Detailed Double Page Spread Research

Moving onto detailed research which includes very specific aspects of making the magazine look and appear professional, in this case it's down to the poses the model makes, not seeming to forced however, very natural and suit the overall photo shoot.

Many poses will be experimented with however, these are a couple of pictures giving a visual ideas of some to be worked with. I want to have a particular 'feel' to the overall look, appearing quite calm, casual and collected:

• Include a guitar
• To be in a field/outside/
• The model to be quite casual

This reflects the term 'casual' something I wish to portray through my models pose. The casual cross over of the leg, and the model gazing into the distance truly represents this. I may not get my model to do this exact pose, however, I will use it as inspiration to spur on other idea that may involve sitting or lying on the floor amongst the greenery and so forth. My setting will be in a field so I probably would get my model to perhaps sit on a fence with the guitar ready to be played. I want the guitar to be include mostly all of the photos/poses  to give it that musical feeling

These three black and white photos are the high contrast effect I want to use on my photos as it brings out the expressions of the models face. This model appears to have quite a happy, joyous expression however, I want my model to express a fairly serene, tranquil face but as if he has a lot to tell that he expresses through his music. Nevertheless, to also illustrate a sense of playfulness and fun.

Overall, the poses I wish for my model to perform will be mostly experimental as once I have found a good pose/stance I'm hoping the entire picture will reflect this good pose and look professional and worthy of a main double page spread.

Specific Double Page Spread Research

This specific research will enable me to have a clear conclusion into what I want my double page spread to look like. It will match the genre I am targeting which is indie/alternative. Using aspects from different types of research not just into the indie magazines but the forms and conventions of others will enable me to hopefully reach that professional look.

This particular double page spread has many aspects that I would most definitely consider having on my design. It hasn't got the over use and over crowding of images it simply includes one main image that features on the left hand page. Something I will include on my double page spread. So that all the image is the main focus and not other smaller pictures taking the concentration away from the central image. It is also black and white which ofcourse so will my image be due to the continuity of the black and white theme throughout the entire magazine. The use of the enlarged letter in the background will be another aspect I will include in my magazine, symbolising the beginning letter of the artists name. I will perhaps add more depth in the overall presentation making it unique and my own, however, this is the look I will be aiming for.

Again this uses the one main image accompanying one side of the double page spread, and it also being in black and white. However, this highlights how the design doesn't have to be as simplistic as the above but can have some added colour; for this instance its blue and orange. Mine will most probably be red. A minute aspect of the article that makes it look professional is the enlarged letter at the very beginning of the paragraph, a form that I will include at the beginning of my article.

This double page spread again using the same concept of the image as the above too aswell as the enlarged letter at the beginning of the paragraph. However, it also includes an example of a 'PULL QUOTE' in the centre of one the columns, I will be using numerous of these as I believe it breaks up the extensive amount of writing throughout. Lastly, the use of the guitar resembles the fact that this is a music article/magazine and not fashion as the image can sometimes be misleading without a prop, something I will consider in my photo shoot. 

THINGS THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN MY DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD;

• One main picture on filling up either page.
• The image to be black
• Hints of red to be included
• An enlarged letter filling up behind the entire article
• Pull Quotes
• A larger letter at the beginning of the first paragraph

General Double Page Spread Research

In all the general research I have seen there are many aspects and features that are included in double page spreads in order to make them appear successful and professional looking. These are some of the following;

• A main model
• A clear and concise article 
• Pull quotes
• Clear defined columns with a gutter in between them

Looking at general double spread pages in magazines it appears that there are many different layouts and forms that can be created. All taking particular approaches. All including a main model, which in this specific instance has been used a multiple of times creating this almost 'dance banner' along the top, and with the main image enlarged and in colour opposed to everything else being in black and white which makes it stand out. I won't be using the multiple pictures of the same model as I feel as it will cramp my entire two pages whereas I want it to appear quite spacious without an over use of images. It includes a subheading introducing the reader to the article with a clear colour scheme of grey, blue and red. However, what this does not include is pull quotes that are enlarged throughout the article which is something I will most definitely use throughout my article. Overall this is a very unique double page spread however, the general 'look' isn't indie and clearly represents an R&B genre which is not what I am aiming at.

This double page spread is very different in comparison to the one above, its a lot more crowded with images than previous, including not much of an article. Which is something I personally dislike, I want mine to have a decent article that the readers can read because they are purely interested in the musician being featured in it not simply to look at more pictures. It has a clear colour scheme of black, white and red which is the exact same colours I will be using in my double page spread however, the black and white be will be higher in contrast against in each other and be a lot more grainier. The use of one main quote above the article is something I will most definitely use in my magazine. 

Construction of Contents Page

Alike the front page the contents page also needs to go through  process in order to reach its final outcome. I will show step by step how I reached the final contents page in detail;

I began choosing my main picture I wanted to feature centrally on my contents page. When taking the picture I had already set the camera to a grainy black and white effect of the photo therefore, when manipulating the photo on Photoshop I wouldn't have to change it a great deal however, simply make minute corrections. I opened the picture up in Photoshop and firstly, I began editing it by cropping the picture slightly so there was no excess and unneeded background either side of the model, giving it a more clean cut, well presented photo

I then started on removing any imperfections of the clothing and any marks or blemishes on the face. I removed these by using the cloning stamp tool as mentioned and explained previously in my front cover
construction/development. The white rectangles on the blouse are meant to be part of the trouser braces the model was wearing however, because of the over exposure of the photo and that the blouse and braces are of the same colour they do not show up therefore, will need to be removed, aswell as any blemishes/moles on the models face.

I finished off the picture by increasing the contrast of the image in order to make it look a lot more striking and stand out even more due to it being the main picture.

This is also a feature I used on the second picture I edited of my model below in order to bring out the features in her face and make the overall picture more saturated and stand out more on the page



I inserted the picture into Photoshop to start manipulating accordingly. Even though this is a black and white magazine I chose to use one colour image to show that I can infact work in colour aswell as black and white, showing that I am not limited to one type of effects and designs. Nevertheless, I edited the background out of the photo with a simple eraser tool, varying the size in order to get into confined spaces accurately. I edited the background out so that when I put this picture onto my magazine I can make the text wrap along the shape of the model, with the background the writing wouldn't be as visible.

I finished editing this photo by like the previous photograph increasing the contrast to make a lot more striking and look as if it belongs in a magazine giving it depth opposed to the original picture appearing quite bland, this seems more arty and suits the black and white theme I have throughout my magazine despite it being colour.



I first began setting my page out into sections on Adobe InDesign creating the 'RULE OF THIRDS.' This simple layout enables the entire page to appear well organised and uniformed with a structured appearance to it something that the reader can easily follow.

Aside from the structured aspect I began on the design part of the contents page, continuing with the black and white theme I filled the top section in black

However, the box alone appeared quite bland and 2D so to create some depth I added the drop shadow effect the create a shadow coming out from behind the box.
Once this effect was added I then inserted a simple 'Contents' title, making it white so that it completely contrasts with the black background, whilst also making it bold and with capitals so that despite its simplicity it stands out to the eye.

I then continued to fill the contents page with all the necessary titles, and subheadings using the same process of inserting text boxes, filling them with black, choosing what text to insert in the boxes and select them to be white. All of these subheadings following what my research states. Once all these subheadings were inserted I started filling in the BAND INDEX with a list of all the appropriate artists names and page references exceeding page number 50 showing that my magazine includes more than 50 pages. I also added a drop shadow to all the other boxes to give it the same effect of making it appear off the page and not 2D.

I then placed my my edited picture into InDesign slotting in between the band index column and the subheadings on the right.

I then added minor detail to the picture to make it appear more professional and to mirror my research. Firstly, I added the page number at the bottom right hand corner of the picture by simply making a text box and typing in the number '96' all so that the reader knows what page to refer to when looking for this picture/article. I then added a heading to match the photo to give the reader a hint of what the particular article will be about and what it will include. I did this easily by using the same process with the text box and typing in what was needed and selecting the 'UNDERLINE' tool.


Following on from the main picture I then decided to create a subscription box with all the contact details needed to subscribe to the 'indieVidual' magazine. I created a text box and filled it with grey and alike all the other boxes added a drop shadow effect on the box. I inserted the appropriate details in black and white and made a big £50 so that it attracts the reader and state how good a deal it offers. I increased the font size and rotated it slightly to the right. I then took the front page I had created and shrunk it to size so that it fitted accordingly to the grey box showing the reader exactly what they are subscribing to.

Once this was finished I placed the colour image I had previously edited into the subheadings column at the bottom so that when text is inserted into the column it would follow the shape of the model.

In order for the text to get to wrap alongside the model I began inserting text under the subheadings following my research and making sure the page number was alongside the the page name and that it was 1.In a different font and 2.In a different colour with this successfully completed I continued to do this throughout the whole column making sure it all stays the same and follows the set theme.

Lastly, I decided that I did not like the way the £50 was set out on in the subscription box. It didn't suit the overall 'look' of the contents page and seemed slightly out of place considering it was also on a diagonal which did not follow my research. I also thought that the black was too overpowering and took the concentration away from everything else. Therefore, I decided to not have it on a diagonal, fill it with a darker shade of grey and outline it with a lighter grey making it appear part of the subscription box however, also adding a drop shadow so that it doesn't completely blend in with the grey box.

Preliminary Drawing of Contents Page

Moving onto my contents page I began experimenting with different layouts that could potentially be used as a template for my contents page. using my previous research as a foundation to base my drawings and ideas on I began designing a few that may or may not be possible ideas.

The initial drawing I did of a contents page design is one of my favourite as I had a very clear image of what I wanted my contents page to look like; and the forms and conventions I have included on this template are very similar to a  specific contents page in my research, as the way everything is laid out, proves to be very simple and easy to follow whilst being very design focused and not just writing; of course I will change my design accordingly so that it isn't identical to my research however, I will carefully use aspects of it in aid to help  my design look professional. I will have an image of a female model centre of the page as the main focus whilst having the 'CONTENTS' in bold along the top of the page.

Using the rule of thirds I have segregated my page into three main sections the far left having a list of all the band with a subscription box centrally the main picture and title and lastly the far left column having the sub headings of general pages. I will keep to the black and white theme since my magazine is a 'BLACK AND WHITE EDITION' however, to show that my technological skills are varied and that I can work in colour just as well I will make sure to add hints of red across the page as well as a colour image in the bottom hand corner.

My second design is very straight forward, there aren't many design elements of this idea, and it appears very limited . I think that there is an over use of images, and not enough writing; as a contents page should be a page that the reader can refer to for specific pages, there are enough pictures to look at throughout the magazine and therefore, do not need an excessive amount on the contents page. The 'CONTENTS' title isn't very bold and easy to see and differentiate this page as the contents page between any others. There is only one column of writing on the left, which isn't enough references for a contents page. Overall this design idea won't be one I shall be using however, the little boxes in the corners of the pictures that will include page numbers will be something I wish to include on my main design.

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This design idea is most probably one of the most simplistic templates, the rule of thirds has not been used, therefore, stating very clear that there is evidently not enough information included that should be for a contents page. There is a large image placed on the right hand of the page, although it is not an excessive use of pictures like the previous design, the image is too big and overpowers the entire page drawing the focus completely away from any type of page references. As in comparison to the box on the left with the sub headings of different pages the image draws the attention completely away. The title needs to be larger and the picture to the left of it needs to be removed as it is too small to be recognised. Overall this idea will not be used due to its imbalance of features.

Lastly, this final design is one completely unlike my research however, was created in order to experiment with different layouts, to make it unique. However, this template proved to be fairly unsuccessful due to its overcomplicated style. The title has been placed at the bottom of the age which is very unusual of a magazine in general. The eye is immediately drawn to the aspect of the magazine that stands out the most (which is most likely the image) and then works down the page therefore, it will take a while for the reader to identify it is contents page due to its odd positioning that doesn't follow the forms and conventions of a magazine. However, the use of the size of the pictures have been thought out as well as the feature boxes, nevertheless, it is the overall positioning of everything on this page that needs to be reconsidered. 

IN CONCLUSION THE DESIGN IDEA I WILL BE MAINLY USING IS MY FIRST INITIAL TEMPLATE AS I BELIEVE IT TO FOLLOW THE FEATURES THAT A GENERIC MAGAZINE SHOULD DO

2nd Set of Photographs for Contents Page

Using my previous photo shoot, I then took the issues involved and the features that weren't included that should have been and re created a far more better photo shoot that illustrates a more accurate view and image of the indie style. I carefully chose more appropriate;

• clothing
• poses
• background 
• props                                                
• hair
• lighting
• etc.

All in hope to make the entire photo shoot more successful. I also parted my model up with a prop (music headphones) in order to make the whole shoot look more musical, giving the model something to work with in her poses.

Again a lot more photos were taken, experimenting with different angles/heights/ which are shown with this print screen shots:

CONCLUSION OF 2ND PHOTO SHOOT;

Overall the whole photo shoot went far more successfully than the previous due to it being thought about and any previous problems were taken into consideration. 

Better Aspects;

• The whole look of the model was more appropriate 
• With this look; it emphasis' the models clear confidence accompanied by her poses 
• The lighting was extremely better than the previous photo shoot due to it being clear sunny skies and around midday, perfect for taking photos as it reflects the models face and defines certain features.