to purchase, rather than a hand held copy.  I feel that this looks better already. I feel like the background could be neater and more professional. I know my front page image is not great but I still think it could look great if the background was adjusted. Bearing that in mind I want my background to  more like this as I feel it stands out. However my colours will be black and red:

Update to original cover

I decided that the pink colour was a bit far fetch from the hip-hop and R&b genre. Due to this i decided to change the colour to red.
I feel that the red is symbolic of danger and blood. which can link to the get rich or die hard trying saying that Hip-Hop artist tend to to make music about. However the red could also be symbolic of seduction and sexual nature, that hip-hop and r&b artists make some of there songs about.The use of black could represent the dark lifestyle that they live, with the gangster lifestyle. The use of a gradient also shows how these to aspects of their life are intertwined together. 
The White represent the honesty in there music. White is also a bold harsh colour as it stands out, so it could represent the fact that their music lifestyle stands out in their life and is a big part of their life.

Cover idea 2

I edited a picture of one of my female models,

Before                                                                                                          After

I then played around with the picture on photoshop came up with this magazine:

I am still working on this cover, however I think it looks more like a fashion magazine compared to an R&B/Hip-Hop magazine. So i have added tattoos to my model to make her more like a rebel and fitting the look of some Hip-Hop/R&B artist. However i still need to work on the text layout. As its boring and not very profesional looking. 

I feel like it looks better then before but i am still unsure of the way the cover is being to look. I don't think it will stand out as much on the self of stores compared to magazine cover 1. As its not very bright, the glasses and costume is very retro, 50's style. Which may confuse my target market as it doesn't match the genre of music. Due to this i will continue to work on both magazine covers then compare them both at the end to see which one my target market prefer, by completing a survey. 

Magazine 1                                                                                                                     Magazine 2 

Updates to cover

I am still unsure of the Image and Colour scheme but i think that it stands out more then the one before. Its more eye catching and is not the usual type of Hip-Hop/ R&B magazine. Yet i think this would be an advantage as people maybe more drawn to the magazine because of the fact its different and not using stereotypical colours. 

I am still working on the text and layout of the magazine as my text is not fully aligned or positioned neatly.